Afghani-Canadian super featherweight contender Arash Usmanee wishes to congratulate new IBF Super Featherweight Champion Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy for his title-winning decision over Argenis Mendez last Thursday (July 10) in Miami.

“Barthelemy looked good taking it to Mendez and he deserves the belt,” said Usmanee.

But now that the dust has settled on the Barthelemy/Mendez rivalry, Usmanee (21-2-1, 10 KOs) says the new champion has only one thing he can do to prove he deserves his spot on top.

“Barthelemy himself knows he didn’t beat me when we fought. If that fight was anywhere but his backyard, he would have never even gotten the chance to fight for the title. If he’s a true champion, he will face me in his first defense and try to erase what everyone but the three judges saw as a loss for him.”

Usmanee and Barthelemy faced off in January of last year in the Cuban Barthelemy’s adopted hometown of Miami and, after 12 rounds, the nearly unanimous consensus was that Usmanee had come on in the second half of the fight to dominate and deserved a clear decision. Unfortunately, the three judges saw it another way and awarded Barthelemy the unanimous verdict. The fight was an IBF title eliminator for the #2 spot in their rankings.

“If our fight was held anywhere but his backyard, he would have never gotten the chance to win the belt,” continued Usmanee. “If he wants to be a true world champion, then he can’t pretend that didn’t happen. A true champion would want to try to erase that blemish on his record immediately and I hope that’s what he chooses to do in his first defense.”

Usmanee’s promoter, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions, says he is waiting to hear from Barthelemy’s promotional team.

“They know how lucky their guy got in Florida against my guy. And I know they’re all honorable people, so I expect they’ll take a little time to enjoy the belt and then we can all get to work on establishing the true champion of the IBF at super featherweight. My guy isn’t just going to go away. They need to make this fight to establish their own legitimacy as champion.”

In August of last year, Usmanee, established his performance against Barthelemy was no fluke by fighting to a draw with then-champion Mendez in his only world-title try.

In April of this year, Usmanee took an over-the-weight and short-notice fight (less than one week) against a much bigger Rey Beltran and lost a decision after a valiant effort as the co-feature on the Pacquiao vs. Bradley II undercard. Since then, Usmanee won a decision June 13 over the durable Juan Ruiz and is laser focused on securing the much-deserved rematch with Barthelemy.

Cohen stated, “Usmanee vs. Barthelemy II is a fight that must be made to establish who the true king is at 130 lbs in the IBF. I’m eagerly awaiting hearing from Barthelemy’s people to start negotiations.”

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 14th, 2014) – The opportunity to spoil someone else’s homecoming might mean more to Nick Gonzalez at this stage in his career than a trip to the big show or a lucrative endorsement deal.

With no major promoter behind him, or any sort of buzz on the fight scene back home in Austin, Tex., the 33-year-old Gonzalez is often forced to take his show on the road, fighting in someone else’s backyard in front of a one-sided crowd.

What might drive others to do something else with their spare time actually motivates Gonzalez, who continues to grind despite no opportunity with the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) or any other major promotion looming on the horizon. There’s more to it for Gonzalez than the notoriety.

“I just fight because I love it,” he said.

Out of action for almost a year, Gonzalez (18-12, 6 KOs) will return to face unbeaten featherweight Charles Rosa (8-0, 3 KOs) on the undercard of “CES MMA XXV” live on AXS TV Friday, Aug. 8th, 2014 at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I.

The live network broadcast also features the return of Providence’s Luis Felix, who will face for The Ultimate Fighter contestant Julian Lane for the vacant CES MMA lightweight title in the five-round main event. Tickets for “CES MMA XXV” are on sale now at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Rosa, a Peabody, Mass., native who now trains out of American Top Team in Florida and continues fighting regionally, is rolling the dice putting his unbeaten record on the line against Gonzalez. A self-proclaimed “bad ass” with tremendous confidence in his striking ability, Gonzalez has more than 30 fights under his belt, including stints with Bellator and Strikeforce, in addition to a 2007 bout against 20-time UFC vet Yves Edwards, who now trains with Rosa.

“I know [Gonzalez] is a slick boxer who throws a lot of strong combos, but I also feel like that’s one of my strengths,” Rosa said. “I’ve sparred with some of the best boxers on the planet and have never had an issue. That’s what he’s best at, but I’m also really good at everything else.”

Rosa agreed to face Gonzalez at the behest of his manager, Charles McCarthy, a three-time UFC vet who’s guided him since the beginning of his amateur career. The 27-year-old featherweight has pushed the envelope with each fight, slowly climbing the ladder against tougher competition. After beating eight-time Bellator vet and submission specialist Brylan Van Artsdalen in March, Rosa will now switch gears against the heavy-handed Gonzalez.

