Takedown Radio Report (12-03-09)

Posted on | December 3, 2009 | No Comments

Hello again wrestling fans- What a week its been. The Sooners and Cowboys Tie in their first meeting! What a battle. Bedlam is Back! ISU and Iowa Sunday? I can hardly wait. We return to the Brute adidas home studios for our first show of December.

Join Steve Foster and I for a in depth look at the Sunday battle that waits: ISU V. Iowa

This week on TDR-

9:05 Brian Cimons of Grapplers Quest-World Series of Grappling is heading to Vegas. This Huge event is scheduled for Dec 12th. Many MMA and Wrestling greats will compete. For total information visit Grapplersquest.com

9:20 Kevin Jackson- ISU Head Coach-as the Cyclones head man, this is Jackson’s first taste of the intrastate rivalry since he competed for ISU. To this point he has been remarkably reserved outside of the room and in comments about the meet. Will that demeanor change the day before? Jackson was introduced as ISU’s head wrestling coach on April 30, 2009. Jackson wrestled at Iowa State for only one season, his senior year in 1987. During his only season at ISU, he was named captain of the team and helped lead the team to a national title. He finished his collegiate wrestling carrier with a 30-3-1 record. In 1992, Jackson won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games. Since 1992, Jackson has coached for team USA at three summer Olympics including being the head coach for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

9:20 Andy Hamilton- Writer/Reporter for the DM Register and Iowa City Press- Citizen. Andy is “the” wrestling insider and joins us for the interview with Jackson and will offer some of his insightful questions and great point of view.
Hour 2 Guests- Joining us in studio former Cyclone Head Coach Jim Gibbons

10:05 Jeff Murphy joins us for our semi regular Kemin Report. What is going on in the wrestling world? Hopefully Jeff will have some answers.

10:20 Inside with Jim Gibbons- In 1986, Jim Gibbons took over the reins of the Cyclone wrestling squad at age 26. Gibbons wrestled at ISU for Dr. Harold Nichols and earned All-America status three times, including the 1981 NCAA individual title at 134 pounds. Following his collegiate career, Gibbons served as an assistant coach at his alma mater for two years before taking over the head coaching duties. During his seven years as the Cyclone skipper, Gibbons’ squads claimed one Big Eight crown and captured the NCAA title in 1987. He also coached seven individual NCAA champions while compiling a 96-32-1 career coaching mark. After winning the NCAA Championships in 1987, Gibbons was named national coach of the year. He was named Big Eight Coach of the Year in 1991. Gibbons retired from coaching after the 1992 season.

10:40 Randy Lewis- He had to petition his way in to the 84 Olympics in order to challenge for Gold and win he did. One of the greatest. After winning three high school state titles in South Dakota, he was a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion at the University of Iowa. A two-time Olympian, and 1984 Olympic champion in Los Angeles, At Iowa, he was a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion. Was member of 1980 Olympic team but President Jimmy Carter’s boycott prevented the U.S. team from traveling to the Games in Moscow. Won gold medal at 136.5 pounds in freestyle wrestling at 1984 Olympics, outscoring his first four opponents 52-4 to advance to the final, where he crushed Japan’s Kosei Akaishi 24-11 in 4:52. Was second in the 1988 Olympic trials to John Smith, who wound up winning a gold medal. Was 1990 Pan Am champion.

Please note that Episode 34 of TDR TV is now up on all the top web sites around the country and is available for your viewing. 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.

Integrated Sports Media scores a Knockout in 2009

Posted on | December 3, 2009 | 1 Comment

HOBOKEN, N.J. (Dec. 3, 2009) — Integrated Sports Media, North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events, delivered 15 action-packed events this year from around the globe to sports fans in the United States and Canada.

“With cutbacks in boxing coverage by cable networks and the disappearance of boxing from broadcast television,” Integrated Sports Media President Doug Jacobs commented, “I am proud that we were able to provide consumers with the opportunity to watch major boxing events that they otherwise would not have been able to view in North America and to give soccer fans the opportunity to watch many of the most important matches on home television.”

