Kendall Holt Preparing To Face Undefeated Danny Garcia On October 15 Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson Televised Undercard
Posted on | September 29, 2011 | No Comments
TOTOWA, NJ (September 28, 2011) — Former world champion Kendall “Rated R” Holt is on a mission to recapture a world title belt, but first he must score a win over unbeaten prospect Danny “Swift” Garcia when they meet Oct. 15 on the “Believe It Or Not: Hopkins vs. Dawson” pay-per-view undercard at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles for the vacant NABO Junior Welterweight title, as well as for the WBC #1 and IBF #2 ratings positions.
A single parent raising his son, the 30-year-old Holt (27-4, 15 KOs) is managed by New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, and now trained by Buddy McGirt. Kendall captured the WBO Junior Welterweight World Title in 2008, sensationally stopping Ricardo Torres in the opening round. The Paterson, New Jersey boxer successfully defended his crown against Demetrius Hopkins and now, once again, Holt positioned himself for another world title shot.
“Nothing has ever been given to Kendall,” Holt’s promoter Gary Shaw said. “He’s worked very hard for everything he’s accomplished in the ring, never losing sight of another world title shot, and he’s worked his way back up the ratings. We’re confident that his experience, skills and determination will drive him to another impressive victory against Garcia.”
Holt, presently rated WBO #3, WBC #4 and IBF #6 at 140 lbs. continued. “This fight is extremely important for me. I need to show the public that I’m a force to be reckoned with and that I can and will be world champion again.
“I’ve been working hard my whole career. My first chance wasn’t easy. I had to fight my way to become the mandatory challenger to force Torres to fight me, so, this is just like another day at the office for me.”
Garcia, 23, has a perfect 21-0 (14 KOs) record against lesser quality opponents than Holt has faced. Fighting out of Philadelphia, he is a world-class fighter who is rated WBC #8, IBF #10 and WBO #13.
“I see me being victorious,” Holt predicted. “Garcia’s a good, young fighter but my experience and skill level are much better than his. It’s not so much what he’s done, but what Golden Boy has done for him. They’ve picked the right opponents for him and his matchmaking has been great to get him to the top of the mountain. It’s my turn to push him off the cliff because he’s not ready for this level. He may have been a good amateur and he’s a good pro prospect, but this is an entirely different level. They picked the wrong guy this time. They shouldn’t have picked me because I have too much experience and better skills.”
Tickets for Hopkins vs. Dawson, priced at $300, $150, $75 and $25, are available for purchase online at www.staplescenter.com andwww.ticketmaster.com, via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800)745-3000 and at the STAPLES Center box office.
The Hopkins vs. Dawson pay-per-view telecast, which begins at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and will be available to more than 92 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 Hopkins vs. Dawson fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.
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UFC/Strikeforce Newsletter (9-28-11)
Posted on | September 29, 2011 | No Comments
Bisping and Miller Pick Teams Tonight On An All New Ultimate Fighter 16 fighters take sides, and the first preliminary fight takes place! Tonight at 10pm on SPIKE (Rogers Sportsnet in Canada) Two Legends Collide For The First Time – Shogun vs Hendo Live In San Jose UFC 139 VIP Packages On Sale Now |
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Chad Lamer Joins Zalesky’s Staff at OSU, he Talks to Takedown Wrestling
Posted on | September 29, 2011 | No Comments
Our College Wrestling Examiner, Mark Palmer reports that Chad Lamer, three-time NCAA Division II wrestling champ at South Dakota State, has joined the Oregon State coaching staff as a volunteer assistant, head coach Jim Zalesky announced Thursday.
Lamer replaces Travis Pascoe, who left the Beavers staff for an assistant coaching position at Arizona State in early August.
Lamer brings an impressive resume as wrestler and coach to Oregon State. In his mat career at South Dakota State in the mid-1990s, Lamer brought home three national titles – the first two at 177 pounds, followed by a 190-pound title in 1996. He ended his collegiate career with an overall record of 130-30-2. After college, he competed for coach Zalesky at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in Iowa, where he won the University World Freestyle Championship at 97 kg in 2000, and placed in the top four at the U.S. Nationals and U.S. Olympic Trials the same year. In 2005, Lamer also competed in RealProWrestling, a now-defunct hybrid of amateur wrestling in which the contestants were paid.
