ITV Secures Delayed Rights to Froch V Taylor

Posted on | April 22, 2009 | No Comments

Sports fans will get the opportunity to watch delayed coverage of Carl Froch’s first defence of his WBC World Super Middleweight Title against Jermain Taylor on free-to-air television after ITV Sport secured the exclusive delayed rights to broadcast one of the biggest fights of the year less than 24 hours after it takes place.

Britain’s only reigning World Champion will put his belt on the line against former undisputed Middleweight Champ, Taylor at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut this Saturday. The fight will be shown on a delayed basis on ITV4 at 8.30pm on Sunday (April 26th) and repeated on ITV1 at 11.15pm the same evening.

Froch’s title winning thriller against the then unbeaten Jean Pascal was broadcast live on ITV1 last December while ITV4 also broadcasts free-to-air boxing as part of a deal with Froch’s promoter Mick Hennessy.

Recent fights have featured top names from the Hennessey Sports stable including Darren Barker, John O’Donnell, John Murray, Jon Thaxton and heavyweight sensation, Tyson Fury.

ANDERSON SILVA TO APPEAR AS A PANELIST ON HDNET’S “INSIDE MMA”

Posted on | April 22, 2009 | 1 Comment

Silva and his manager Ed Soares join actor Channing Tatum on “INSIDE MMA”
Friday, April 24 at 9:00 p.m. ET

DALLAS (April 22, 2009) UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva joins HDNet’s “Inside MMA” this week as a guest panelist on the program. In Friday’s episode, Silva and his manager, Ed Soares talk about Silva’s record-setting victory over Thales Leites at last weekend’s UFC 97.

Silva was victorious by unanimous decision against Leites, but has faced criticism for a lackluster performance – including comments from UFC President Dana White. Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten give Silva a chance to answer those critics on this Friday’s show.

Rounding out Friday’s panel is actor Channing Tatum, who is on the set to talk about his new movie, “Fighting” which opens in theaters this week.

HDNet’s INSIDE MMA is the first and only one of its kind – an original, weekly television program devoted completely to news and highlights from the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
Hosts Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten are joined by the sport’s top fighters and news-makers every week to discuss and analyze the latest in MMA. The program also includes event highlights, viewer mail, and Ron Kruck providing up-to-the-minute news and features with Kruck’s Korner. INSIDE MMA has become the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving fans their weekly fix of everything MMA.

Since the program’s inception in September of 2007, INSIDE MMA has covered some of the biggest stories in the business, presenting interviews with the biggest names involved. From Randy Couture’s legal battles with the UFC to Seth Petruzelli’s upset win over Kimbo – and the Florida State Athletic Commission’s investigation of that fight, to the fall of EliteXC, INSIDE MMA has covered it all.

INSIDE MMA, HDNet’s weekly series covering the latest news, rankings, stats and highlights from the world of Mixed Martial Arts airs every Friday at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Return Of The Mac – Martin “Mac Man” Lindsay Ready For Belfast Title Clash

Posted on | April 22, 2009 | No Comments

Martin “Mac Man” Lindsay

For Immediate Release

London, UK – 22nd April 2009

Belfast’s Martin “Mac Man” Lindsay (13-0) is coming home in style and is more than ready for his biggest challenge to date, when he takes on British Featherweight champion, Scotland’s Paul Appleby (14-0), for his title on the 25th April at Ulster Hall in Belfast.

Lindsay, the current Irish Boxing Writer’s Young Prospect Of The Year, secured the right to face Appleby for the coveted Lonsdale belt after a stunning come-from-behind 9th round knockout of Liverpool’s Derry Mathews in September ‘08 at David “Hayemaker” Haye’s promotional debut event in Sheffield.

26 year old Lindsay is particularly looking forward to the fight on the 25th April as it will be only the second time he will have fought in front of his home crowd having campaigned in Canada for Orion promotions since 2007.

Lindsay, who is managed by John Rooney, Jr. of Gleason’s Gym in London and sponsored by P.U.G. Athletic, is clearly pleased to be home and has nothing but praise for his Canadian former hosts when he said. “They put on brilliant shows out in Canada, gave me some tough learning fights and also delivered me my first title (winning the IBF Youth Featherweight title against Uriel Barrera in October ‘07). They picked hard opponents and I thrived on it.