2009 kicked off from Rostock, Germany on February 7 as WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev defeated Carl Davis Drummond and the year ended with the final spot being decided for the 2010 World Cup. Uruguay tied Costa Rica in Montevideo to qualify for next year’s World Cup by winning the two-game series, 2-1, on aggregate scoring.

In 2009, Integrated distributed major boxing events featuring legendary fighters such as Roy Jones, Jr., Ivan Calderon and Marco Antonio Barrera, as well as future stars Amir Khan and Rocky Martinez.

Integrated’s final boxing match for 2009 was the massive upset by new WBA heavyweight champion David Haye against Nicolai Valuev on Nov. 7 from Nuremberg, Germany.

In soccer, Integrated brought crucial Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers into viewers’ homes for the first time, which included critical Concacaf regional matches featuring El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, Honduras and Costa Rica.

In addition, the USA National Team reached the World Cup for the sixth time in a row on the English-language Closed Circuit feed distributed by Integrated on behalf of rights holder Copa TV. Among the venues coordinated by Integrated was the Play-by-Play Sports Bar at famed Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Among the top MMA shows distributed by Integrated Sports Media in 2009, rising MMA star Bobby Lashley defeated MMA/K-1 legend Bob Sapp in the “Ultimate Chaos” main event from Biloxi, MS.

Overall, Integrated events originated from eight different countries on three continents, including three world championship fights and seven World Cup Qualifiers.

List of 2009 major events distributed by Integrated Sports Media in North American:

2/7/09 – Chagaev v Drummond

3/14/09 – Khan v Barrera

3/21/09 – Jones, Jr v Sheika

5/27/09 – El Salvador v Ecuador International Friendly

6/6/09 – Costa Rica v T&T WCQ

6/26/09 – Lashley v Sapp MMA

8/12/09 – Trinidad v El Salvador WCQ

8/15/09 – Jones, Jr v Lacy

9/9/09 – El Salvador v Costa Rica WCQ

9/12/09 – Calderon v Mayol II (Calderon retained WBO & The Ring Super Flyweight Titles)

10/10/09 – Honduras v USA WCQ

10/14/09 – El Salvador v Honduras WCQ

11/7/09 – Valuev v Haye (Haye won WBA Heavyweight Title)

11/14/09 – Costa Rica v Uruguay WCQ Play-offs

11/18/09 – Uruguay v Costa Rica WCQ Play-offs

Integrated Sports Media: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Ricky Hatton, Christian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Kahn, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media distributed numerous International soccer matches showcasing teams like Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA, as well as World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson, and Roy Nelson. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com.

Unbeaten Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez Set to explode in 2010

Posted on | December 3, 2009 | No Comments

WORCESTER, Mass. (Dec. 3, 2009) – Unbeaten Dominican sensation Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez, rated No. 13 by the NABA, completed a perfect year with an impressive TKO win November 19 against veteran super middleweight Brian “The Assassin” Norman (17-9, 5 KOs) in Rochester, New York.

Now, the 24-year-old Rodriguez (13-0, 9 KOs) is ready for a breakout year in 2010, in which he plans to capture at least one regional title, as well as position himself for a world title shot in 2011.

Rodriguez, who lives and fights out of Worcester (MA), has an unusual, yet promising 2010, winning five fights (4 KOs) and fully recovering from surgery on both elbows to rid him of bones spurs. “Going through surgery set me back a little,” Edwin explained, “I bounced back, though, and continued where right we had left off. Because of the time I missed, I didn’t accomplish as much as I had hoped, not having as many fights, but I’m still undefeated and continue to learn from each fight. I had to get fixed and we did.”

Norman, who went the distance with current WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal and unbeaten world title contender Joe Greene, was another good test for Rodriguez.