Chad Lamer, three-time NCAA Division II wrestling champ at South Dakota State, has joined the Oregon State coaching staff as a volunteer assistant, head coach Jim Zalesky announced Thursday.
Lamer replaces Travis Pascoe, who left the Beavers staff for an assistant coaching position at Arizona State in early August.
Lamer brings an impressive resume as wrestler and coach to Oregon State. In his mat career at South Dakota State in the mid-1990s, Lamer brought home three national titles – the first two at 177 pounds, followed by a 190-pound title in 1996. He ended his collegiate career with an overall record of 130-30-2. After college, he competed for coach Zalesky at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in Iowa, where he won the University World Freestyle Championship at 97 kg in 2000, and placed in the top four at the U.S. Nationals and U.S. Olympic Trials the same year. In 2005, Lamer also competed in RealProWrestling, a now-defunct hybrid of amateur wrestling in which the contestants were paid.
In addition, Lamer served as a volunteer assistant coach at South Dakota State for three seasons, most recently during the 2008-09 season.
“We’ve been looking for an upper-weight coach, mainly, and Chad knows that area,” Zalesky said. “I’ve worked with Chad in the past with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. I’ve known him for a long time and what kind of character he brings to the table. I know he can really help our upper weights.”
Keep up with college wrestling all year ’round! It may be the offseason, but there’s always something new going on — coach hirings and firings, new programs, new recruits, and more. Click the “subscribe” button on this page to be among the first to know… and make sure you don’t miss a single thing. It’s absolutely FREE!
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Tags: amateur wrestling > assistant head coach > Auto > collegiate career > draft > early august > hawkeye > head coach jim > impressive resume > Jim Zalesky > mark palmer > mid 1990s > national titles > ncaa division ii > olympic trials > oregon state > pascoe > pound title > south dakota state > volunteer assistant > world freestyle > wrestling club
Casal’s journey continues Oct. 15 vs. undefeated Anderson
Posted on | September 28, 2011 | 1 Comment
NEW YORK (September 28, 2011) – Buffalo welterweight Nick “Hands of Gold” Casal continues his journey back to boxing prominence October 15 against undefeated prospect Michael “Slick” Anderson on the non-televised portion of the Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson pay-per-view event at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
Casal (21-4-1, 16 KOs) was a highly-decorated amateur who captured gold medals at the 2002 U.S. National Junior Championships and the Sweden Box-Cup for Under-19 boxers. In 2003, Nick reached the quarterfinals of the National Golden Gloves Tournament, defeating Anthony Dirrell in the process, before losing to current world champion, Andre Berto. Casal also won a bronze medal at the 2004 U.S. Championships but he had to drop out of the competition with a hand injury.
In 2004, Casal turned pro and he was unbeaten in his first 17 pro bouts, including a pair of draws. Nick extended current WBC Silver champion Antonio “Tony” DeMarco, the former WBC Interim light titlist, the full 10 rounds in 2002, albeit in a losing effort (94-96, 93-93, 97-93) that demonstrated his vast potential. Casal has won his last three fights, including a third-round technical knockout of Martin Tucker this past April in his Boxing 360 debut.
Casal, however, damaged his hand and he has been out of action since. His fight against Andersson was supposed to be September 30 on ShoBox, before being switched to Oct. 15. “Fighting on ShoBox would have given me more exposure but the Hopkins-Dawson show is much bigger with a larger audience,” said Casal who is training in Las Vegas. “I hurt my hand a little bit in my last fight but it’s now 100-percent.”
The 30-year-old Anderson (11-0-1, 9 KOs), fighting out of Newark, hasn’t fought anybody near Casal’s level of competition. If Anderson believes he’s going to use Casal as a stepping-stone, according to Nick, he’s got another thing coming. “I’m going to use him as a stepping-stone,”Casal insisted. “He has no experience and I’m coming for a win. I don’t know anything about him but, after the first round, I’ll know what to do.