“I trust Charles. He’s been with me since Day 1. He took me off the streets when I didn’t even have a car,” Rosa said. “The big reason he got into management was because of me. He’s always felt I could be a world champion.”

With nine professional boxing matches on his resume as well (three wins and two draws), Gonzalez has the punching power and footwork to spoil Rosa’s latest homecoming. Aug. 8th will be Rosa’s fifth fight in Rhode Island, where he studied to be a culinary chef at Providence’s Johnson & Wales University.

“Over the course of a 15-minute fight, I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done. I’m always confident, and I will eventually hit you,” Gonzalez said.

“And when I hit you, one of two things will happen. You’ll either fall down or you’ll think twice about why you’re fighting me in the first place. I have a lot of confidence in my ability.”

Gonzalez and Rosa have traveled two different career paths to get to this point. Rosa is the young, can’t-miss prospect with dreams of one day fighting for the UFC while Gonzalez has earned his stripes “beating up” the hometown fighters as the road-weary veteran. It’s gotten to the point where regional fighters in Gonzalez’s neck of the woods have gone to great lengths to avoid facing him, forcing him to take tougher fights elsewhere.

“Nowadays, guys want to be hometown heroes, sell a bunch of tickets and build their records,” he said. “At some point, you have to face a fighter like me. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. I’m good enough to fight in the UFC, but I’m not signed to a big company like the UFC.

“[The UFC] isn’t what it used to be,” he continued. “Now they’re just looking for the next big thing, guys who are 7-0, 8-0 with no relevant fights. If I knew that’s what I had to do, I would’ve padded my record years ago, but I have big balls and a big heart. I’m an old school guy, way before my time.”

Beneath the tough talk and gritty exterior, Gonzalez genuinely respects Rosa as a “hard worker,” one of the few up-and-comers in the featherweight division willing to face him.

“He’s young and hungry,” Gonzalez said, “and those are the kind of challenges I accept.”

The way Rosa sees it, facing someone like Gonzalez is the only way he can reach heights Gonzalez – and others – never reached. A former hockey standout in high school, Rosa always dreamed of being a professional athlete, but gravitated more toward the ice rinks than the MMA gyms as a teenager.

“Once I got to [Johnson & Wales] and scrimmaged against the Providence Bruins and other professional teams, I realized it was a different level,” he said. “I was always more of a tough guy – gritty – but I didn’t have that natural touch, the soft hands. I wasn’t a goal-scorer.

“Fighting was always better for me. You can really dig in and use your heart more.”

Rosa eventually made the seamless transition from hockey to MMA and is now one of the hottest fighters in his weight class with seven of his eight career wins coming by submission or knockout in the first round. The ultimate goal is to advance to the sport’s biggest stage, but not without challenging himself Aug. 8th against a throwback fighter with nothing to gain other than respect.

“It’s exciting to be a part of this event and see yourself on TV, and see yourself on that big screen,” Rosa said. “It lets you know your dreams are coming true. Everyone wants to see that someday. I always wanted that as a kid growing up.”

In addition to the Felix-Lane main event, “CES MMA XXV” also features the return of Brazilian lightweight Gil de Freitas (16-5, 5 KOs) of Ludlow, Mass., in a three-round bout against Sherman’s Dale, Pa., vet Darrell Horcher (9-1, 4 KOs). Middleweight Chip Moraza Pollard (8-6, 3 KOs) of Plymouth, Mass., looks to build off his win in March when he faces Harley Beekman (6-2, 3 KOs) of Amsterdam, N.Y.; and fan-favorite Tateki Matsuda (8-4, 3 KOs) of Boston returns to face Robbie Leroux (5-2, 4 KOs) of Fall River, Mass., in a bantamweight bout.

Also on the undercard, Providence welterweight Eric Spicely (4-0, 1 KO) puts his undefeated record on the line against 37-fight veteran Nuri Shakir of Nashua, N.H.; Providence lightweight Keenan Raymond (2-0) battles Jay Bakanowski (1-1) of Northboro, Mass.; welterweight Tommy Venticinque (1-1) of Warwick, R.I., faces newcomer Wayne Alhquist of Nashua; and flyweight Billy Giovanella (5-1, 2 KOs) faces Andy Aiello (3-1, 2 KOs) of Bridgewater, Mass. Middleweights Raphael Correia (2-1) of Danbury, Conn., and Terrell Clark (1-1, 1 KO) of Framingham, Mass., battle in a three-round bout and East Providence, R.I., welterweight Nate Andrews (6-0, 3 KOs) will be featured in a separate three-round bout.

Visit www.cesmma.com for more information, follow CES MMA on Twitter at @CESMMA and Instagram at CESMMA, or “like” CES MMA on Facebook.