“Norman was a tough opponent, very strong, but I fought my fight,” Edwin said. “What you see is what you got from him. He’d throw a right and I’d counter-punch. His style was made for me. I did what I wanted throughout the entire fight and couldn’t have put on a better performance. I turned in a strong, very good performance.

“Every fight I feel like I’m a different fighter because I go against quality, experienced guys. I adapt and learn in order to move forward. Without learning from the (Darnell) Boone fight (Rodriguez won an 8-round bout by unanimous decision), I don’t knockout this guy (Norman) so easily. This year I’ve learned a lot, especially how to sit on my punches, focusing on hitting hard instead of tapping. I’ve corrected those bad habits from my amateur days.”

Rodriguez (84-9 amateur record), 2005 USA Boxing National Championships and 2006 U.S. National Golden Gloves Tournament winner, is equally adept fighting as a middleweight or super middleweight. The lightest he has fought as a pro, a however, is 162.

“We’re bringing in a nutritionist to see if I can be strong fighting at 160 pounds,” Rodriguez spoke about his ideal weight class. “I’m 6’ 1” and feel strong. I feel I can make 160 and the middleweight division is wide open. Fighting at 168 would be tougher because everybody’s (names) there.

“Next year is going to set me up for the top 10 in the major boxing organizations. I plan on winning a national or regional title by the end of 2010, which would position me for a world title shot in 2011. That’s the plan. We will continue fighting tough opponent because the only way to get better is to be successful. We don’t want fights against hand-picked opponents for easy wins. There’s nothing to learn that way.”

In addition to going a perfect 5-0 and overcoming his elbow problems, Rodriguez received valuable national exposure in 2009, profiled in “New Faces” of The Ring magazine, and shown “knocking out heartburn” in a Prilosec commercial.

“I think 2010 is going to be the year that Edwin attains national prominence as a top contender,” Rodriguez’ manager, Larry Army, added. “With DiBella Entertainment behind us, we believe that the world will soon see what we know….Edwin Rodriguez is the real deal! Our hope is to showcase Edwin on major boxing networks including ESPN, Showtime and HBO.”

Go online to www.edwinrodriguezboxing.com for more information about Rodriguez.

-ER-

The 1st ANNUAL MLK WRESTLING TOURNAMENT 2009 MLK “King of the Mat”

Posted on | December 3, 2009 | 1 Comment

The 1st Annual 2009 MLK “King of the Mat” Invitational will be held on Friday DEC 4th and Saturday the 5th, at the Martin Luther King High School Gymnasium in Riverside! Wrestlers invited range in age from freshman to high school seniors for this exclusive Varsity Tournament.

The tournament begins with preliminary matches on Friday, Dec 4th starting at 3:00pm and continues throughout the evening. Matches resume on Saturday at 10:00am, and conclude with the semi and final championship rounds, starting later that evening.

Experience the most spectacular matches in the metropolitan area as the Toughest Wrestlers will determine who will be the “King of the Mat”! The 1st Annual 2009 MLK “King of the Mat” Invitational will showcase some of the most talented wrestlers in the Southern California area today.

The Tourney will feature one of the most outstanding 125 pounders in the state when Chris Mecate of Redlands East Valley high school will challenge AJ Chavez of Martin Luther King high school. AJ Chavez brings his curricula vitae of being last years CIF Masters qualifier. Chris Mecate currently is a junior at Redlands East Valley where he took 6th at CIF State as a freshman & during his sophomore year suffered a season-ending injury. As a junior, Mecate is nationally ranked where last month he just won the renowned Super 32 Tournament. The 2009 Super 32 took place on Oct 24th 2009 at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center in Greensboro, NC, US

http://www.flowrestling.org/videos/coverage/view_video/235747-2009-super-32/205705-119lbs-chris-mecate-ca-vs-mike-rhone-pa

http://www.flowrestling.org/videos/coverage/view_video/235747-2009-super-32/206271-chris-mecate-post-final-interview

MLK “King of the Mat” Invitational will have outstanding Final Matches, Patches, Trophy, Events and awards presentations follow Saturday evening and are hosted by Special Guest MMA Fighters and accomplished Wrestlers, Local Riverside Sponsors and Riverside News Channel on-air personalities. This tournament will be uniquely marketed and branded for the NEW 21st Century Wrestler.

