HEROIC HARRISON DEFIES INJURY TO CLAIM EUROPEAN TITLE
Posted on | April 9, 2010 | No Comments
HEROIC Audley Harrison has saved his boxing career with a sensational last-round knockout to win the vacant European heavyweight title.
Harrison, who suffered a ripped tendon in his right shoulder in the second round, fought most of his fight against Michael Sprott using only one hand.
Despite trailing and being two minutes away from a career-ending defeat, Harrison knocked out Sprott with a sensational left hook.
“I had an operation in 2002 when I ripped a tendon and I think I did the same thing again,” said 38-year-old Harrison.
“The pain was excruciating but there was absolutely no way I was going to quit. Not once did I think about quitting.
“You open people up with the jab but because of my injury I didn’t have a jab but luckily I’m a quick learner.
“It was hard for me to pick up any rounds and I’ve never boxed on the orthodox side before.
“I felt so hampered but I never lost hope. In the sixth I hurt him with an uppercut and a hook but it was hard to get going.
“My career was on the line so losing wasn’t an option. I had to find a way to win and I knew the left would be the one that gets him.
“When it landed I just walked away because I knew it was over.
“It’s definitely the best punch I’ve ever thrown, especially in those circumstances, but it would’ve knocked out anyone – including the Klitschkos. It was championship-winning material.
“It was a hell-mary of a punch that would’ve taken out any heavyweight in the world.”
After winning Olympic gold in 2000, Harrison’s professional career had, before this win, failed to live up to its early promise.
He admitted he was in ‘the last-chance saloon’ ahead of this Matchroom Sport-promoted contest at Alexandra Palace in north London.
In the build-up, Sprott, 35, claimed Harrison did not have the heart to beat him but Harrison believed the manner of this victory would silence his critics.
“I would like someone to ask Michael if he still thinks I have no heart,” added an emotional Harrison, who is expected to be out of action for at least six weeks.
“I showed a lot of courage to fight with one hand and I showed the heart and desire that I wanted to become the European champion.
“Winning the gold medal is something no one can take away but this is sweet and has brought tears to my eyes.
“People have said a lot of bad things about me and I’m crying because I’m proud of what I’ve done in these circumstances.
“When you work hard you get your rewards and I work hard every day in the gym. Some people do not understand but I’m real and I don’t make any apologies for who I am.
“For me to find that shot when I needed it most says something about me. I said it would be something special and no one can say that wasn’t special.
“I have a tick next to determination, a tick next to pride, a tick next to heart and a tick next to punching power. I did 12 gruelling rounds, most of them with one hand.
“I showed plenty of bottle, plenty of desire, plenty of spirit and plenty of heart – any boxer could see that.
“The battle was hard and I wanted it to be hard. Now people can see how much I want to be a world champion and there is no doubt in my mind that I will be one before I retire, no matter what people say about me.”
Darren Barker claimed the vacant European Middleweight Championship with a hard-fought unanimous points win over Frenchman Affif Belghecham.
Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Jack Mosley Discuss Their Sons and Boxing
Posted on | April 9, 2010 | No Comments
Tags: Boxing > Floyd Mayweather Jr. > Floyd Mayweather Sr. > Jack Mosley > Shane Mosley
JAKE SHIELDS, DAN HENDERSON & GILBERT MELENDEZ, STRIKEFORCE CEO SCOTT COKER CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS
Posted on | April 9, 2010 | No Comments
CBS AND STRIKEFORCE will present a World Championship Tripleheader that features five fighters ranked among the best in their respective weight classes and an undefeated star hoping to join their ranks on Saturday, April 17, live on The CBS Television Network (9 p.m. ET/PT), from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
In the main event, legendary MMA champion and two-time Olympic wrestler Dan Henderson (25-7), of Temecula, Calif., will make his STRIKEFORCE debut when he challenges Jake Shields, the STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight Champion (24-4-1) of San Francisco, who has won 13 in a row and is unbeaten since December 2004.
Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez (17-2), of San Francisco, by way of Santa Ana, Calif., will risk his STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight belt against DREAM champion and Japanese superstar Shinya Aoki (23-4).
The third world title fight will feature one of the elite mixed martial artists at 205 pounds, Gegard Mousasi (27-2-1), of Armenia, who will put a 15-fight winning streak and his STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight crown on the line against one of the most confident, fastest-rising, charismatic fighters in the world, “King Mo” Lawal (6-0), of Murfreesboro, Tenn.
What the fighters and Coker had to say on Friday’s call:
OPENING COMMENTS:
SHIELDS: I’m super excited to be a part of this, to be on CBS again and on the main event for the first time on CBS and for the opportunity to fight Dan Henderson, who’s one of my favorite fighters of the past 10 years. It’s a huge opportunity for me to go out there and showcase my skills against someone of Dan Henderson’s caliber.”