Atlantic City, NJ—Middleweight prospect Thomas LaManna, of Millville, NJ, faces the toughest test of his three-year pro career when he goes against Jamaal Davis, of Philadelphia, PA, in a scheduled eight-round fight on Saturday evening, Aug. 23, in the Grand Ballroom at Bally’s Atlantic City.

Headlining the seven-bout card is a scheduled 10-round welterweight contest between Mike Jones, of Philadelphia, and Jaime Herrera, of Franklin Park, IL. The card will be streamed live by www.gofightlive.tv First fight is 7.30 p.m.

LaManna (right) turned pro early in 2011 and he has a record of 14-0, 7 K0s. He is ranked No. 5 among 160-pounders by the United States Boxing Association (USBA).

In his last fight April 12, also at Bally’s, he earned unanimous eight-round decision over Ahsandi Gibbs, of Tampa, FL. This will mark LaManna’s sixth fight at Bally’s.

“I’ve been waiting for this fight for a while because I feel I need to prove something to myself,” LaManna said. “Jamaal Davis is a tough, nitty-gritty veteran who’s been in the ring with everybody. This is a huge step for me, but if I want to become a relevant boxer, I have to beat Jamaal Davis.

“Bally’s in Atlantic City has been my second home and has been great to me. I’m excited to be the co-feature again and to be part of another Philly vs. Jersey battle.”

Davis, 33, is 14-11-1, 6 K0s. He has lost his last three, all against world-class competition: Patrick Majewski, of Atlantic City, NJ; Yuri Foreman, of Brooklyn, NY; Jorge Melendez, of Manati, Puerto Rico.

A pro since 2003, Davis has fought some of the best junior middleweights and middleweights up and down the East Coast, including: Peter Quillin, of Brooklyn; Gabriel Rosado, of Philadelphia; Ossie Duran, of Paterson, NJ; Joel Julio, of Miami, FL.

Davis has beaten Doel Carrasquillo, of Lancaster, PA, Josh Onyango, of Trenton, NJ, and Eberto Medina, of Paterson, NJ.

“I know this is a do-or-die fight for me,” Davis said. “Everyone is counting me out but I’m not ready to leave it alone (my career) quite yet. LaManna will be the favorite in this fight and I am the stepping stone but fights are won in the ring and not on paper and not in people’s hearts or their hopes.

“LaManna has skills but he hasn’t fought the kind of opposition I have fought. This could be a whole new ball game for him. I’ll be ready for him but will he be ready for me.”

Six additional fights complete the card.

ABOUT AUGUST 23

The Jones-Herrera and LaManna-Davis fights top a seven-bout card at Bally’s Atlantic City. First fight is 7.30 pm. Tickets are priced at $50 and $75 and they are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000). Tickets also are on sale at www.peltzboxing.com and www.ticketmaster.com. www.gofightlive.tv will stream the card on the internet. The card is being promoted by Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with Bally’s Atlantic City.

LAS VEGAS (July 14, 2014) – After landing more punches and connecting with a higher percentage, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (19-2-2, 12 KOs) feels he was robbed in his fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) that took place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas this past weekend.

Fact, Lara landed 107 total punches to Alvarez’s 97 and had a higher connect percentage (28% Lara – 23% Alvarez). The body shots that Alvarez landed were grazing shots that Lara blocked with his elbows, and most of them came in the round he got cut.

Erislandy sounds off on why he feels he won the fight and deserves an immediate rematch.

“Before the decision was announced, I felt 100% confident I won the fight,” said Lara. “The facts don’t lie, I landed more total punches. Looking at it from the punch stats, you’re supposed score based on clean and effective blows landed. Most of the shots that Canelo landed were body blows that didn’t even land cleanly, and most of them came in the round where I got cut. All my punches were clean shots. I out jabbed him and boxed his ears off. The punch stats don’t lie…there is no way I lost to Canelo.”

“I’m very disappointed in Judge Levi Martinez for his horrendous score. How in the world did he score it 117-111? Before the decision was announced, I stood across the ring and saw Team Canelo and their body language said it all. You could see the depression in their eyes. Everyone on their whole team had a look of despair because they were defeated. When the final score was read, their look went from despair to relief. They knew they lost the fight, period.”

“Levi definitely needs to be investigated and he should never be appointed to judge a big fight again. I’m not sure if he’s dishonest or inept to be judging at this level, either way he needs to be reprimanded for this horrible decision. This is the second time this has happened to me and I wouldn’t want to see this happen to someone else. Like what happen to the judges in New York in the Williams fight, Levi should be suspended. I left communist Cuba to escape corruption and now I see it happening here in the boxing world.”

