Boxing 360 inks Heavyweight Mike Mollo
Posted on | March 19, 2010 | No Comments
NEW YORK (Mar. 19, 2010) – Chicago heavyweight Mike Mollo (19-3, 12 KOs) has signed an exclusive promotional contract with Boxing 360, it was announced today by the New York City-based company.
The 30-year-old Mollo’s most notable victories to date have been against former Olympians, Mike Tyson-conqueror and former Irish heavyweight champion Kevin McBride (TKO2), and Canadian Art Binkowski. Mollo has also extended multiple world title challengers Andrew Golota and Jameel McCline the full 12-round distances, respectively, in their WBA Fedelatin and WBC Eliminator fights.
“We’re excited to add Mike Mollo to our growing Boxing 360 stable of world-class fighters,” Director of Boxing Operations Bob Duffy said. “Mike has been training with Pete Brodsky for the past few months and he looks like an entirely different fighter. Mike gives people what they want – knockouts – but he’s becoming a much more complete fighter. He is a popular Italian-American fighter with a lot of upside. The heavyweight division is wide open right now and we’re expecting big things from Mike.”
Molllo’s Boxing 360 debut, as well as his first fight since November, 2008, is scheduled for March 26 against veteran Billy Zumbrun (23-11-1) at UIC Pavilion in Chicago.
“Boxing 360 is a new company that offered me a contract that was exactly the same deal I was looking for to get back in business,” Mollos said from his Palm Beach training camp. “They want to move me right and keep me busy. That’s what I want. Everything made sense for me to sign with Boxing 360 and make my comeback. I wasn’t handled well in the past and I made some bad decisions. Now, I have en entirely new team from top to bottom. I’m going to get a few wins and be right back in the heavyweight picture.
“I can’t wait to get back in the ring March 26th and it’s always great fighting at home. I know there’s going to be a packed house there rooting for me.”
Tags: Andrew Golota > Boxing > heavyweight > Jameel McCline > Mike Mollo > Pete Brodsky
Q&A King Arthur Abraham
Posted on | March 18, 2010 | No Comments
DAN HENDERSON TELLS “INSIDE MMA” THAT HIS BOUT AGAINST JAKE SHIELDS WILL BE “A CHALLENGE”
Posted on | March 18, 2010 | No Comments
Mike Straka and Donovan Craig join Dan Henderson on the “Inside MMA” panel TOMORROW NIGHT at a SPECIAL TIME- Friday, March 19 at 8:00 p.m. ET
DALLAS (March 18, 2010)
WHAT: On tomorrow night’s episode of HDNet’s “Inside MMA,” former PRIDE Welterweight champion and current Strikeforce fighter Dan Henderson will join the panel to discuss his upcoming bout for the Strikeforce Middleweight belt against the current champion Jake Shields. The bout, which takes place on April 17, will be Henderson’s Strikeforce debut. Henderson will also talk about the many changes he has made within MMA organizations and whether or not that has posed challenges in his career.
Also on tonight’s panel is Mike Straka, host of the new HDNet MMA series, “Fighting Words with Mike Straka.” The series will premiere on HDNet next Friday, March 26 with Dana White set to appear as Straka’s debut guest.
Straka and Henderson are joined on the panel by Donovan Craig, Editor-in-Chief of FIGHT! Magazine.
And, this week in Kruck’s Korner, Ron presents the second half of his recent interview with Renzo Gracie. In the interview Gracie talks to Ron about his return to fighting and what to expect when he takes on Matt Hughes at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi.
“Inside MMA” airs at a special time this week – one hour earlier – at 8:00 p.m. ET. LIVE coverage of “HDNet Fights: XFC X – A Night of Champions” follows at 9:00 p.m. ET.
WHEN: Friday, March 19, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Tags: Dan Henderson > Donovan Craig > HDnet > Inside MMA > Mike Straka
Road To Mayweather-Mosley Bracket-Who R U Picking? Vote Now!