HENDERSON: “I’m as excited as everyone else is to be a part of this CBS card and to have the opportunity to help broaden the sport and bring it to the masses. I’m excited and hopefully all the new fans will be hooked just like the rest of us are.”
MELENDEZ: “I’m very excited and I feel very privileged to be on a card with such great fighters. Not only am I fighting the biggest star in Japan on American soil, but I’m fighting on CBS with guys like Jake Shields, Dan Henderson, Gegard and King Mo. I’m very pumped up, I’m very excited and I’m very thankful that Strikeforce has given me this opportunity and I hope I fight first so I can watch the other fights.
QUESTIONS:
Jake, what kind of fight do you expect on Saturday?
SHIELDS: “A really tough one. It’s really hard to predict where this fight is going to be. I think we’re going to be everywhere, you know. I think we’re going to be on our feet, I’m going to take Henderson down, he’s going to take me down. It’s going to be an all-out war.”
Dan, what about Jake Shields in terms of his abilities poses the biggest threat to you in the cage?
HENDERSON: “Jake has been on a big winning streak and he’s very dangerous in certain aspects of the game. I’m sure he plans on taking me down and using some of his submissions. There are definitely things I need to watch out for and be careful for. I think Jake was right; this fight is going to be on the ground and everywhere else. I think it’s got the potential to be a really exciting fight.”
Scott, how much pressure do you feel to match the TV ratings you drew in November, especially since you don’t have Fedor on this card?
COKER: “Well, not only would we like to match November, but we would like to exceed November. And we’re all working hard to try to get as many eyeballs as we can on this event. I think CBS has done an amazing job with their promotions, I saw a ton of them on the basketball tournament and CSI and Survivor and different top-rated shows. I think in the MMA community we’ve been driving the message as hard as we can. And, the matchups speak for themselves. These are matchups that are going to be amazing and it took us a long time to put these fights together. Every one of these fights could be a main event, so we’ll have a triple main event next Saturday on CBS. We’re hoping to have a great rating, that’s definitely one of our goals and we’re working hard to achieve that.”
Jake, I hear you’ve put on a few pounds?
SHIELDS: I’ve bulked up. I’m still not a huge 185 pounder, but I feel a lot better. I’ve been working with strength trainers. I feel really strong and fast at this weight, it’s the best I’ve felt at185.”
Dan, can you talk about your decision to leave the UFC for Strikeforce?
HENDERSON: “What more do you want to know, I’m pretty much happy with the big aspect of fighting on CBS. There’s no bigger platform and CBS was a huge part of my decision.”
Was the exposure of TV the main lure for you?
HENDESON: “You know, it didn’t bring me over here to just be on CBS, but to be able to still have some big challenges as far as fights go in STRIKEFORCE, they’ve got a pretty good, big roster of fighters now, some big challenges. That’s why it’s not only the money and everything else, but without the challenge it wouldn’t really excite me. So, I’m fairly excited about being on CBS and fighting Jake Shields.”
Why has MMA gained so much popularity?
HENDERSON: “The sport itself is just so exciting, anything can happen at anytime. To have platforms like CBS broadcasting fights is bringing a lot of fans to the sport, so that definitely helps.”
Jake, do you feel any pressure to put on a show considering it’s the main event on CBS. Some people question your style?
SHIELDS: “Yeah, yeah, definitely. I want to put on a great fight. Of course the two things I want to do are win, of course, but I also want to put on an exciting fight. I know Henderson is a tough fight. But, the other thing is stylistically it will probably be an exciting fight. I want to go out there and use heavy striking and try to put him away with submissions or ground and pound, whatever. I’m definitely trying to end this fight.”
Gilbert, you’ve now avenged both your career losses? How are you so much more dynamic than you were when you first lost to Josh Thomson?
MELENDEZ: “I guess I took a step back after that loss and decided, do I want to do this sport for fun or do I want to make a career out of it? I decided I wanted to make a career out of it so, with that said, I became more motivated, more focused and I promised myself I will never come into a fight unprepared. I don’t care about losing. I just care about not being prepared.”
Dan, on a scale of one to 10, how hungry are you for the STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Championship belt? And, if you obtain that, would you consider moving back up to light heavyweight to fight for the belt there?
HENDERSON: “I’m very excited and hungry to just get out there and fight and fight well. It’s been a while since I’ve been out there and I definitely want to be impressive with my first fight in Strikeforce. There is a belt on the line, so I’m very excited about that. We’ll look where I’ll be after that, but I’ve got to take care of what’s in front of me first, then we’ll go from there. Beyond that, I have no idea and really haven’t thought very much about what I will do.”
Dan, where do you think you stack up with Jake in terms of submission defense?