“Oscar De La Hoya said that I have to wait in line to fight Alvarez again because there are 10 others ahead of me. That speaks volumes because he knows Canelo got a gift.” Lara concluded. “Who are these 10 guys he’s talking about…I want to know. I won this fight and a rematch needs to happen right away.”

Burbank, CA: Issac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (22-2-2, 9 KOs) has made the long journey from South Africa to Burbank, CA to reunite with his trainer Buddy McGirt as the two prepare to face Cory “Black Ice” Cummings (17-6-1, 13 KOs) on August 2 at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ in the non-televised co-feature of the Sergey Kovalev vs. Blake Caparello WBO Light Heavyweight Championship card. Chilemba is ready for this fight, “It is going to be a good fight. This a good chance for my career so I am coming and I am coming big. I am confident and I am quite sure I am going to win the fight. This is me and I will be here for a long time.”

Chilemba
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Chilemba, 27, is originally from Blantyre, Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, and now resides in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. He started his professional career in 2005 at only 18 years old. His professional career began with eight straight victories, six of which were knockouts. Now, nine years later, he has only two defeats on his professional record and is rapidly rising through the ranks of the hot light heavyweight division. In Isaac’s most recent fight he defeated Denis Grachev via unanimous decision in a bloody ten-round battle at Sands Resort Casino in Bethlehem, PA on March 15th.

Grachev & Chilemba
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

As “Golden Boy” prepares to take on “Black Ice,” he once again has former WBC Welterweight and IBF Light Welterweight World Champion Buddy McGirt in his corner. The two are preparing to face Cummings at the Powerhouse Gym in Burbank, CA. McGirt had this to say about Isaac’s camp thus far, “We are just working on a few little things Isaac needs to do to make himself better. We are just going step-by-step. I feel like Main Events is doing the right thing by him and keeping him busy. He needs to keep his toes sharpened.”

“Golden Boy”
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

The time difference between South Africa and California took a little getting used to for Chilemba but according to McGirt, “Adjusting to the time difference is really getting to him but he is getting better. Isaac will be ready, he came to camp already in shape. Isaac needs to be away from home for training camp because if he isn’t he will overwork himself. Back home when he spars he dominates everybody. When he comes to the gyms in America everyone wants a piece of him, so his sparring is much more competitive here.” According to Isaac’s manager, Jodi Solomon, “Training camp is going very well and Isaac’s sparring is going well. Isaac is training hard and is as disciplined and focused on winning as he always is.”

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

The WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) is on Saturday, August 2nd at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic, City, NJ. The fight will be telecast as part of a split-site triple-header on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT. The event is presented by Main Events in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets prices are $55, $80, $160 and $250. They are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the HBO Boxing After Dark special triple header split site telecast begins at 9:45 PM.

About Revel

Revel Casino Hotel is Atlantic City’s newest and most spacious casino resort and convention destination. Located on Atlantic City’s world-famous boardwalk, the ocean front hotel is designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic at every turn. The casino resort offers 130,000 square feet of world class gaming, with 2,400 slots, 130 table games, electronic tables and players’ lounges, along with the high-limit table game Ultra Lounge. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms. Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor pools, cabanas, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 13 restaurants that offer a range of fine dining to deliciously affordable menu options, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub, and live entertainment at The Social and showroom headliners at Ovation Hall. While taking in all the casino has to offer, guests can earn points as they play, dine, shop and relax with the Revel Card loyalty program. For additional information and updates, and for complete details and rules of all promotions, customers can visit the Revel Card desk or visit www.revelcasino.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and @revelcasino on Instagram.

LAS VEGAS (July 14, 2014) – Tickets for the biggest rematch in recent memory, “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” go on sale tomorrow, Tuesday, July 15 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

The repeat of what many are calling 11-time world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s toughest test to date against former WBA Welterweight World Champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana willtake place Saturday, Sept. 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

Tickets for the live event are priced at $1,600, $1,200, $850, $600 and $350, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $350 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

With only one day left until tickets go on sale for this mega-fight, check out these facts about Floyd Mayweather and MGM Grand*.
Mayweather’s last nine fights have taken place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, including the May 3 first meeting of Mayweather and Maidana.
Mayweather’s September 2013 fight against Canelo Alvarez broke the Nevada boxing gross gate record of more than $20 million.
Mayweather has participated in three of the five biggest boxing gates in Nevada history, and seven of the 20 biggest boxing gates in the sport’s history.
“THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana” was the fourth largest boxing gate in Nevada history
*Facts from Nevada State Athletic Commission official website

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2”, a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s 147-pound titles taking place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV and is the fourth fight of a lucrative six-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc.