“In another year, I hope to be fighting for a world title. I beat both Dirrells (Andre and Anthony), Berto and Vanes Martirosyan in the amateurs. I fought at 156 as an amateur and moved down to fight at 140 as a pro. Some of them went up in weight and won world titles. I just need a couple of more fights to be ready for a world title shot. I turned pro when I was 18 – maybe a little early – but I’m only 25 with a lot of fights left in me. I had a lot of growing up to do and now’s the time to make something happen.”
Casal’s promoter, Boxing 360 founder and CEO Mario Yagobi, believes his upcoming fight is a tremendous opportunity for Nick. “Nick has to step-up and, if he passes this test, it’s on to bigger and better things for him. This is a great opportunity. I think he’s up to it. In the past he has won better challenges in bigger fights. I believe he has the talent and heart to take him to the top. He made the commitment to train in Las Vegas, away from his home in Buffalo, in order to get better sparring. He’s working hard and I know he’ll be ready October 15th.”
Casal’s talented Boxing 360 stable-mate, undefeated middleweight prospect DonYil Livingston (5-0-1, 3 KOs), will also be in action on the Oct. 15thHopkins-Dawson undercard against unbeaten Kurtiss Colvin (6-0, 5 KOs) in a six-round bout.
Other members of Boxing 360’s stable include IBF World Light Junior Lightweight Champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, USBA heavyweight champion Maurice Sugar Moe” Harris, WBC #5 super bantamweight Leon“Hurry Up” Moore, former IBF super middleweight champion Alejandro “Naco”Berrio, unbeaten welterweight prospect Vitaliy “Demyan” Demyanenko, WBC Caribbean& NY State super middleweight champion Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen, Dominican lightweight champion Eudy “AK47” Bernardo, KO king Tyrone Brunson, Mike Mollo, Joel Diaz Jr., and “King” David Estrada.
Go to www.Boxing360.com for more information about Casal, Boxing 360 or any of its other fighters as well as scheduled events.
Tags: action > anderson new york > Andre Berto > anthony dirrell > Bernard Hopkins > bouts > Boxing > bronze medal > center > champion > demarco > event > fight > fighting > Gold > gold medals > Golden > Golden Gloves Tournament > Hands > Interim > King > last fight > martin tucker > National Golden GLoves > National Golden Gloves Tournament > nbsp > OCT > October > prominence > quarterfinals > ShoBox > show > silver champion > Staples > staples center > stepping stone > technical knockout > Under > welterweight > World Champion
MMA Adventure Offers Fight Fans the Chance to Win Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure Vacations with MMA’s Biggest Stars
Posted on | September 28, 2011 | No Comments
This month fans can win a trip to Las Vegas with MMA Legend Mark Coleman!
Las Vegas, NV – September 28, 2011 – MMA Adventure Co., a company that offers mixed martial arts fans the chance to embark on one-on-one adventures with today’s most respected and well-known MMA athletes, is proud to announce that October’s MMA Adventure will be with MMA LegendMark “The Hammer” Coleman. Fans can enter to win at www.mmaadventure.com between now and October 21, 2011.
“We are very excited to provide another fun-filled MMA adventure weekend for fans of the sport,” stated Riley Knox, a spokesperson for MMA Adventure. “So far we have hosted adventures with Gray Maynard and Frank Trigg and they went amazingly well. I encourage fans to check out video footageof Gray’s adventure on the news section of our website (www.mmadventure.com) to really see what MMA Adventure is all about.”
MMA Adventure gives mixed martial arts fans the unique opportunity to get to know their favorite MMA stars on a whole new level, through exciting and unforgettable adventures that take them well beyond the cage. Every month the company offers up a new adventure featuring a different a-list MMA celebrity and vacation destination.
MMA Adventure winners will embark on a once in a lifetime journey with one of MMA’s elite. The destination and adventure is based on the personal interests of the featured MMA star, allowing the fan to truly get to know the ‘person’ behind the celebrity.
This month MMA fans have a chance to win a one-on-one vacation with a true legend of the sport,Mark Coleman. MMA Adventure partnered with MMA Elite to make October’s adventure with Coleman possible. MMA Elite, Mark Coleman’s official sponsor, is an authentic fighting and lifestyle clothing brand owned by Ultimate Brand Management (UBM).