As much as I enjoyed my time out there (in Canada), I was always hoping to come back and fight in Ireland and England. Nobody from home really got to see me fight out in Canada. Fighting in front of my home crowd will give me a lot more profile and will actually allow people to see what I can do.

In any fight, especially at this level, you’re going to have have to dig deep and pull it out. The home crowd does help to bring that out of you a wee bit. It gives you a little bit extra. If things start going pear-shaped you can always rely on the crowd for that extra boost.ö

Don’t forget to put a note in your diary as you will not want to miss this, 25th April ‘09 at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, because the long awaited clash between the two most exciting and unbeaten young prospects is finally on and is surely destined to be one of the highlights of an already excellent domestic boxing season.

Martin Lindsay’s British title fight against Paul Appleby takes place at the Ulster hall, Belfast on 25th April. Tickets priced at ú35, ú50 and ú70 can be purchased directly by calling 02890 334455

– END –

Dan Henderson, Cung Le, “Shogun” Rua, Matt Serra Join Round 5 for Expanded “Series 4” July Release

Posted on | April 22, 2009 | No Comments

Four Champions Plus Carano, Fedor to Comprise Six-Figurine Set; Series 3 Now Scheduled for Late May Release
MARKHAM, Ontario, Canada, April 22, 2009 – Four of the most popular and accomplished champions in mixed martial arts, Dan Henderson, Cung Le, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Matt Serra, have partnered with Round 5, the leading producer of MMA collectibles, to create figurines that will be included in an expanded Series 4, it was announced today by Barron Lau, Round 5 CEO and co-founder and Damon Lau, president and co-founder. The series, scheduled to be available at retail in July in time for UFC 100, will include the four plus fellow superstars Fedor Emelianenko and Gina Carano.

Round 5 also confirmed today that Series 3, which features Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski, “Big John” McCarthy, Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, will be in stores across North America and at online outlets including www.Round5MMA.com in late May, about a month behind its original schedule.

“With six figurines, Series 4 will be our largest issuance to date,” said Damon Lau. “Adding four more of the biggest names in the sport – with wide fan bases – to what began as an already stacked set is huge for Round 5 and a great opportunity for fans to quickly add to their collections.”

To date, Round 5 has issued two Series of four athletes each: Randy Couture, Matt Hughes, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Tito Ortiz comprised Series 1 while Rich Franklin, Sean Sherk, Anderson Silva and Wanderlei Silva were released in Series 2. Series 3 had been planned for an April release, but has been delayed by about four weeks.

“The Series 3 prototypes have been completed and are currently in production,” said Lau. “It took a little longer than we had originally anticipated, but we feel that the finished product is well worth the extra wait.”

Henderson, the last man to hold the welterweight and middleweight titles for PRIDE, has a 24-7-0 career MMA record, competing against many of the best in MMA. “Hollywood” defeated Wanderlei Silva to take his final PRIDE crown, then rejoined the UFC, where he has won his last two bouts. He leads Team USA in Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter television program and will fight fellow coach Michael Bisping at UFC 100 on July 11 in Las Vegas.

Though he has competed for years in the Chinese martial art of Sanshou, the South Vietnamese native Le gained fame in North America by defeating legendary Frank Shamrock via TKO last year in San Jose, Calif., where he trains. Le is unbeaten (6-0) in his MMA career and has begun a career in acting, with several feature films nearing international release.

The Brazilian star Rua, known the world over as “Shogun,” boasts and 18-3 record, last week recording a first-round knockout over Chuck Liddell at UFC 97. He is a former PRIDE champion, winning the Grand Prix title in 2005 with wins over Quinton Jackson, Rogerio Minotoro Nogueira and Ricardo Arona.