Posted on | March 18, 2010 | No Comments
Just as millions fill out their brackets and guess who will make a run to the championship in the college basketball tournament which tips off today, fans have already begun to debate the winner of Mayweather vs. Mosley: Who R U Picking? set forSaturday, May 1 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and live on HBO Pay-Per-View®. And while it will take mere weeks to determine which one of the top 65 men’s college basketball teams is the best, it has taken superstar and six-time World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather, and welterweight mega-star, five-time World Champion and current WBA Welterweight World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley a lifetime of dedication to finally reach what will be the biggest fight of their respective careers.
The path to Mayweather vs. Mosley has been a long and hard fought one. They have both paved Hall of Fame roads by fighting the biggest and best in the boxing. Below please find the bracket which shows the paths that Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Sugar Shane Mosley have taken to get to this mega-fight. Now it is your turn to complete the bracket and vote for who you believe will be victorious on May 1. Fill out your bracket and vote now at www.WhoRUPicking.com or at www.hbo.com/boxing.
To download your Road To Mayweather-Mosley bracket click on the image below.
“Kid Chocolate” Quillin headlines Apr. 15 show in Big Apple
Posted on | March 18, 2010 | 1 Comment
NEW YORK (Mar. 18, 2010) – Unbeaten middleweight sensation Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin will headline a Jed Weinstein-promoted show April 15 at the famed Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan.
Quillin (21-0, 15 KOs), fighting out of New York City, faces an opponent soon to be announced in the 10-round main event. Last month, “Kid Chocolate” returned after an 18-month layoff to decision veteran Fernando Zuniga.
“I believe it’s important for fighters to fight regularly, especially those that are looking to establish themselves,” said Quillin’s promoter, Gotham Boxing president Ced Kushner. “I don’t think Pete’s 18-month layoff has hurt him with his fans given his popularity, particularly in the Tri-State area. However, I am going to make sure that he remains highly active so that he gets the opportunity in the near future to fight on one of the major networks, which will give the opportunity to display his skills to a national audience. We’re fortunate to be able to put him on the top of Jed’s show at the Roseland Ballroom, where ‘Kid Chocolate’ has fought a number of times (3). We plan to keep Pete busy and get him back into the ratings.”
Quillin was rated as high as No. 5 by the IBF before a series of misfortunate circumstances cost him 18-months of his career. First, he was shutdown for eight months due to a broken right hand suffered in his last fight prior to returning last month on the Tomasz Adamek-Jason Estrada show in Newark, New Jersey. After getting back into training, Peter suffered a hairline fracture of the eye socket and, when that healed and he was ready to fight again, he suffered an emergency appendectomy.
“I gave myself a B- grade for my fight against Zuniga,” Quillin offered. “I couldn’t expect much more after a 1 ½ year layoff. I nearly swept every round on all three judges’ scorecards (100-90, 100-90, 98-92). But that’s what I do – knockout my opponent or completely dominate them. All I want to do is win big.
“I need fights like the one in New Jersey and on April 15th to get me going again. It’s always great fighting near home. Some of my fans who couldn’t make it to Newark will hopefully be at this fight. I’m looking for bigger and better things this fight and then beyond. I want to thank my promoter, Cedric, and manager, John (Seip), for keeping me busy and getting me back-to-back fights. I’m very happy that they could work a deal with promoter Jed Weinstein to feature me on the card.”
Quillin is one of the most entertaining, young (26 years old) boxers — before, during and after his fights. Fans can’t wait for him to toss chocolate kisses candies into the crowd as he leaves the ring, which has fast become a popular tradition for the son of a Cuban father.
“There’s nothing better than to get Pete back in action after his unfortunate layoff that was unavoidable,” Seip noted. “We’ve accepted it as part of the game. Pete is still young and he had a very limited amateur career. We want to keep him sharp and fine tuned. He went from being 18 months off, right into a 10 rounder against a crafty, dangerous veteran in Zuniga, who is tough to look good against. Pete had been fighting 8-10 times a year and as soon as he was ready, we put him in with a solid veteran. Pete showed some rust but he still dominated that fight. He was in excellent shape but there’s nothing like being in a 10-round fight. This is a pivotal point in his career. We want to keep him busy until a big fight comes along so he can take advantage of that opportunity.”
Team Quillin hopes that 2010 is the “Year of Kid Chocolate.”