HENDERSON: “I feel like over there years I’ve fought guys as good or better than Jake on the ground that are great at submissions. I’m not too bad there myself, so I’m not really too concerned too much about it. But I am also aware that that’s probably the biggest danger for me when fighting Jake Shields, but I’m going to be very comfortable there.”
Jake, Dan is known as a great wrestler and striker. How do you think you stand up in terms of the wrestling and striking?
SHIELDS: “We’ll have to see when we get out there, but I’ve been working on a ton of wrestling and trying to get stronger in those areas. As far as power goes, I know he has good power, but I’m not the easiest guy to hit and I certainly can take a punch. I’m ready for it, I’ve worked hard on it. I know on paper he’s a better wrestler, but a lot of times it doesn’t always stack up that way when you get in the cage.”
Jake, do you think you’re a full fledged 185 pound fighter now?
SHIELDS: “Yeah, I don’t know. I feel comfortable at this weight, that’s all I know. Weight is not going to be a factor. If Dan is a better fighter then that has nothing to do with weight. At this point, he’s coming down and I’m coming up, so it’s not going to be a big deal. There’s probably going to be a five pound weight difference, but it’s not going to be a factor in the fight.”
Scott, there have been some reports about Jake’s contact. Is this his last fight with Strikeforce?
COKER: “Jake does have the ability to exercise his one other fight. We’re going to wait to see what happens with this fight.”
SHIELDS: “For the most part, too, I’m really happy with Strikeforce. Everywhere I read people say I’m going to UFC, but I just said I’m not sure where I’m going. The media seems to keep jumping and changing words I say and kind of pushing that I’m jumping away, which isn’t the case. I haven’t said for sure where I’m going. I’ve been very happy with Strikeforce. I’m fighting in the main event on CBS against Dan Henderson. This is, like Dan said, the biggest platform possible. So it’s not like I’m in any hurry to jump and run away.
Dan, how helpful has your wrestling background been for you in MMA?
HENDERSON: “I’ve said it many times that wrestling is the best base to have in MMA. It’s been instrumental in my MMA career and it doesn’t hurt to be able to use that and still have the ability to knock guys down as well. I can’t say enough about wrestling and what it’s done for my MMA career.”
Jake, are you confident going into this fight or are you worried about him taking the belt?
SHIELDS: “No, I’m vey confident. Obviously, Henderson is a tough fighter so I’m not thinking it’s going to be an easy fight, but I’m relaxed. I love having the belt, but it’s not about the belt it’s about the fight. This is a huge fight, but in my mind, I expect to keep the belt. I know Henderson is good, but I have no intentions of letting him take my belt.”
Gilbert, everyone knows what Aoki did in his last fight. What is your reaction to his antics after he beat Mizuto Hirota?
MELENDEZ: “First of all, breaking a guy’s arm is part of the game. The guy should have tapped out. My mentality stepping in the cage is kill or be killed, and I’m sure most top fighters have the same mentality. With him running around, dancing around and doing the middle finger? I thought it was a little uncharacteristic; it’s really not my style. But I’m not one to judge Aoki. Maybe this guy was talking bad about his Mom in the back or spit on him in the back, so I can’t really jump and judge him. If he continues to act like that over and over I’ll probably think he’s kind of weird. It just comes with the game and sometimes when you see blood you act a little crazy.”
How important is it for you to not only win but step up the ladder?
MELENDEZ: “It’s crazy. I had two losses in 2008 and I fell off the rankings. I was ranked No. 2 in the world for a minute, No. 3 in the world. But, Scott Coker gave me an opportunity to avenge both those losses, I’m back in the top 10 now and I’m fighting the No. 2 fighter in the world. It’s pretty nuts. I’m really excited and I’m excited to take advantage of the opportunity. Not just that I’m fighting the No. 2 guy in the world but also that I think I have a good chance of beating this guy.”
What’s the key for you in this fight against Aoki?
MELENDEZ: “A perfect fight would be we never hit the ground and I sprawl and brawl this guy. But, you got to be prepared for every scenario in this fight and I believe I am. I have to be able to defend all his submissions, I have to be able to be confident on the ground, and, like I said, best case scenario I never touch the ground and I knock him out. But you got to be prepared for everything from this guy.”
Gil, are you worried about Aoki finding a way out of the fight?
MELENDEZ: “I’ve studied a lot of tapes on him and one thing I’ve noticed is he’ll look for the way out and I can’t give him that opportunity. If I accidently hit him in the nuts or I elbow him wrong I have to realize that he might try to take advantage of that and find a way out. I just have to be very careful and not give him that opportunity. It’s just something that I’m aware of and I almost would blame myself if I gave him that opportunity to get out of there. It’s definitely something that’s on my mind.”
Do you think training with Nick (Diaz) and Jake (Shields) is an advantage for you against Aoki?