For more information go to, visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @chinomaidana, @mayweatherpromo, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @ShoSports and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #­­­­­­­­Mayhem and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOboxing.

By Bart Barry-

When Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fought countryman Alfredo Angulo in March, I attended a viewing party at the home of a Puerto Rican boxing trainer who, despite no rooting ethnic interest whatever, found his home filled by seven other Puerto Rican aficionados. Saturday, when Alvarez decisioned Cuban southpaw Erislandy Lara at MGM Grand, by a split decision that might have gone to either fighter fairly, I attended a viewing party at the home of that same boxing trainer, and this time we were two. Total.

Puerto Rico’s proximity to Cuba cannot explain such clairvoyance, alone, but might begin to tell why otherwise committed aficionados decided to mend fences with their spouses, Saturday, rather than give an hour of one evening to an Erislandy Lara match. Lara is indeed as near to unwatchable as a main-event fighter dare be, and if my friend’s house may act as an informal revenue predictor, Alvarez, though he may not have deserved Saturday’s decision, does deserve begrudging respect for enduring a fight with Lara for what inevitably will be a cut in pay.

It became once more apparent sometime in the early part of Saturday’s match Saul Alvarez is exactly what we believed he was during a reign of terror he began in 2010 on the oddly, albeit timelessly, named Queer Street, against Miguel Cotto’s resentful older brother, a thoroughbred’s gallop through pasty competition done at a canter, plodding as Alvarez occasionally was against foes unremarkable as Matthew Hatton and Ryan Rhodes. Three years ago Alvarez appeared a b-level fighter with a great marketing team and surprising poise. The marketing team has fallen-off a bit, after a hell of a run, but Alvarez is otherwise very much a b-level fighter with remarkable poise.

More than any quality that served him Saturday was Alvarez’s self-belief. Perhaps Erislandy Lara is not a puncher serious as other men Alvarez has faced, though he can’t be far behind, but Alvarez was unyielding in his self-belief, wandering wantonly at Lara’s fists regardless of their accuracy. Likely that was the fulcrum upon which the judges’ decision got leveraged: The fighters’ reactions to each other’s punches.

When Alvarez got pasted with a stiff left cross or impaled himself on Lara’s jab, he immediately shuffled his feet and sped forward like a kid trying to impress a prospective coach with hustle on his first day of tryouts. When Lara got kissed by so much as the soughing breeze caused by Alvarez’s right fist flying harmlessly overhead, he jogged the perimeter of the ring like Barry Bonds rounding second after dunking a ball in McCovey Cove. It was absurd the joy Lara brought himself by not getting hit, the way an avoided blow pacified him and revealed his curious fighting character, one to take no umbrage with another man’s attempt to decapitate him; were it not ostensibly a savage happening for which Americans paid $60-per-view, a full day’s wages in many cases, Saturday’s fight would have been a spectacle of Christian forgiveness to rival any Papal Mass.

Lara’s abundance of ruth and want of vengefulness, finally, was the reason most aficionados’ eyes were dry over Saturday’s conceivably unfair decision, and why Lara’s postfight corner comprised a full tally of those in the world who desire Alvarez-Lara 2. Spare us, Lord, please! the misery of ever again enduring a match like that one, and if that means somehow bestowing a fortune so vast upon Erislandy Lara he does not don boxing gloves once more, why, may Thy will be done!

Canelo Alvarez would be an asterisk in a better era, a picture of profitable precocity whose carrot coif would not have won him a match with the era’s best, Floyd Mayweather – though, of course, in a better era, Mayweather himself might struggle to be in the Top 5. And no, there isn’t a prizefighting era in which Erislandy Lara’s pacifism would have been welcomed.

In a different if not better era, a Soviet era in which Moscow paid Cuba sugar prices justifiable only if Fidel were an alchemist converting cane to nukes, Lara might have remained a career amateur in the Cuban system and found his lifestyle suitable enough not to defect, amassing four or five gold medals. Lara’s mastery of amateur tactics is unrivaled: In the last century of American sport, only golf’s Bobby Jones perhaps accomplished more as an amateur against professionals than Lara has.

Alvarez may be limited but he has more dimensions than Lara, a man with seemingly no transitional capacity, defense to offense. How different an outcome might Saturday have brought if Lara had seen his opponent’s misses as occasions for retribution, not revelry? Several times early in the fight, Lara stood under his feet, delivered a crisp 1-2 to Alvarez’s ever predictably placed head, and then, as Alvarez began his impress-the-coach shuffle, Lara launched a homerun trot for reasons even a defensive specialist like Pernell Whitaker would not have fathomed. In those instants, Alvarez, hands low, freckled neck freshly stiffened by clean shots, wanted no part whatever of more contact from Lara, who, had he followed with even a measuring jab after those 1-2s, might have taken the fight, 10 rounds to 2 at least, on two scorecards, while earning a draw from judge Levi Martinez, reliably scoring another match for the promoter’s favorite color, red corner or blue.