Serra, a Long Island, N.Y., native, has compiled a 9-5 MMA mark, earning international acclaim following his first-round TKO of Georges St. Pierre in their first meeting in 2007 for the UFC welterweight championship. St. Pierre won the rematch last year, and Serra is next scheduled to battle Matt Hughes at UFC 98 in May. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master, Serra also gained fame as the winner of Season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Round 5 collectible figures may be purchased at leading retailers such as Toys ‘R’ Us, FYE, Century Martial Arts, Sunrise Records, The Treadmill Factory and Hatashita International. Other retailers can be found at www.round5mma.com/wheretobuy.php.

About Round 5
Round 5 (www.Round5MMA.com), headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Canada, is the MMA industry’s fastest growing worldwide collectible figure company. Committed to developing intricately detailed figures, Round 5 strives to remain true to the sport of MMA and its personalities.

Cestus Fighters Shine in Texas !

Posted on | April 22, 2009 | No Comments

By: Cestus Press

This past Saturday night (April 18), Hot blooded Mexican and Mexican American fight fans enjoyed a great night of action packed boxing where Cestus Management fighters Jairo “El BARBARO” Martinez, Hector Ramos, Rodolfo “BABY COBRA” Gomez and James “QUICK DRAW” DuBois produced explosive performances at the I.B.C. World Championship Boxing Event at the Veteran’s Field in Laredo, Texas. The fight card will also be available on Gofightlive.tv .

The second bout was the young San Antonio , Texas , native Jairo “El BARBARO” Martinez (2-0) who got the crowed going early with a dominating performance over the tall and lanky Genaro Castonera over four rounds. Martinez, who is only eighteen, did not skip a beat as he pressured Castonera from the opening round landing vicious combination to both the head and body. In the end, “El BARBARO” was just too much for Genaro and the judges agreed as Martinez won an easy decision.

In the fourth bout of the night former highly decorated amateur and former United States Military Air Force solider Hector Ramos (3-0-0) took on Antonio Gamez in a four round bout. Before the opening bell Ramos looked like he couldn’t wait to get started and that’s exactly what he did as soon as the first bell rang. Ramos, started fast setting the pace with quick fast double jabs that found their mark followed by a jarring straight right hand followed by a left hook to the body which immediately had Gamez wincing. Although Gamez was tough and hung in their; he did put up a game fight and tried to land as many punches as he could throughout the fight, but Ramos who is a fighting machine methodically disarmed, dissected and punished Gamez giving him a severe beating over four rounds; winning a dominating points victory.

Soon after the Ramos-Gamez bout, the fans where treated to the freaky size of 6ft 3″ Welterweight Rodolfo “BABY COBRA” Gomez (4-0-0). Gomez, who is starting to be known for his technical boxing ability and uncanny reach (82″), squared off with Dwight Yett from Austin Texas in a fight scheduled for four rounds. Gomez, who also carries dynamite in both fists, quickly gave the fans what they wanted from the opening round; using fast hard snappy jabs followed by fast combinations to the head and body. Gomez kept this viscous assault going for the first two rounds and looked like he was just getting warmed up, when he went back to his corner at the end of the second round. Yett, to his credit was game throughout the bout and kept trying to bull his way in, taking some heavy bombs in the process, where at the end of the second round he walked back to his corner on shaky legs. That all changed as in the third stanza, as Gomez come out looking to finish the fight and landed a crippling hook to the body and a booming right hand to the head which sent Yett to the canvas which caused the referee to immediately call a halt to the contest.

In the six round co-main event of the evening, San Antonio native James “QUICK DRAW” DuBois (7-0-1) was outright robbed of a fight that he clearly won against the rugged Laredo based brawler Olvin Mejia. Mejia, came out aggressively in the first two rounds trying to land wild hay-makers on DuBois’ chin, but James slick boxing ability made Mejia look clumsy and Amateurish. The classy DuBois made the necessary adjustments needed and began to effectively counter and rip shots down the middle catching Mejia as he rushed in winging shots like a crazy man. By the fourth round of the fight, DuBois was in control breaking Mejia down and appeared to be well on his way to victory, in the fifth and sixth rounds Mejia’s face was a mess with one of his eyes swollen and rapidly closing as DuBois had really busted him up. Mejia looked like a loser at the end of the fight and by the expression on his face he new that he had lost and was shocked when the decision was announced a draw.