MELENDEZ: “Definitely, a lot of people fight Aoki and they’re three months out of a fight and they think they have enough time to start training Jiu-Jitsu. I’ve been training for this guy unconsciously for years. I’ve had Jake, who’s tapping guys out, I’ve had Nick (Diaz) and Nate doing crazy Jiu-Jitsu and a stacked team of guys. I’ve really been preparing for this guy unconsciously for five years. I’m very fortunate I have a great team and I think it’s going to help a lot.”
Jake, how much of a benefit for you is it that your last fight went five rounds?
SHIELDS: Yeah, maybe it is. I guess if it was the first time I’ve fought five rounds, but Dan has fought five rounds as well. When you fight five rounds you don’t forget how to do it. It’s one of those things that you either can do or you can’t. But I think me and Dan both know how to fight five rounds, so it won’t really make a difference.”
Dan, what are the pros and cons of having the layoff at this time of year career?
HENDERSON: “I don’t see any cons in it, other than it gave my body a chance to relax and recover from different injuries. But, I’m in the gym every day that I’m home training my guys and training with them, so I feel like I’ve been fighting the whole time while I’ve been home in the gym. The pros, I guess, is it’s been a while since I’ve been in there and I’m pretty excited and hungry to be back in there. I’ve been chomping at the bits for months now waiting to get back in the cage.”
Jake, what do you think is the key to your big win streak?
HENDERSON: “I think the key is just hard work. I’ve been training hard and I also have a good team behind me. We just train really hard and just push ourselves to get better. I’m really confident right now but I try not to be over confident because when you get over confident that’s when you lose. I’m confident but I know I’m in for the toughest fight of my life on April 17.”
Gilbert, how is Aoki so good if he’s so seemingly one-dimensional?
MELENDEZ: “The thing with Aoki is he’s a very intelligent fighter and it’s obvious you want to stay on your feet with him. Basically, you just want to keep it on your feet. Once he gets to the ground he has a great back attack, he has a great rubber guard, and you have to be prepared for all of those. As I study his tapes, I get scared of all those positions, but the closer I get to the fight I feel more confident about it. But, yeah man, just being prepared for all those positions on the ground.”
Jake, how much help have you been for Gil? I know you’ve wanted to fight Aoki for at least a couple of years.
SHIELDS: “Yeah, I want to fight Aoki, but I’m bigger now and he’s smaller so that’s probably not going to happen. Instead, Gil gets to fight him. He’s a guy that I’ve really studied and know a lot about so I’ve definitely tried to help him some. I definitely see how to beat Aoki and I definitely understand it, and I think Gil has the perfect style to go out there and put him away.”’
Gilbert, do you think it will make a difference that Aoki is fighting in a ring rather than a cage?
MELENDEZ: “Well first of all, I have thought about it but it’s not something that I’m banking on U.S. rules helping me out. I’ve fought in a ring and I’ve fought in a cage and there are differences, but sometimes you get a little bit more lost in a cage and you don’t know where you are, whereas in a ring you’re a little bit more aware. In Japan when you fight in the ring you have to dialogue with the referee and you have a bunch of people dragging you to the middle where you can work on your submissions. In a cage the referee is not involved at all. He needs to stop a fight or penalize someone for hitting below the belt or poking in the eye. I think the cage can play an advantage in the Jiu-Jitsu game for me, if I wedge him against there he might be a little uncomfortable. I’m not banking on the cage helping me a lot, but I can see how it could make him a little confused and hurt his Jiu-Jitsu game a little.”
This fight is likely to feature a lot of grappling, what’s your approach to that since you’ll have such a huge audience?
MELENDEZ: “Best case scenario, I never hit the ground with this guy, but, realistically, I have to be prepared to hit the ground with him, and I am. Fortunately, my style of Jiu-Jitsu is high paced and scrambles and Aoki’s is tricky and entertaining. So, if we do hit the ground I think it will be entertaining for all the viewers. I don’t think anyone will be booing and saying ‘stand up and fight.’ They’re probably be pretty caught up in it and maybe slightly confused at what’s actually going on. I would like to display my Jiu-Jitsu skills. I’m pretty confident in them. I’m looking forward to displaying my mixed martial arts skills.”
Scott, can you run through the process of putting together the fight with Aoki? I know he’s in pretty strong demand.
COKER: “It was a tough road getting Aoki here. It started a year ago when we announced the relationship with SHOWTIME and CBS, one of my goals was we have to have the DREAM fighters come to the U.S. and fight our guys because those would be some of the most amazing matchups in mixed martial arts. So I started working towards that. I thought we were going to have it towards the end of last year and then it got postponed for different reasons. He was busying fighting in Dynamite. I really am appreciative for DREAM letting this fight happen because it was a very difficult task to have this happen. He’s really a Japanese treasure and a superstar over there. For him to take the risk and come over and fight Gilbert was something that was tough to do. Luckily, after Dynamite he had an opening and we grabbed it.”