Ticket costs for each session are $5.00 adults and $3.00 with student ID.

HDNET TO BROADCAST “HDNET FIGHTS PRESENTS:FieLDS K-1 WORLD GP 2009 FINAL

Posted on | December 3, 2009 | No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This one-night, 8-man tournament will crown the world’s best striker LIVE on HDNet – Saturday, December 5 at 3:00 a.m. ET with replay at 11:00 p.m. ET

DALLAS (December 1, 2009) HDNet will feature LIVE coverage of “HDNet Fights Presents: FieLDS K-1 World GP 2009 Final,” from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on Saturday, December 5 at 3:00 a.m. ET.

The 17th annual edition of the prestigious tournament features one of the deepest fields in K-1 history including two former 3-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champions – defending Champion Remy Bonjasky and K-1 Super Heavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt,. The event also features Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, and the man many consider the uncrowned king of K-1, 2008 tournament runner-up Badr Hari. In 2008, Bonjasky and Hari stormed to the finals, each scoring TKO’s in the quarterfinals and knockouts in the semifinals. The title bout ended in controversy as Hari was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct following a stomp on the downed Bonjansky, rendering him unable to continue.

Following the fight Hari claimed that Bonjasky was acting and that his corner told him stay down in order to collect an easy victory. The two men hope to settle the score in the finals on December 5, but first they have to get through six of the best strikers in the world who happen to be standing in their way.

“If you haven’t been watching K-1, tune into the K-1 World Finals and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “These are THE best strikers in the world – watch exclusively on HDNet as one man must win three fights in one night to take home the winner’s check for $400K!”

In quarter-final action, Hari (14-5, 12(T)KO) meets Ruslan Karaev (12-7, 6(T)KO), Overeem (2-2, 1(T)KO) faces Ewerton Teixeira (8-1, 2(T)KO), Schilt (29-3-1, 14(T)KO) tangles with Jerome Le Banner (47-18-1, 32(T)KO), and Bonjasky (37-10, 17(T)KO) begins his title defense versus Errol Zimmerman (7-2, 3(T)KO).

The winners of Hari/Karaev-Overeem/Teixeira and Schilt/Le Banner-Bonjasky/Zimmerman will meet in the semi-finals with the winners advancing to fight for the title.

In tournament reserve bouts, 3-time Grand Prix Champion Peter Aerts (62-23, 55(T)KO) squares off with Gokhan Saki (9-4, 5(T)KO) and Daniel Ghita (3-1, 3(T)KO) meets Sergey Kharitonov (6-7, 3(T)KO).

K.J. NOONS SIGNS WITH STRIKEFORCE

Posted on | December 3, 2009 | 1 Comment

NEW YORK (Dec. 3, 2009)– Former lightweight champion K.J. Noons (6-1) has signed a multi-fight agreement with world championship mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion STRIKEFORCE and will make his long-awaited return to the cage at a date to be determined soon.

Noons’ STRIKEFORCE debut will be his first MMA start since June 14, 2008, when he reeled off his third consecutive win in the cage by demolishing Yves Edwards with a series of punches and elbows just 48 seconds into their meeting at Honolulu, Hawaii’s Neil S. Blaisdell Arena.

Following the victory over Edwards, Noons began a hiatus from MMA in order to pursue a professional boxing career. He has since been victorious in four of five appearances in the squared circle, bringing his overall boxing record to 12-2 with 6 knockouts.