Gina Iacovou, the company CEO, said, “ Laredo , again, witnessed the talent and quality that our fighters are known for in the boxing world. Jairo ( Martinez ), Hector (Ramos), Baby Cobra (Rodolfo Gomez), and James (DuBois) put on amazing performances and showed what kind of multi talent that will elevate you to the next levels in boxing.”

Mike Michael, said “We are very proud of all of our fighters as every one of them gives better performances every time they fight. Our stable of fighters is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with and their progress is where it should be and will only get better. The boxing fans were able to see some real talented young prospects that have a big future in boxing. Michael added, “I would personally like to thank Gofightlive.tv, Recon Garza Promotions, Anthony Velasquez of Gente Entertainment for their continued support. I would further like to thank the beautiful city of Laredo and all of its fans and city leaders such as Mayor Raul G. Salinas, Sheriff Martin Cuellar, Carlos Villarreal, Jesus M. Olivares,Gene Belmares and Roy Medina for coming out and showing and giving all of their support to Cestus Management.

Other fight results: Reyes Esqueda won a four round decision over veteran Arturo Herrera; Hector Ferreyro won a twelve round decision for the vacant IBC World Heavyweight Title, Heavyweight Bill Willis knocked out Isaac Ruiz in the first round.

CESTUS MANAGEMENT

Makers of Champions

Office: 856 690 9095

Fax: 509 691 9095

E-Mail: mikemichael00@yahoo.com

Cestus Management Makers of Champions represents fighters of distinction from across the world. For further information about the company its fighters, media or otherwise, please visit www.cestusmanagement.com

CESTUS TV

KNOCKOUTS

CLICK THE LINK

http://www.cestusboxing.com/Cestus%20TV.htm

This message together with any attachments, is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this message, or any attachment, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the original sender or Mike Michael ( + 856 690 9095 ) immediately by telephone or by return e-mail and delete this message, along with any attachments, from your computer. Thank You.

NORWICH UNIVERSITY WRESTLING TEAM FACING ELIMINATION DUE TO SCHOOL BUDGET CUTS

Posted on | April 22, 2009 | No Comments

Editor’s Note: WEC MMA Champion Fighter Matt Brown is a Norwich Alumni who wrestled and FNU Editor Rich Bergeron graduated from Norwich and wrestled briefly during freshman year, though he later switched to boxing.)

YOU CAN HELP: DONATE TODAY!

The Norwich Wrestling Team’s athletes and alumni have been fighting to save the program since the December 17th 2008 announcement that the university will be eliminating the team as part of cost cutting measures. Since the announcement, many parents, alumni and friends of Norwich Wrestling have come forward to support the program with financial pledge. Even more people have contacted the Norwich Administration and Board of Trustees in an effort to convince them to reconsider their actions.

Unfortunately, for many of you this is the first time you are learning of the crisis faced by the wrestling team. Communication efforts were hampered by the fact that the university had been reluctant to provide any contact information or allow alumni to use established Norwich communication channels.

The financial short fall in the Norwich budget required a cut of $3.6 or $4.1 million (there has been some discrepancies in official communications). Both Wrestling and Tennis teams were eliminated, however, due to the generous donation of a parent; the Tennis team has been reinstated. Staff positions and programs were also eliminated in this process with Student Life/Athletics and Information Technology absorbing the personnel cuts. The university administration has stated that the elimination of the wrestling team is solely due to financial considerations. Friends of Norwich Wrestling believe that the elimination of wrestling team was ill considered for the following financial reasons;

1) The number of athletes on the team is 31 and these students generate $585,000 in revenue for the university. The wrestling team costs approximately $117,000 per season.

2) The cost per sport and cost per student athlete show wrestling to be a low cost sport with high student participation. The breakdown reported to the US Dept. of Education Equity in Athletic Data Analysis by Norwich can be found at http://ope.ed.gov/athletics for more information.

3) No opportunity was given trim the budget prior to the announcement of the team’s elimination. The program had a very competitive schedule that included the Military Championships, Lycoming National Duals and the majority of matches away. Prior knowledge of the budgetary considerations would have allowed for the scheduling of more home matches as well as reduction or consolidation of the competition schedule.