What if Aoki wins and becomes the champion? It would be difficult to get a lot of dates.
COKER: “That’s a good question. I think what would have to happen is Gilbert would have to go to Japan and beat him up over there.”
Gilbert, what are your thoughts on an immediate rematch?
MELENDEZ: “An immediate rematch sounds cool. I would love to fight him again. Obviously, I’m trying to get through this fight and win. I’m just very excited that Scott has the confidence in me and he gives me confidence. I really believe I can win this fight. Like I said, I’m a soldier here. If Scott wants me to go to Japan and fight Aoki I’ll do it. I have no problem going over there. I’d like to make a statement and beat him here and I’d like to go over there and beat him and make a big statement in the MMA industry.”
Jake, are you happy fighting at 185 or do you see yourself going back to welterweight?
SHIELDS: “I take it one fight at a time. I’m just trying to get through this fight for now and look at my options. I feel like I could go back to 170 pretty easily. I walk around at 185, so I think I could make weight in two weeks if I had to. But I think I’ll just take it one fight at a time. I’m just looking for the biggest fights. “
###
Doors at Bridgestone Arena will open at 6:30 CT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Bridgestone Arena ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’S official website (www.strikeforce.com).
You can follow CBS and Strikeforce on Twitter at @CBS_MMA and @StrikeforceMMA
Gleason’s Gym proudly Presents It’s Famous Annual “Fantasy Boxing Camp”
Posted on | April 9, 2010 | No Comments
Kutsher’s Country Club: August 19-August 22, 2010, Fantasy Boxing Camp
Book your spot at our famous annual Fantasy Boxing Camp.
The Gleason’s Gym 8th Annual Fantasy Boxing Camp will be at Kutsher’s Country Club in Monticello, New York from Thursday, August 19 through Sunday, August 22nd, 2010.
The camp is open for anybody that likes boxing. Our youngest attendee was 12 and our oldest attendee was 76. There are professional and amateur boxers and businessmen and women boxers, and just plain fans of boxing that attend.
There will be four days of intense training with some of boxing’s greatest champions. Join Carlos Ortiz, Emile Griffith, Iran Barkley, Mark Breland, Juan LaPorte, Alicia Ashley, Melissa Hernandez, Hector Roca, Yuri Foreman, Martin Gonzalez, Terry Southerland and others training and having fun at this year’s camp.
There is limited space for our 2010 Fantasy Boxing Camp. Please make your reservations early. The deadline is August 8, 2009. A $500 non-refundable deposit will secure a place at the camp. The balance of the payment must be made by August 15, 2010.
Contact Bruce Silverglade at Gleason’s Gym for further information: (718) 797 2872 or bruce@gleasonsgym.net.
$1800 per person (based on two per room)
$2500 per person plus one guest (guest not attending the camp)
$3100 per person plus two guests (guests not attending the camp)
$2100 per person (private room)
THE HISTORY OF GLEASON’S GYM
Gleason’s Gym is the oldest active boxing gym in theUnited States. We have trained 132 World Champions, two Olympic Gold Medallists and hundreds of amateur champions. The current 16,000 square foot facility on Front Street sits in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge. Many great champions have plied their craft at Gleason’s Gym. Our “Hall of Fame” includes Jake La Motta “The Raging Bull”, Ali, Tyson, Jones, LaPorte, Breland. Gleason’s Gym is proud to be the home of such current fighters as Jo’an Guzman, Paulie Malignaggi and Junior Middleweight Champion Yuri Foreman.
BOXING CAMP
If you like baseball you cannot go to Yankee Stadium and train with the Yankees, nor can you go to Madison Square Garden and shoot hoops with the Knicks. Boxing is the only sport where you can actually train next to champions and top contenders. We are offering you that same opportunity with our annual Fantasy Boxing Camp. Your camp will include intensive boxing discussions, coaching sessions, ring craft, sparring and training drills. At the end of the camp you will have the chance to showcase your newfound skills in our Fantasy Camp Sparring Show. Our camp will give you the chance to learn from World class trainers such as Hector Roca, Olympic Gold Medallist & World Champion Mark Breland, 5 Time World Champion Carlos Ortiz and 2 Time World Champion Juan LaPorte amongst others. Professional and Amateur sparring partners will also be available to help with your training. Men, Women and children are all welcome. No previous boxing experience is necessary-we cater to all skill levels.
KUTSHER’S COUNTRY CLUB
KUTSHER’S Country Club is a deluxe Complex located on over 1,200 acres in the magnificent Catskill Mountains. KUTSHER’S is a year round self contained Resort. Attendees of the Fantasy Boxing Camp will have full access to all the facilities that KUTSHER’S offers, including Bicycles, Canoes, Exercise Room, Fishing, Miniature Golf, Indoor and Outdoor pools, Health Club, Saunas and Steam Room at no extra charge.