UBM dedicates themselves to building relationships with some of the best MMA fighters in the world and has sponsored many of the sports elite including Jon “Bones” Jones, Urijah Faber, Cain Velasquez, Forrest Griffin, Gray Maynard, Frank Mir and many others.
According to Knox, “Mark Coleman is an absolute legend in MMA and we are thrilled to have him as part of our adventure program. It will be an unforgettable weekend for the winner, especially for a fan that has been following the sport for a long time.”
Coleman shook up the UFC in 1990s with his unique approach to fighting, inventing what is now known as the “ground and pound” style. Coleman was the first UFC heavyweight champion and has had a successful fight career in both the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships.
In conjunction with each monthly promotion, MMA Adventure offers fans vouchers toward the purchase of its sponsor products. The company offers fans deep discounts on a wide variety of products endorsed by their favorite MMA stars. When fans purchase a voucher onwww.mmaadventure.com, they are automatically entered into the drawing for a chance to win the corresponding trip for that month.
Following the Mark Coleman adventure, future programs will feature MMA adventures with more of the sport’s biggest stars including “Big” John McCarthy, Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg, Shawn “The Muscle Shark” Shirk, Marcus “The Irish Hand” Davis, and many others!
For more information on MMA Adventure or for further details on how to enter to win a once in a lifetime adventure with one of your favorite MMA stars, please log onto www.mmaadventure.com.Fans can also follow MMA Adventure on Twitter and Facebook.
About MMA Adventure Co:
Toronto based MMA Adventure Co. was created to give MMA fans the unique opportunity to spend one-on-one time with their favorite MMA athletes and personalities. Fight fans now have the chance to win once in a lifetime adventures with some of MMA’s biggest stars. Every month the company offers up a new adventure featuring a different a-list MMA celebrity and vacation destination. In conjunction with each monthly promotion, MMA Adventure offers fans discount coupons toward the purchase of a wide variety of hot MMA products. For more information on MMA Adventure or for further details on how you can enter to win a once in a lifetime adventure with one of your favorite MMA stars, please log onto www.mmaadventure.com.
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Murphy, Anderson, Clayton, Sharratt, Borrelli, Greathouse on Takedown This Sat!
Posted on | September 28, 2011 | No Comments
Scott Casber
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Takedown Wrestling Radio and TV
USA Wrestling Weekly
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Unbeaten prospect Lionell Thompson added to McGuinness-Gaudet undercard Oct. 22 in Ontario
Posted on | September 28, 2011 | No Comments
TORONTO (September 28, 2011) – Unbeaten light heavyweight prospect Lionell “Lonnie B” Thompson has been added to the Logan Cotton McGuinness vs. Benoit Gaudetundercard, presented by Hennessy Sports in association with Interbox and United Promotions, on Saturday night, October 22 at The Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.
The 26-year-old Thompson (9-0, 6 KOs), fighting out of Buffalo, was a standout amateur who was rated as high as No. 2 in the country. A five-time New York Golden Glove and three-time Empire State champion, “Lonnie B” turned pro in 2009 but his career was kick-started last November, when he signed with manager, Tim Ziccardi, and added former world light middleweight title challenger Ross “The Boss” Thompson (no relations) to his corner as chief second.
“We have very high hopes for Lionell,”promoter Adam Harris (Hennessy Sports) said. “He’s a solid boxer-puncher who lives in the gym. Nobody works harder than this kid and he now has a great team behind him in Tim and Ross.His addition to an already great boxing card insures that it’ll be a night to remember for boxing fans.”
Since teaming-up with Ziccardi and Thompson, Lionell is 5-0 with four knockouts. “I’ve known Lionell since he was 16,” Ziccardi remarked. “I’ve always respected him as a person and fighter. We agreed to do this at the highest level and to fight often. He’s already had five fights this year, not including his Oct. 22 fight, and he had one scheduled bout fall-out the day of the fight back in January. His boxing IQ and talent levels are higher than most and his work effort is the highest. He went running after his fight against Angel Gonzalez. Sometimes, Ross has to take his gym bag away, but he still shows up at the gym (Ross Thompson Gym in Buffalo).