It’s what makes Mayweather a special prizefighter where Lara is a special amateur; Mayweather showed Alvarez a new rhythm each round, keeping the fearless if not perspicacious Mexican unbalanced throughout, preventing the very sort of belligerence Alvarez showed in the final five minutes of Saturday’s match, flying at Lara like a man confident no more than two punches would come in succession, punches he didn’t mind swallowing in behalf of what loyally loud countrymen dutifully filled MGM Grand.

That Alvarez made a choice for violence Lara did not is reason enough to see a close fight Canelo’s way, keeping him boxing’s third most-reliable draw in this soggy era. Erislandy Lara, meanwhile, can content himself with remaining one of the greatest amateurs of this era or any other.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

On Saturday, August 30th, fight fans will be treated to an evening of prizefighting under the stars, as the best of the San Antonio boxing community lace up and compete inside Wolff Stadium at “Battle at the Ballpark”.

Headlining the event will be undefeated Super Bantamweight prospect Javier “The Pitbull” Rodriguez (10-0-1, 1 KO).

The fulltime college student is looking forward to showcasing his skills in front of thousands of supportive Alamo City fight fans.

“This event is special,” states the 20 year old puncher. “It’s going to be exciting to put on a show and compete in the middle of the baseball field at Nelson Wolff Stadium.”

The main event of the evening will be a six round special attraction in which Javier will be pitted against experienced journeyman and rival Guadalupe Perez of Garland, Texas. Rodriguez believes that his style matches up very well with his 31 year old opponent, which should ultimately result in an entertaining scrap for the fans in attendance.

“It’s going to be a dramatic and action filled battle. The fans who come out to Wolff Stadium are going to see a war. Not just in the main event, but in every bout that’s scheduled on the fight card. This event will showcase all of the great talent that is currently fighting out of San Antonio.”

In the co-main event of the evening, undefeated Welterweight prospect Benjamin Whitaker (7-0, 2 KOs) will put his perfect record on the line when he faces the always tough Joshua Burns in a six round match.

Also on the card, the San Antonio boxing community will finally see the long awaited pro debut of highly touted and nationally recognized Lightweight Cresencio Ramos, as well as undefeated knock-out artist Armando Cardenas (4-0, 3 KOs) of Angel’s Boxing Club.

But the showstopper and headliner of the eleven bout event will be “The Pitbull” Javier Rodriguez. It’s a responsibility that the hungry young fighter takes very seriously.

“All I do is go to school and compete in the ring,” confesses the gifted 122 pound fighter. “I study and train. It takes a lot of discipline and it’s difficult at times, but the ultimate goal is worth it. I’m doing everything I can to become the next world champion from San Antonio.”

Although Javier admittedly doesn’t have a deep amateur pedigree, the San Antonio native believes that he possesses the physical and mental toughness to succeed in one of the most challenging sports on the planet.

“I didn’t have an extensive amateur background, so I’m learning new things and getting better with each fight. My biggest assets in the ring are my heart, will, dedication and intelligence. It’s a tough sport and it requires a lot of focus. If you don’t use your head and think about everything that’s happening inside the ring, you could get seriously injured.”

“But even that’s not enough. You also have to train and hard as you can when preparing for a fight. If you don’t have the tools to execute a well thought out fight plan, it doesn’t matter how intelligent you are in the ring. You could get hurt.”

“Boxing is entertainment, but it’s serious business. That’s why I work and fight as hard as I do.”

Despite recognizing how difficult the “sweet science” can be, Javier Rodriguez has an unwavering belief in his team and himself. A win at “Battle at the Ballpark” on Saturday, August 30th, will bring him one step closer to fulfilling his dream of eventually becoming the Super Bantamweight Champion of the world.

“This fight on August 30th is going to be exciting,” states the astute young pugilist. “I can’t wait to get back in the ring and put on a show for the thousands who are going to come out and support all of the local fighters on the show. I’m really looking forward to performing for all of my great and supportive fans, and making new fans as well.”

“Should be a great evening of boxing at the ballpark!”

“Battle at the Ballpark: Rodriguez vs. Perez”, sponsored by “Bush’s Chicken!” of San Antonio, and promoted by Triple A Promotions and TMB Entertainment, will feature 11 action filled bouts in one great evening, for one great price!

Tickets are priced at $25 in General Admission, $50 at ringside, and $500 for special VIP tables for the exclusive August 30th presentation at “The Wolff”, and can be purchased at the ticket offices of Nelson Wolff Stadium (210-675-7275), or by calling 210-560-8181 & 210-387-6859.