The indoor pool is available for our exclusive use each morning and evening of the camp. As part of the Fantasy Boxing Camp you will be eligible for KUTSHER’S Full American Dining Plan, which includes three meals per day. Meals will be served privately in the Gold Room. All Boxing Camp training will be done in the Sportsmen’s Room. All guest rooms have a private bath, color TV, direct dial phone, oversize closets and individual heat and air conditioning controls.
Tags: Boxing > Fantasy Camp > Gleason's gym > Monticello > New York > New York City
TAKEDOWN RADIO TDR This Wk- Stutzman, Dannen, Borschel, Slay, Smith, Hipps, Meeks Bros. Wrest
Posted on | April 9, 2010 | No Comments
Hello wrestling fans. it’s been a bit crazy this week for sure. We’ll do our best to get down to it this week from our Brute adidas studios of TDR in Des Moines, Iowa.
Joining us-
John Stutzman- Head Coach Bloomsburg (PA)- The Bloomsburg University wrestling team advanced two wrestlers to Friday’s action at the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling championships in Omaha, NE. Matt Moley and Rick Schmelyn while Nate Graham was eliminated. All in all a good year for Bloomsburg.
Troy Dannen- University of Northern Iowa Athletic Director. A few days ago Brad Penrith was released as Head Coach of the Panthers. Interested Coaches should listen to this interview to find what Dannen is looking for in a new head coach for his program. Long been rumored that the wrestling program would be cut, Dannen has stated to me that this will not happen at UNI. Dannen is looking to grow the program and its performance on a national level.
Jay Borschel won his first NCAA title becomes one of 19 Iowa wrestlers, in school history, to post an undefeated season record (37-0). He ends his Iowa career with a 98-10 record, winning the 2010 Big Ten and 2009 Midlands titles at 174. The Marion, IA, native is a two-time all-American, three-time NCAA qualifier and three-time Big Ten and Midlands place winner. Borschel went 62-3 in dual matches and 21-1 in Big Ten duals, scoring 265 team points in dual competition. He led the team in collegiate wins (37), dual wins (23), collegiate and dual winning percentage (1.000) and fastest fall (0:13) this season. Borschel is a three-time academic all-Big Ten selection, earning a spot on the NWCA Division I all-academic team in 2008 and the Dean’s List in 2009. He was also named Division I Outstanding Wrestler at the 2010 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Iowa’s three NCAA wrestling champions – seniors Brent Metcalf and Jay Borschel, and redshirt freshman Matt McDonough – have been named winners of the Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestler Award for the 2009-10 season.
Brandon Slay- Olympic Champion and USA’s resident Coach will update us on the efforts of our US Athletes as they prepare for the U.S. Open on April 23-24 in Cleveland, Ohio. The excitement grows as decisions are made as to who will win a coveted US Open title. Slay won a gold medal at 76 kg/167.5 lbs. at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He upset Olympic and World Champion Bouvaisa Saitiev of Russia in the pool competition in Sydney. Saitiev has gone on to win three Olympic gold medals.
Brian Smith- Head Coach of the University of Missouri- Smith was able to coach Max Askren to an NCAA Championship this year. With Askren’s back issues and change of practice schedule, Coach Smith had to step outside the box of what he expected from his team. The extra effort paid off in one of the most emotional wins in Missouri history.
Andrew Hipps- InterMatwrestle.com joins us to discuss the coaching landscape and what he thinks will be the needed assets of the next head coach at the University of Northern Iowa.
The Meeks Brothers Wrestling Team/Family will join us in studio for this show. Keith Meeks will join us with his 2 sons John and Blake. Blake has signed with the University of Nebraska to wrestle for Coach Mark Manning. John will complete his sophomore year at Des Moines Roosevelt and has already captured 2 state titles and looks for his 3rd next season. Keith has developed a wrestling program and club called Project impact in Des Moines. Targeting at risk kids and those with behavioral problems the system works to teach kids that its easier to steer away from problems and turn toward wrestling.
Wrestling fans- Please note that Episode 52 of TDR TV is now available on all the top web sites and cable systems around the country. TDR every week! It’s appointment Radio and TV! Join us at Takedownradio.com. America’s Wrestling Radio Talk Show airs on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa and on a radio station near you or on line at many of our broadcast partners around the world including Livesportsvideo.com. TDR “the Radio Program” airs 9 AM to 11 AM CST every Saturday morning we look forward to having you listen. Thanks for watching and listening!
Tags: Chris Arns > COLLEGE WRESTLING > pro wrestling > Scott Casber > Takedown Radio > wrestling
TAPOUT, FULL TILT POKER and BROTHERS BBQ present ROF 38: ASCENSION!