-30-
Tags: Boxing > boxing news > Ced Kushner > Fernando Zuniga > Gotham Boxing > Jed Weinstein > Manhattan > New York > Peter Quillin > Roseland Ballroom > Tomasz Adamek
MAYWEATHER AND MOSLEY SET TO BEGIN UNITED STATES ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (USADA)GOLD STANDARD ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM MONDAY FOR MAYWEATHER VS. MOSLEY: WHO R U PICKING?
Posted on | March 18, 2010 | No Comments
SET FOR SATURDAY, MAY 1 AT MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS
LIVE ON HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®
LOS ANGELES (March 18) . . . Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley will begin the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) gold standard anti-doping program on Monday, March 22 as they continue to prepare for Mayweather vs Mosley “Who R U Picking?” set to take place on Saturday, May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View ® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
It is the first time in history that athletes from any U.S. professional sport have reached out and demanded World Anti-Doing Code compliant drug testing, setting both a boxing and sport precedent.
Both Mayweather and Mosley have agreed to the gold-standard, anti-doping program, the most stringent in sport, as outlined and mandated by USADA. The program involves no-advance-notice sample collection of the athletes’ blood and urine prior to and after the fight so that all banned substances, some of which do not show up in urine alone, are tested for thoroughly, and with both athletes subjected to the testing program leading up to as well as after the fight.
“I am excited that Shane Mosley and I are willing to take these tests to ensure a fair fight on May 1,” said Mayweather. “I just want to show the world that boxing is a clean sport and it is my hope that all fighters will take a similar stance and responsibility which reflects sportsmanship at the highest level and sets a new standard for safety in boxing.”
“I think the testing program is a great idea and I did not hesitate for a minute about agreeing to it,” said Mosley. “Let’s hope that the rest of the boxing world follows Floyd’s and my example.”
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions said, “Floyd is leading the way for changing the sport and I commend him for that. Some people have asked why he has not asked for it in the past but it is never too late to take a stand on an issue that is prevalent in all sports today and ask for something that can only have positive results on the future of boxing.”
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions said, “Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and I commend him for agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport. I commend both of these fighters for setting a new precedent in the sport and giving others an opportunity to reflect on its current state and how, as a collective group, we can continue to make the sport better, safer and fairer for anyone who steps in to the ring.”
“I believe today is another watershed moment in the advancement of anti-doping,” said USADA CEO, Travis T. Tygart. “For the first time, we’re seeing professional athletes in the sport of boxing approach us to implement our program, and take ownership for the integrity of their sport. This is courageous action and we are proud to be a part of this effort to help further advance the rights of clean athletes to participate in a safe, level and drug-free arena.”
About Mayweather vs. Mosley: Who R U Picking?
Boxing superstar and six-time World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather and welterweight mega-star, five-time World Champion and current WBA Welterweight World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley, are set to meet on Saturday, May 1 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a spectacular bout which will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
The bout, promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, AT&T, Dewalt Tools and StubHub, promises to be a spectacular display of talent and skill with Mayweather and Mosley will meet in a 12-round welterweight battle that is already being compared to other great and historic welterweight match-ups like Sugar Ray Leonard against Tommy Hearns and Oscar de la Hoya against Felix Trinidad.
Tickets priced are $1,250, $1,000, $600, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now and limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $150 are limited to two (2) per person with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
The Mayweather 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 HBO Pay-Per-View® and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View®, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Mayweather vs. Mosley fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.
Tags: anti-doping > Boxing > drug testing > Floyd Mayweather Jr. > Mayweather > Mosley > Shane Mosley
Holyfield-Botha Headlines “The Legend Returns” PPV
Posted on | March 18, 2010 | No Comments
April 10 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (Mar. 18, 2010) – Living legend and 5-time world heavyweight champion, Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, challenges World Boxing Federation heavyweight title-holder Frans “The White Buffalo” Botha in the 12-round main event April 10, headlining “The Legend Returns” pay-per-view event, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
“The Legend Returns,” presented by Crown Boxing, is being distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9 PM/ET – 6 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, Viewer’s Choice and Bell TV, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.