“I’m super excited to be a part of STRIKEFORCE and I’m looking forward to putting on great fights,” said Noons, who will celebrate his 27th birthday on Monday, Dec. 7. “I’ve always wanted to come back, but I wanted to box for a little while in order to polish my boxing skills. Now, I’m ready to jump back into the picture in MMA.”

To date, Noons’ most memorable stand in MMA was his meeting with dangerous striker and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Nick Diaz. In the first round, Noons opened a cut below Diaz’s right eyebrow with a hard knee strike to the head after Diaz shot in for a takedown and, soon after, dropped Diaz with a straight counter right hand.

After round one came to an end, the ringside doctor ordered a stoppage to the fight due to two cuts Diaz had sustained on his forehead. Noons was declared the winner of the fight by TKO.

Noons, who fights out of San Diego, Calif., also boasts a record of 13-1 with 10 KO knockouts in kickboxing competition.

“I feel a lot more confident with my game — my striking and everything else,” he said. “I feel I’m a more complete fighter and I’m ready to fight whoever STRIKEFORCE puts in front of me.”

The Story of Middleweight Contender Miguel Espino and Trainer John Bray

Posted on | December 3, 2009 | No Comments

By Jerry Gonzalez

There are few fighters who excel in the beautiful sport we call boxing. Many pugilists have come from various backgrounds and learned to fight on the tough streets they call home. There are also some, who just have the God given talent for boxing, but not every boxer has had it easy and almost all have paid their dues.

This is a story of two boxers who have been through the same struggle growing up and by fate, would come together to build a relationship of teacher and pupil. Both would learn to box at a very young age, have outstanding amateur careers and turn professional. However, the sport of boxing is tough where fame and fortune could lead one to a fork in the road with an ultimate personal decision; which path do I take?

Miguel Espino grew up in North Hollywood located between Van Nuys and Burbank, California. North Hollywood may not be known so much for crime as in other parts of the City of Los Angeles but at the same time isn’t known for shopping on Rodeo Drive either.

Growing up as the eldest son of two and trying to stay out of trouble, Miguel was introduced to boxing at a very young age. After a couple of years of training, Miguel had his first bout at the age of 12. Espino managed to compile an amateur career record of 90-10. However, there was something different about this young fighter that compared to others his age.

Miguel grew up unlike the majority of kids in America and was well aware at the young age of 10 that his mother had a disability. Espino’s mother was diagnosed with an eye disorder that subsequently led to blindness. This unfortunate incident would devastate Miguel both mentally and physically for years.

How would a young kid succeed in the mean streets of Los Angeles, while at the same time care for his mother and sister? Most young men his age would turn to a life of crime when such events in their lives turn for the worst. Not this young man; he had good friends and immediate family around him that cared and depended on him.

Espino was conscious of the fact that boxing could assist his family in their endeavors and ultimately, Miguel chose to go pro at the tender age of 20 in order to care for them. He started training at the infamous Goosen’s gym in Van Nuys where he would soon be boxing under the leadership of Joe Goosen.

*
The name John Bray may bring up a buzz in the boxing community with stories that date back to the early 90’s. Bray was a young kid who grew up in one of the most notorious neighborhoods in Van Nuys, California, known as Delano Street, where crime was as common as taco trucks. To keep him off of the streets a family friend would take him to the gym.

At the young age of 9, Bray would have his first amateur bout and eventually win seven national titles compiling an outstanding record of 124-12. He would have his most notable win as an amateur winning the gold medal in 1991 against Melvin Foster at the United States Olympic Festival in Los Angeles. Bray would win the gold medal alongside future world champions Oscar De la Hoya and Raul Marquez.

There was much speculation that this kid from Van Nuys was the next heavyweight champion of the world. This is where Bray’s world would eventually change. Bray was one of the few amateurs to turn pro and be given a substantial signing bonus from a management company.