Posted on | April 9, 2010 | No Comments
RING OF FIRE MMA returns to Colorado!!
Special internet only pre-sale opportunity before tickets go on sale to the public.
$5.00 OFF all $25.00, $35.00 and $45.00 seating during the Internet Pre Sale!!
Buy presale tickets Friday April 9th at 10am till Monday April 12th at 10am.
Get your tickets now because we have A HUGE LINEUP in store for this show and tickets WILL go fast.
The action comes to you live Friday, May 14th, 2010 at the 1ST BANK CENTER in Broomfield , CO. Mark your calendars now and don’t miss this opportunity to catch one of the top Mixed Martial Arts promotions in the industry!
WHERE:1st Bank Center, 11450 Broomfield Lane, Broomfield, CO 80021
WHEN:Friday, May 14th, 2010. Doors open at 6:30PM, first fight at 7:30PM.
WHAT:13 MMA Matches including:
Number 1 Ranked Female Fighter: Cat Albert
Number 1 Ranked Bantam Weight: Christian RELENTLESS Allen
DREAM MMA Korean Fighter: Ho Bae Myeon
Number one Ranked Colorado Welter Weight: Robert Martinez
Team Tompkins trained fighter: Kasheem “The Dream” Peterson
and all of the very best fighters in the Rockly Mountain region
13 Extreme Cage Fights, 2 Title Fights…ONE ULTIMATE NIGHT!!
Ticket Prices: $25, $35, $45*
Or charge by phone at: 866.461.6556 Toll Free.
* price does not includes $4.00 facility fee
Remember to Save The Date: Friday, May 14th, 2010 and forward this message to all of your friends and family.
Union Boxing Management Building Future Champions
Posted on | April 9, 2010 | No Comments
READY TO TAKE IT TO NEXT LEVEL…
Los Angeles, California (April 9, 2010) – There are many bright young prospects currently in the state of boxing but none more promising than the young fighters that are currently signed with Union Boxing Management. Since 2001, Co-Managers Alex Vaysfeld and Alex Mezherovsky have been diligently working to build future world champions, guiding the careers of promising young prospects such as former IBF inter-continental welterweight titlist Sergey Stepkin. Stepkin was most remembered for his all out slugfest with middleweight contender Miguel Espino for the WBC Caribbean middleweight title.
Since that fight in 2007, Union Boxing Management has been busy building a stable of promising young fighters from Eastern Europe and training them out of Los Angeles. Three of their top fighters are former WBA bantamweight world champion Wladimir Sidorenko, lightweight prospect Roman V. Andreev and heavyweight prospect Vladimir Tereshkin.
Wladimir Sidorenko (21-2-2, 7 KO’S), who hails from Ukraine is looking to get back on the path to winning a second world title. The road to his second world title will be under the guidance of Freddie Roach, the best boxing trainer in the game today, if not ever. After losing his world title, Sidorenko is happy to be under the guidance of Roach and is sure he will soon be placing that world title around his waist again.
Roman V. Andreev (9-0-0, 7 KO’s), is a promising young prospect from the country of Komi, which is near Russia. Andreev had an outstanding amateur career and is very a solid fighter with the heart of a lion. Andreev will be under the tutelage of world champion trainer John Bray, who had an outstanding amateur career himself and turned professional. During his short pro career, Bray was blessed to be trained with legendary trainers such as Angelo Dundee, Richie Giachetti, George Benton and Lou Duva. Look for Andreev to climb up the ranks and take the lightweight division by storm. His next bout will be in Montebello, California in late May.
Vladimir Tereshkin (12-0-1, 7 KO’s), is Union Boxing Management’s most promising young fighter and looks to take over the heavyweight division. Tereshkin was also an outstanding amateur winning both the Russian national championship and world amateur championship. He will also be under the tutelage of John Bray who was a seven-time national champion himself.
Tereshkin will be fighting this Saturday, April 10th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, on the “Battle of the Hard Rock” card promoted by Top Rank Promotions. Tereshkin will be battling it out with Joseph Rabotte and hopes to make it known that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division.
Catching up with trainer John Bray, he had the following to say about his new fighters and Union Boxing Management. “Alex Vaysfeld and Alex Mezherovsky have been a real pleasure to work with along with Union Boxing Management; they are true professionals. I am pleased and excited about the talent they brought me and I hope to turn these young men into world champions.”
On the trip to Las Vegas, Co-Managers Alex Vaysfeld and Alex Mezherovsky shared the following thoughts. “We’ve been managing these young fighters in hopes of turning them into world champions and bringing boxing back as it has had a black eye. I hope promoters will start more being more receptive to putting new faces in the ring as they will give the fight fans something worthy of watching both in person and on TV”, said Vaysfeld.
Mezherovsky added the following, “We are looking for talent all over the world and have teamed up with two great trainers in Freddie Roach and John Bray. We are a U.S. company and will continue to build future world champions.”