The 47-year-old Holyfield (42-10-2, 27 KOs), fighting out of Atlanta, is coming off of a controversial 12-round majority decision loss December 20, 2008 to then World Boxing Association champion Nicolai Valuev, in which most observers felt Holyfield deserved the victory in Switzerland.
South African strongman Botha (47-4-3, 28 KOs) captured the World Boxing Federation Interim belt in 2007, outpointing Bob Mirovic, and in 2009 Frans won the belt outright with a 12-round decision against Ron Guerrero. Botha made a successful title defense on May 5, 2009, taking a 12-round decision against Timo Hoffman in Germany. During the course of his 20-year professional career, Botha’s four losses have all been to world champions — Mike Tyson, Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko.
“We’re excited to have Hall of Fame-bound Evander Holyfield fighting Frans Botha on our pay-per-view card,” Crown Boxing’s Frank Luca said. “Evander certainly showed he has a lot left in his disputed loss to Valuev. Crown Boxing has been promoting solid shows six times a year in Las Vegas. Fans have come to expect competitive, entertaining fights at affordably priced Crown Boxing shows held in an intimate atmosphere. Like in MMA, every fight counts on a Crown Boxing show. Those are our trademarks and the tradition continues April 10th but on a much larger stage. The only real differences, though, are Holyfield-Botha features a pair of worldwide name recognized fighters and it’s being held in a scaled-down 9,500 seat Thomas & Mack Center. Everybody will have a great seat for an affordable price. We’ve kept ticket prices down so people can afford to watch Holyfield fight, up close and personal, in Las Vegas for the first time in 11 years. What we’re charging viewers is much less than for most pay-per-view shows. We’re putting together strong supporting fights, too, showcasing talented boxers in order to provide fans in attendance or watching on pay per view with a great night of boxing.”
Tickets, priced at $25.00, $75.00, $150.00 and $250.00, are available to purchase at www.UNLVtickets.com or by calling 702.739.3267.
Doors open at 4 PM/PT, first bout 4:30 PM/PT, and first PPV bout 6:00 PM/PT (9:00 PM/ET). Go on line to www.crown-boxing-inc.com for additional information
JAKE SHIELDS, DAN HENDERSON, ‘KING MO’, GEGARD MOUSASI, GILBERT MELENDEZ, SHINYA AOKI WORK OUT FOR PACKED MEDIA GATHERING WEDNESDAY IN HOLLYWOOD, CALIF.
Posted on | March 18, 2010 | No Comments
World Championship Tripleheader To Take Place Saturday, April 17,
On The CBS Television Network At Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Photos: Esther Lin/STRIKEFORCE
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (March 17, 2010) – The six fighters who will appear on the STRIKEFORCE World Championship Tripleheader on The CBS Television Network on Saturday, April 17 (9 p.m. ET/PT) – five of which are ranked among the top five in their respective weight classes – participated in an open media workout on St. Patrick’s Day at Legends MMA Training Center.
In the main event, Dan Henderson (25-7), who fights out of Temecula, Calif., and is one of the most decorated fighters in MMA history, 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.
The talented Gegard Mousasi (27-2-1), of Armenia, will put a 15-fight winning streak and his STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight crown on the line against one of the most confident, fastest-rising fighters in the world, King Mo (6-0), of Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Gilbert Melendez (17-2), of San Francisco by way of Santa Ana, Calif., will make his first defense since regaining the STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight belt against Japanese superstar Shinya Aoki (23-4), who has won three straight and six of his last seven.
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).
A sampling of what the six had to say on Wednesday:
STRIKEFORCE WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION JAKE SHIELDS
“I am super excited about this fight and this opportunity to fight on CBS. This is a great show and I am happy to be part of it.
“Dan deserves a shot at my belt even though he’s fighting for the first time for STRIKEFORCE. I know he’ll come to fight. He’s a great fighter and we’re definitely going to put on a show April 17.
“I’m not thinking about future fights. People ask me about fighting different guys all the time. I do ultimately want to fight the best in the world because to be the best you have to fight the best. But I’m focused right now on Dan Henderson.
LEGENDARY DAN HENDERSON
“I can’t believe how excited I am to be in this room with all these great fighters and champions. It’s going to be an amazing night in Nashville on CBS. I haven’t fought since July so I’ve been basically getting into shape to fight again.