LAS VEGAS – It wasn’t pretty. In terms of style, it was more of a miss than a hit. More whiff than wow. A lot was expected of Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara. In the end, however, it was exactly what many thought it would be.

Controversial.

Split decisions always are.

Alvarez won it. But he didn’t exactly celebrate it. There was frustration in the wake of his narrow victory Saturday nght. Without unanimity, criticism is bound to follow Canelo, no matter who’s next on his dance card. If anybody came away from the bout looking good, it had to be Miguel Cotto. There’s been a lot talk that Cotto would face the winner. Right now, it looks as if he’d beat the winner.

Even in victory, Alvarez’ liabilities were apparent throughout the 12 rounds against the quicker, more agile Lara.

“He didn’t come to fight,’’ Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs said. “He came to run.’’

But there’s no prohibition on running in any of boxing’s current rule books. Lara (19-2-2, 12 KOs) did what he has done best. He circled Alvarez often enough to make the red-headed Mexican dizzy. The Cuban defector stepped in, stepped out. He ducked and bobbed beneath and around Alvarez hooks that were thrown with enough force to create a breeze that could be felt in at ringside.

“I know I made him look bad in front of his own people,’’ said Lara, who wore the American flag on one side of his trucks and the Cuban flag on the other.

But Lara also had to know that winning a close fight at the MGM Grand was unlikely. The capacity crowd of 14,239 was dominated by Canelo-chanting fans. Lara scored with quick combos, especially in the early rounds. But he never seemed to pursue a knockout, or even a knockdown that could have been decisive on the score cards. Judge Dave Moretti scored it for Alvarez, 115-113. Levi Martinez gave it to Canelo by a wide margin, 117-11. On Jerry Roth’s card, Lara was a 115-113 winner.

There were at least two elements that could have given Canelo an edge. In the seventh, a Canelo uppercut left Lara with a nasty cut above his right eye. Blood from the wound seemed to bother him during the subsequent rounds. Then, there were successive rounds, the sixth through the ninth, when Canelo was effective with a combination of body punches. According to CompuBox, Alvarez landed 73 power shots to the body.

“It was a difficult fight,’’ Canelo promoter Oscar De La Hoya said. “Everybody thought it would be. The message was that he was landing combinations. He was landing solid shots to the body.’’

De La Hoya then smiled, almost in relief. With the Alvarez victory, De La Hoya’s company can expect another chance at big-money maker featuring the popular Mexican. That might have been the real message.

More for the $$$ on the PPV Ticket

The decision was unanimous, but the reviews were mixed for ex-champion Abner Mares (27-1-1, 14 KOs) in beating Puerto Rican Jonathan Oquendo (24-4, 16 KOs) in his first fight since Jhonny Gonzalez knocked him out. Mares, who scored heavily with body punches, appeared tentative and conceded he was sluggish in a 10-round featherweight bout, which left him with a nasty cut over his left eye from head butt in the fourth.

Juan Manuel Lopez, a former champion at two weights, has been in a desperate battle to resurrect his career. Lopez (34-4, 31 KOs) was told he could be one loss away from the end. That loss landed on his future like shrapnel in a fast-and-furious stunner delivered by Francisco Vargas (20-0-1, 8 KOs), a Mexican junior-lightweight whose knockdown of Lopez in a wild third round led to the Puerto Rican’s surrender while still on the stool before the start of the fourth.

The PPV card began with a back-and-forth exchange that Los Angeles junior-welterweight Mauricio Herrera (21-4, 7 KOs) managed to narrowly win by majority decision over Johan Perez (19-2-1, 13 KOs), a lanky Venezuelan whose long, looping punches landed without much impact.

Rest of the Undercard

ON-TV: In a televised intro to Showtime pay-per-view telecast, Tomoki Kameda proved to be more than just a warm-up act. Kameda (30-0, 18 KOs), the World Boxing Organizations’ bantamweight champion, got the show rocking with a liver shot that resulted in a stoppage of Pungluang Singyu that was as abrupt as it was dramatic.

Kameda, a Tokyo fighter who has been banned from fighting in his own country by the Japanese commission, appeared to be in trouble against Singyu (46-3, 31 KOs), a kick boxer from Thailand. The aggressive Singyu rocked Kameda with a body-and-head combo in the fourth. He relentlessly moved forward in fifth and again in the sixth. It looked as if the Thai fighter sensed he had a chance at an upset.

But after a jab and head-butt in the seventh, Kameda landed a paralyzing left to the liver. Singyu seemed to freeze for a brief second and then collapsed as though he had been shot. Singyu was cut above one eye. Blood and anguish covered his face. It was over. One look at Singyu and Russell Mora ended at 1:35 of the round.