As a kid growing up in the barrio and freely spending his signing bonus, he was bound for trouble. Unfortunately, he ended up getting wrapped up in a lavish lifestyle abusing alcohol and being distracted by his passion for the ladies. John didn’t care about training or fighting for that matter. He won the first couple bouts of his professional career, but he just couldn’t disregard his outside influences.

After being knocked out in the first round of a bout in 1998, he would eventually retire. Adding to the downfall of a failed professional career, his life took another hit. Bray suffered a near fatal stroke and he walked away from boxing with the notion that he would never return.

After Bray suffered his near fatal stroke in 1999 he felt as if his life had ended, literally. John could not provide for himself. He had to depend on his mother to care for him as if he were an elder and that definitely took a toll on not only John but his family as well.

John tried to rehabilitate himself through various therapeutic methods but ultimately turned his life over to God. Although he believed that family and doctors could assist him, he asked God to help him and in return he promised himself and God that he would help young kids and boxers like him who needed guidance and not follow in his footsteps.

Bray definitely learned his lesson from his misguided days of partying and taking life for granted. He vowed to keep kids off the streets, assist young boxers with their careers and hopefully one-day establish his own gym. Through his experience, he learned how the world of boxing could really be as far as the promoting and managing aspects are concerned.

After working a couple of jobs to get back on his feet, he was personally invited to the Goosen’s Gym to help keep the facilities clean and in order. During this time of his recovery process, John was unable to speak, let alone function as a normal person.

At Goosen’s Gym is where John would meet Miguel. Espino just began to get his professional career started. Joe Goosen approached Bray one day to give Miguel a few pointers. Although Miguel was reluctant to take advice from a gentleman who appeared not to know much about boxing, he gave him a chance.

Little did Miguel know, John would end up assisting him with the chance of a life-time. After a minor dispute at Goosen’s gym, John started training Miguel out of the Northridge Athletic Gym, where he would eventually become the head trainer.

*
There was soon to be an event that had young professional boxers intrigued of the fact that they could win a million dollars in a boxing tournament. This boxing tournament would be known as the infamous original Contender Television Series that put boxing back in the national spotlight. While participating in the tournament, each boxer had signed a contract with a stipulation that they were restricted from speaking to anyone, not even their family.

Miguel with the assistance of Bray would be invited to participate in this tournament and the two would briefly be separated because of the rules of the Contender show. Bray knew that this was a once in a lifetime chance to both showcase Miguel’s skills on a national level and assist his family. John was ready to help him with whatever he could and gave him his blessing. Espino then joined the Contender cast.

After Miguel left for the Contender, John started training various fighters and fortunately through word of mouth was asked to train Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero who was an up and coming boxing prospect. John would eventually lead “The Ghost” to the IBF world featherweight championship with a win over Eric Aiken, an accomplishment he had dreamed of for years, both as a professional and trainer.

This led him to believe that it was a sign from God that his prayers had been answered.

John would eventually have a fall out with Team Guerrero. This immediately occurred after Guerrero’s first unsuccessful title defense and Bray would again experience the politics of boxing. Although Bray was frustrated that he was relieved of his duties, he would soon be reunited with one of his fighters that had been there from the start.

While John was training other fighters, Miguel was training as hard as he could, trying to make a name for himself in the boxing community as well as trying to win a million dollars to help his family. Unfortunately, Miguel would lose a controversial split-decision to Peter Manfredo who later lost to Sergio Mora for the Contender Championship and the million-dollar purse.

Although the decision would affect Miguel, he knew that he was worthy of being a top contender in the middleweight division. He remained loyal and returned to trainer John Bray still determined to make a name for himself. Miguel continued to train diligently under the guidance of his trainer and mentor. John promised Miguel he would be champion of the world one day if he just stuck with him and his training regimen.

Since his controversial loss to Peter Manfredo and training with John Bray, Espino has been undefeated for the last four years and is the WBC CABOFE middleweight champion. During this time, Bray also formed the John Bray Boxing Foundation, a non-profit organization steered towards assisting at-risk youth as he had promised. He was also recently inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame, an honor he is extremely proud of.