“Boxing isn’t a sport to him; it’s a lifestyle. He eats clean and Friday and Saturday nights he’s watching boxing, not going out. He prides himself as a throwback fighter who is always ready to fight. Lionell Thompson was born to box.”
Thompson will fight Oct. 22 in a six-round fight against an opponent to be determined.
McGuinness (15-0-1, 7 KOs), presently rated No. 11 by the World Boxing Association (“WBA”), is the reigning North American Boxing Association (“NABA”) Lightweight Champion, but the Orangeville, Ontario native will abdicate his belt in order to fight Gaudet for the vacant NABA super featherweight title in the main event.
Former world title challenger Gaudet (24-2, 10 KOs) is a former NABA super featherweight title-holder. The Quebec boxer Gaudet was stopped by defending champion Humberto Soto in their 2009 World Boxing Council (“WBC”) super featherweight championship match, which was the co-feature on the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton mega-fight card.
Unbeaten Columbian welterweight Samuel Vargas (7-0-1, 1 KO), fighting out of Mississauga, Ontario, takes on outspoken Montreal favorite Ahmad Cheikho (6-3-2, 5 KOs) in the 8/10-round co-feature.
In a six-round bout, former Canadian amateur standout Ibrahim “Firearm” Kamal (5-0, 4 KOs) puts his perfect record on the line against TBA, while a pair of Ontario lightweights – Jeremy Abbott (2-2, 1 KO) and Harrison McBain (3-3-1) – face each other in an expected 4/6 round brawl.
Also fighting on the undercard in four-round bouts are Ontario fighters Dillon Carman(1-0), a heavyweight prospect, light middleweight Brandon “Bad Boy” Cook(2-00, 1 KO), and super featherweight Natasha Spence (2-0-1, 2 KOs). All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets, starting at $30.00, may be purchased at the Hersey Centre Box Office, through Ticketmaster at (855) 985-5000 or ticketmaster.ca.
Go on line at www.HennessySports.comfor more information McGuinness and the Oct. 22 show.
Tags: Adam Harris > angel gonzalez > Auto > Boxing > boxing card > boxing fans > card > Centre > champion > Cotton > draft > empire state > fight > gaudet > Glove > Golden > golden glove > GYM > Hennessy > hershey centre > Interbox > kid > knockouts > Lonnie > manager > mississauga ontario > nbsp > Nobody > October > person > puncher > ross the boss > Ross Thompson > round > saturday nights > second > state champion > Ticketmaster > watc > work effort > ziccardi
REES: I’M ONE STEP FROM ANOTHER WORLD TITLE
Posted on | September 28, 2011 | No Comments
Welshman’s two-weight World dream could be closer after Saturday
Gavin Rees says he is hungrier than ever as he faces Derry Mathews in his first defence of the European Lightweight title on Saturday night at the Newport Centre, live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1 from 8pm – knowing a win can bring him one step closer to his two-weight World champion dream.
Rees won the WBA Light-Welterweight World crown in 2007 and believes that four years later, he is in prime condition to get another World title shot at Lightweight but after beating Mathews, he is eyeing up another all-British clash.
“I don’t mind who I have to fight to win a World title,” said Rees. “But I’d love a fight with Kevin Mitchell too. It’s a fight that I think I’d win but it’d be a cracker and one that fight fans and Sky Sports would love to see.”
Before a World title shot though, there’s the small matter of Saturday’s Wales v England battle, as Mathews steps into the ring with a top class opponent over 12 rounds for the first time since coming back from retirement.
“I would never look beyond my next fight and what is in front of me, and I know that Derry is a hungry fighter and one that will give everything against me,” said Rees. “He’s come back from a little break and is on a nice run of wins after moving up to Lightweight.
“A break does you good sometimes. When you have been training hard every week 10 years or so, you probably need time off just to rediscover your love for it. Since Derry’s come back from his break he’s had five or six wins all through stoppages so it’s going to be a great fight.”