With the exception of Sidorenko, all of these young fighters are training at the Sports Club in Reseda, California. The Sports Club is a full blown boxing gym with state of the art equipment and a great environment to work out in.
Within the last nine years, Union Boxing Management has turned itself into a self sufficient and sustaining company which takes care of business. Look for this management company to continue making strides in the boxing world.
For information on Union Management Boxing, please contact Alex Vaysfeld at 818-613-2330 or visit http://unionboxing.ru
Tags: Angelo Dundee > Boxing > George Benton > John Bray > Los Angeles > Lou Duva > Richie Giachetti > Roman V. Andreev > Sergey Stepkin > Union Boxing Management > Vladimir Tereshkin > Wladimir Sidorenko
JASON GAVERN VICTORIOUS: ENDS QUEZADAS WINNING STREAK AND CAPTURES WBC CABOFE HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
Posted on | April 9, 2010 | No Comments
April 8, 2010 – Goossen Tutor Promotions presented a fabulous night of boxing at the Tachi Palace Casino in Lemoore, California. In the main event, Jason “The Sensation” Gavern upset Manny “El Toro” Quezada (29-5, 18 KOs) to capture the WBC CABOFE Heavyweight championship.
The slugfest started off fast as both fighters were throwing power shots early on. Quezada was coming forward as Gavern was moving in and out. Both fighters landed effective shots and it was anyone’s fight. In the second round an accidental head-butt took place and a point was taken away form Gavern. A WBC rule was announced that in a situation where an accidental head-butt occurs, then a point has to be deducted from the fighter at fault.
In the middle rounds, Gavern landed some nice furriers that seemed to bother Quezada. Manuel continued to come forward trying to land his powerful right hand. Gavern stood strong and used his great feat to get out of danger. In the sixth round the fight was halted when Manuel went down from what seemed to be a punch. The knockdown was ruled a slip and the fight carried on.
As the fight entered into the later rounds, you can see that both fighters were getting tired. Quezada’s welt from the head-butt was swelling. Gavern started to become the aggressor, applying pressure while landing flurries. Quezada fought like a warrior till the end as they both exchanged punches to the final bell. A split decision was announce and Gavern was declared the new WBC CABOFE heavyweight champion. One judge had it 95-94 for Quezada, while the other two had it 95-94 for Gavern.
“I take nothing away from Gavern.” said Quezada. “He came to fight. I wasn’t able to get into a good rhythm. I have no excuses. I’ll be back and I’m hoping to get a rematch.
“This is by far my biggest victory.” said Gavern. “I credit my faith in Christ. A few months back I was at a crossroad and didn’t know if I wanted to continue boxing. I decided to give it one more shot and tonight I came out victorious. I will absolutely give Quezada a rematch.”
8 Round Jr. Welterweight Bout
In the co-main event Bakersfield native, Mike Dallas Jr. (13-0, 4 KOs) scored an exciting KO against Genaro Trazancos (22-11-1, 13 KOs) of Mexico City. Dallas dropped Genaro with a stiff jab in the middle of the round. The bout ended when Dallas finished Tranzncos off with a left-right-left combo that sent him to the canvas for good. Time was 2:51 of round one
4 Round Bantamweight Bout
Mike Ruiz from nearby Fresno, CA was successful in his pro debut winning an impressive unanimous decision against Luis Mares (0-3) of Lompoc, CA. Fighting out of the southpaw stance, Ruiz landed nice body blows and was effective with a looping left hook that found a home. Scorecards read 40-36.
4 Round Super Middleweight Bout
Paul Mendez (4-1, 2 KOs) of Bakersfield, CA won an exciting split decision againstTyrell Hendrix (4-1-1, 2 KOs) of Hollywood, CA. Both fighters were exchanging power shot throughout the fight. Mendez landed a straight right hand that put Hendrix on wobbly legs late in round three. In the final round, Mendez went for the kill but Hendrix was able to last the round. Scorecards read 39-37 for each fighter with the last judge giving Mendez a 40-36 tally
4 Round Featherweight Bout
In a fight that hardly featured any jabs, Juan Tepoz (4-2-1) of Santa Rosa, CA won a slugfest against Jose Pachecho (2-12-6). Both fighters came out swinging for the fences. Tepoz landed the more effective punches scoring a unanimous decision. Scorecards read 40-36 all in favor for Tepoz.
4 Round Featherweight Bout
Rufino Serrano of Santa Maria, CA improved to (6-2) against a game Eder Peralta (1-2, 1 KO). Serrano used his height advantage and combination punching to score big in each round. Peralta tried to work his way inside, but found it difficult as Serrano landed left hooks to the head. Late in the fourth round, Serrano landed a straight right hand that put Peralta on the deck. Scorecards read 40-35 across for Serrano
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