Now, Miguel Espino’s dreams of being a world champion will be even closer as he will be facing middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik on December 19, 2009 for Pavlik’s WBC and WBO world titles. Nine years of hard work and determination have finally paid off and Miguel is ready to make the most of this opportunity.

John and Miguel have formed a bond that is unbreakable. Their relationship started off as teacher and pupil and evolved to considering each other brothers. These two men have both risen from struggle to triumph and their dreams of reaching the pinnacle of the boxing with Miguel having the opportunity of becoming a world champion and John training his second world champion are now a reality.

LYNES AND REES JOINT FAVOURITES TO WIN PRIZEFIGHTER LIGHT-WELTERWEIGHTS

Posted on | December 3, 2009 | No Comments

COLIN Lynes and Gavin Rees are joint favourites to win Friday’s Prizefighter Light-Welterweights.

The pair are both priced at 11/4 to lift the trophy in Barry Hearn’s latest eight-man, one-night tournament.

Rees is a former WBA World Champion but has a tough opener against former European Champion Ted Bami, while Lynes faces former British Champion David Barnes in the quarter-finals.

Barnes and Lynes had been scheduled to fight last year before Barnes broke a hand just two weeks before the fight.

However, Barnes, who has been out of action for 17 months, has taunted Lynes by claiming the Essex man is not the fighter he used to be.

“I think Lynes has had his best days in the past,” said Barnes. “He has boxed some good kids and (current European Champion) Paul McCloskey is not bad but he came in as a last-minute replacement for me and took Lynes apart.

“McCloskey did that from a southpaw stance and I don’t think Lynes likes southpaws.”

Lynes, who has previously held the European and British titles, fully expects to beat Barnes, win Prizefighter and return to title contention.

He helped train Michael Lomax to victory in last year’s Prizefighter Welterweights competition and will use that as inspiration to claim the £32,000 winner’s prize.

“I’m really pleased the fans get to see me fight Barnes,” added Lynes. “It’s a really good draw and they get to see a fight that I wanted to happen a year ago. Instead of 12 chess-like rounds they now get to see three explosive rounds so the fans are the real benefactors.

“I have been mentally prepared to fight Barnes and it has been on my mind for a long time.

“My sparring has been perfect. I helped Michael Lomax get ready to win Prizefighter and that’s a big factor.

“I’m sparring with Michael and he has been there and done it. We had a Prizefighter training programme in place for Michael and we’ve looked at that and improved it.

“Michael’s told me to not go looking for massive shots but to just go out there relaxed but focused. I helped him win and saw what he achieved and I’m doing the same programme and a bit more so there’s no reason why I shouldn’t achieve the same.”

At today’s weigh-in Bami was the heaviest of the eight contenders, who all made the 10st 3lb weight limit at the first attempt.

Prizefighter Light-Welterweights
To win their quarter-finals
1. Michael Grant 8/11 v Jason Cook evens
2. Gavin Rees 2/5 v Ted Bami 7/4
3. Colin Lynes 8/13 v David Barnes 6/5
4. Barrie Jones 8/13 v Young Mutley 6/5

To win the competition outright (as on SkyBet.com on Thursday, December 3)
11/4 Colin Lynes, Gavin Rees
5/1 David Barnes
7/1 Ted Bami, Michael Grant
10/1 Barrie Jones, Jason Cook
16/1 Young Mutley

Weights
Ted Bami 10st 2lb 14oz
Gavin Rees 10st 2lb 8oz
Colin Lynes 10st 2lb 4oz
Young Mutley 10st 2lb 2oz
Jason Cook 10st 1lb 12oz
David Barnes 10st 1lb 1oz
Michael Grant 10st 1lb 1oz
Barrie Jones 10st 1lb 1oz

Reserves
Peter McDonagh 10st 2lb 11oz
Jonny Rocco 10st 2lb 9oz

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