Things have got heated on Twitter and Facebook, with Rees on the receiving end from some of Mathews’ fans but the Welshman laughed off suggestions that those taunts have got under his skin, and predicted that the Liverpool fighter will suffer the sixth knockout of his career.
“He’ll be in there on his own in on Saturday so we’ll see then,” said Rees. “He’s four fights unbeaten now which people make a big deal out of, so if I make a statement against him then it’s good for me. I’ve had eight weeks of excellent training, he’s getting knocked out for the sixth time and we both know it. His last opponent Stephen Jennings had only five fights under his belt and it was his first fight over six rounds – he’s a novice and nowhere near my level so his last win is not even a factor.”
Rees’ last opponent was Andy Murray, the Irishman who travelled to Cardiff to face Rees for the vacant European strap. The victory never looked beyond doubt after the opening rounds, but Rees seemed to tire in the mid-section of the fight, and despite a strong finish, the old questions of conditioning were raised – Rees was quick to respond when they were put to him again.
“I got a bit tired towards the end but that’s been rectified and I’m in perfect shape now,” said Rees. “Training has been great and I’ve worked hard on my diet and condition as well. Sparring with Ricky Burns and Frankie Gavin is perfect preparation for any fight. You have to travel about a bit to get some different sparring as I’ve had it all my own way in Wales really, but it’s been worth it.”
The 31 year-old talks with new found vigour about the path ahead and believes it all began with making the decision to team up with new trainer Gary Lockett. The former WBU Middleweight champion unveiled a secret weapon in getting Rees in perfect shape for Saturday and beyond – a former Mister Wales winner.
“We bought in an old friend in Renzo Algieri who is a former Mr Wales from back in the 90s with a bodybuilding background,” said Lockett. “He knows everything there is to know about nutrition and diet and it’s worked a treat. When Gavin checked weighed-in a week ago he had to get back on the scales because he thought they were lying to him!
“There have been problems in the past with his diet, but I don’t really blame Gavin for that. When you have been doing something for really wrong so long, then it becomes embedded in you. When he joined me I couldn’t just give him a crash course in how to do things right. The diet was the last thing we worked on but when someone has been boiling the weight off the old fashioned way for years, and they start having a new routine, as soon as the weight doesn’t shift they revert back to the old ways, and that’s exactly what happened against Andy Murray.
“People keep going on that he died after six rounds and that he needs to be fitter – what do they think we are doing? I’ve been there in 12 rounders and I know what it takes to be strong over that distance, so it was nothing to do with fitness, all to do with diet. What he did the day before the weigh-in to make the weight was ridiculous and the fact he went 12 rounds is a testament to his strength, his condition and his desire for the sport. Normally, a fight with Andy I’d expect him to win it in three or four rounds, but he had to go 12 rounds because he killed himself so badly to make the weight.”
Rees calls joining up with Lockett “a second life” and explained that it’s through his hard work and teaming up with Gary and Matchroom Sport that he is taking another step closer to his two-weight dream on Saturday.
“After my World Title loss I had a year’s break,” said Rees. “The Calzaghe camp went a bit pear-shaped, I sorted things out, came back and won Prizefighter. I joined up with Matchroom Sport, won the British and European, and now things are looking good for another World title crack.
“Matchroom have got a great stable coming on, there are big names with young hot prospects too, it’s the best promotional outfit in Britain and it’s great to be a part of it.
“When I came back and won Prizefighter it seemed a bit easy really, I didn’t really train for it and I was at 10st 3lb, nice and comfy. From that point on I realised that it was a massive springboard and I started to knuckle down, train harder, eat right and make things happen – that’s why Saturday is such a big night.”
For ticket information please contact Matchroom Sport on 01277 359900.
Tags: 12 rounds > Auto > break > Centre > champion > condition > deal > diet > draft > england battle > everything > facebook > fight > fight fans > first defence > Gavin Rees > hd1 > Kevin Mitchell > LIGHT > lightweight > Lightweight title > little break > love > Mathews > Newport > newport centre > novice > prime condition > retirement > ring > shot > skin > Sky Sports > STEP > stoppages > taunts > time > Twitter > World Champion > world crown > world dream