“Everybody knows Jake Shields is a guy who likes to get guys on the ground and he wants to control everything. I have to be able to finish him off and not take him too lightly. I think it’s a good matchup for me with my wrestling background. I think Jake has a tendency to get overlooked and I’m not sure why.
“I am the challenger on April 17 and will walk into the cage first. It will feel a little strange. But Jake is the champion and I respect that. If he were standing right here I’d tell him that. We’ve hung out before in the past but once we get in the ring it’s all about business.
“I appreciate all the fan support and especially the ones who think I’m going to beat Jake up. People come up to me all the time and let me know they’re fans of mine. I love having the support of all my fans.
“One of the reasons why I left UFC was because I wanted to fight on CBS and possibly on SHOWTIME. It just motivates me in my training knowing I can come in and fight right away for a world title. CBS is definitely a bigger platform to fight on and the more people who watch the more exposure I’ll get as a fighter.”
STRIKEFORCE WORLD LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION GEGARD MOUSASI
“I feel great. I’ve been preparing for four months. I’m going to be in the best shape of my life. I’ve had different opponents with different strengths. His strength is wrestling so it’s not a challenge, but it’s another opponent.
“I get nervous. I try not to show it. In the cage I don’t feel that excited even if I win so it’s (usually) after the fight when I get excited.
“King Mo talks so much, he has made me very motivated. I’m hungrier to win this fight then he is. I’m more motivated to win this fight then any fight in my life. In the fight I cannot let emotions take control because (that leads to) mistakes. So it’s just motivation for me.
“He’s a good opponent, he’s a very good wrestler but I’m in good shape. I’m going to have to hurt him. That’s going to make me win the fight.”
UNDEFEATED CHALLENGER “KING MO”
‘I’m a little bit new to all this so it’s exciting for me. I was down in Miami for the STRIKEFORCE fights and got to experience a little about what it’s all about. They had a great card there and exciting fights.
“I don’t think this fight will be boring. It won’t go five rounds either. I never stop training and feel like I can’t get in better shape. Look at the guys I’m training with — (Fabricio) Werdum, (Dean) Lister, Mayhem (Miller). I train with all the top guys and can’t be more prepared.
“Mousasi is a little bit boring. He needs to talk a little bit more – get the hype machine cranked up. This fight being on CBS doesn’t really concern me. It is so great, but I’d fight him in front of five people if I had to.”
STRIKEFORCE WORLD LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION GILBERT “El NINO” MELENDEZ
“I don’t think you’ll be seeing 20-hit combos like me and Josh (Thomson) going out there but you’ll see some hard hitting, probably see a little more technical. This is probably going to be a lot more technical. It’s unbelievable that he’s coming to the U.S. to fight me. It says something about him, and he’s the biggest star in Japan. That shows some confidence. I’m happy about it.
“Aoki is the No. 2 fighter in the world and I think he’s an amazing mixed martial artist. I’m excited to fight the guy. That’s what he has on everybody — his ground game and submission. Am I prepared for it? I believe so. I have to be prepared for all his submissions.
“My biggest advantage in this fight is my stand up and my patience. I’ve been fortunate enough to see the Aoki style. I’m just going to be patient and let it happen. I think I can knock this guy out in two rounds.
“I’m really happy to have this fight on CBS. Millions of people will be watching and, yeah, it definitely makes a difference. To me it’s a coming out party to display my skills to the world.”
DREAM CHAMPION AND CHALLENGER SHINYA AOKI
“This fight is nothing special. I will fight as usual. I feel I’m representing DREAM and also Japan.”
“He’s a very aggressive fighter. He’s a good fighter representing the United States. It’s going to be a very quick fight, a quick submission or a quick knockout, but either way it’s going to be a personal fight.
“He’s a top-ranked fighter in the United States but I can take his pressure and I’m going to beat him and take back two world title belts to Japan.”
About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.
Tags: ‘KING MO’ > Dan Henderson > Gegard Mousasi > Gilbert Melendez > Jake Shields > Mixed Martial Arts > MMA > Shinya Aoki > Strikeforce
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