4) High school wrestling is the fastest growing sport for young men in the country. Without a varsity wrestling program, Norwich is at a disadvantage in recruiting new students.

5) Norwich would also be the only senior military college without a wrestling program.

Another measure that needs to be taken into consideration is the impact on the many people and institutions affected by eliminating the wrestling team. The individual athletes, the parents and families that have long shown a commitment to the sport will now reconsider their commitment to a Norwich education. The institutions that seek out wrestlers such as the Armed Forces, Law Enforcement and US government will now look elsewhere for college graduates that have the unique skills acquired through college wrestling – a combination of academics and athletic competition.

The university administration has heard from many people, in the form of letters, emails and phone calls, the frustration and disappointment of athletes, parents, alumni and members of the New England wrestling conference and the national wrestling community. What Norwich Wrestling has meant to this community is; 139 All New England, 47 Conference Finalists, 21 Conference Champs, 8 All-Americans, 2 National Finalist, 1 National Champ, 15 Scholar All-Americans, 11 Nationally Ranked teams and 1998 Conference Coach year – Coach Hasenfus

National political figures and some of the highest ranking current and former military officers have also contacted the Norwich administration and Board of Trustees explaining why they are upset with the university’s decision. Many people have been out spoken about what they see as a short term financial fix that impacts a college sport that produces men who become leaders in the armed forces. Should wrestling be dropped, Norwich would be the only military college without a competitive wrestling program.

To learn more about Norwich wrestling and the campaign to save the program.

What you can do to help save Norwich Wrestling? Please consider pledging your financial support to the team and communicate with the Norwich administration your concerns regarding their decision to eliminate wrestling program. Attached to this email is a pledge sheet and contact information.

We need to raise $85,000 to save the team for the 2009-2010 season.

The deadline is MAY 1 to receive pledges and all money must be received by the school by SEP 1. Friends of Norwich Wrestling have raised approximately $30,000 with parents contributing $10,000. The team has fundraising plans in place that will earn the program between $20,000 to $25,000 over the summer and early fall.

Norwich Wrestling needs your support now, please contact Coach Rich Hasenfus at 802-249-2679 or hasenfus@norwich.edu until May 1, 2009.

THIS POST HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO COURT ORDER

Posted on | April 22, 2009 | 4 Comments

“THE BATTLE OF EAST AND WEST” SOLD OUT

Posted on | April 21, 2009 | No Comments

Closed Circuit Tickets Still Available For Pacquiao vs. Hatton May 2nd Mega-Fight

LOS ANGELES, April 21 – After capturing the world’s attention, “The Battle of East and West”, the mega-fight between Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao and Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton on May 2nd at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, has officially sold out. For those not as fortunate as the thousands of fans who will be in the arena that night, there is still a chance to experience the action in Las Vegas as closed circuit tickets are still available at Mandalay Bay, Mirage, TI, Monte Carlo, Circus Circus, Luxor and New York-New York.

“Given that the live gate for this event is sold out, coupled with the sellout of tonight’s San Francisco Giants baseball game where Manny is the guest of honor, indicates to me that ‘The Battle of East and West’ is on track to break all existing pay-per-view records,” said Bob Arum, Chairman of Top Rank.

“We’re extremely pleased with the way fans have reacted to this event and I’m really not surprised that this fight is sold out,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “You’ve got two of the best fighters in the world in Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao, as well as two of the most exciting fighters, facing each other in their primes. This is going to be a fight to remember.”

Tickets for the closed circuit telecast are priced at $50, not including handling fees. All seats are general admission and are now on sale at each individual property’s box office outlets or by phone with a major credit card at (866) 799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton – “The Battle of East and West,” a 12-round bout for Hatton’s IBO and Ring Magazine World Junior Welterweight titles, is promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines. The championship bout, scheduled for Saturday, May 2, will be produced and distributed by HBO-Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

HBO Sports’ all-access reality series “PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7” will premiere episode #3 in HD on Saturday, April 25 at 9:35 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. Episodes #1 & 2 are available on HBO ON DEMAND.

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