OFF-TV: It was a short introduction. Sweet, too. Jason Quigley, an Irish Olympian, was a winner in his pro debut within 90 seconds. Quigley overwhelmed Howard Reece (2-7, 1 KO) of Ocala, Fla., in a middleweight bout stopped by referee Jay Nady at 1:22 of the opening round. . . . Yoandris Salinas (20-1-2, 13 KOs) of Miami got the contender knocked out of him by Enrique Quevedo (16-7-1, 10 KOs), a Los Angeles junior-featherweight who knocked him down three times before Mora stopped it in the fifth. . . .Puerto Rican junior welterweight John Karl Sosa opened the show three-and-a-half hours before the pay-per-view part of the Showtime telecast began. Amid echoes in an empty arena, a handful of ushers watched Sosa (12-0, 6 KOs) win the matinee, battling through an unexpected challenge from Mexican Luis Bello (5-2, 2 KOs) for a six-round split decision. …Quitting time: It arrived after three rounds of a sustained beating from Los Angeles middleweight Yamaguchi Falcao (2-0, 1 KOs), who won a TKO when the corner for Puerto Rican Jesus Cruz (1-2-1) threw in the towel before the fourth.

LAS VEGAS (July 12, 2014)—Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME® will deliver another explosive night of boxing from the renowned StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., when undefeated IBF Welterweight World Champion Shawn “Showtime” Porter (24-0-1, 15 KOs), of Akron, Ohio defends his belt against fellow unbeaten British star Kell Brook (32-0, 22 KOs), of Sheffield, England, on Saturday, Aug. 16, headlining a three world championship fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast.

In co-featured fights on the telecast, undefeated Omar “Panterita” Figueroa (23-0-1, 17 KOs), of Weslaco, Texas, risks his WBC Lightweight World Championship for a second time against mandatory challenger Daniel “Tremendo” Estrada (32-2-1, 24 KOs), of Mexico City, and WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika (32-5-3, 21 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, will defend against unbeaten Anthony “The Dog’’ Dirrell (26-0-1, 22 KOs), of Flint, Mich., in a rematch of a wildly exciting and controversial 12-round split draw last Dec. 7.

“From the championship fight between Shawn Porter and Kell Brook, to Omar Figueroa’s defense of his lightweight title against Daniel Estrada, to the rematch that fans demanded between Sakio Anthony Dirrell, Golden Boy Promotions continues to deliver on the promise of a simple premise – bringing the best fights to fans of boxing,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President and Founder of Golden Boy Promotions. “The StubHub Center’s reputation as the home to some of the best fights in boxing is only growing, and we’re proud to put on three more great fights that will only help cement that reputation.”

Tickets priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges and will be available online atAXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 877-234-8425.

Unorthodox offensive machine, Porter, 26, will be making the second defense of the 147-pound belt he won in a close but clear upset 12-round unanimous decision over big favorite Devon Alexander “The Great” last Dec. 7. In his lone defense, Porter overwhelmed former two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi, via ruthless fourth-round TKO last April 19 from Washington, D.C. Strong, fast, confident and physically gifted, Porter scored two knockdowns against Malignaggi while appearing to seriously hurt him throughout. He ended the one-sided bout with a clean right hand. The bout was stopped at 1:13 of the fourth round.

Regarding his upcoming defense, Porter, an amateur standout before turning professional in October 2008, said: “I think I have the edge on Brook with everything. I’m faster than he is, stronger than he is, quicker than he is, more athletic, and if you put all that in one fight, I’m going to be the winner.”

The world title fight has been a long time coming for Brook, 28, a power-punching, upright fighter who has been a mandatory contender for some time and was supposed to challenge Alexander three times during his reign only for the fights to be called off due to injuries. Then, Porter outpointed Alexander.

“I’m confident I’m going to win. I’m planning on bringing Porter’s belt to the United Kingdom with me,’’ said Brook, who is coming off a tougher than expected eighth-round knockout over Mexican welterweight champion Alvaro Robles last March 15. “I am fitter than ever and ready to go. I have been in training for a long time, so August 16 it’s the perfect date for me.”

Figueroa, 24, captured the then-vacant WBC 135-pound crown on a unanimous 12-round decision over Nihito Arakawa in a brutal slugfest that stole the show July 7, 2013, on SHOWTIME. Figueroa, despite fighting with a cut on his nose from an accidental headbutt, registered two knockdowns in a memorable slugfest in which 2,112 total punches were delivered in 36 minutes of non-stop action.

In his lone defense, the offensive-minded, crowd-pleasing Figueroa retained his crown with a 12-round split decision over amateur nemesis and fellow Texan, Jerry “The Corpus Christi Kid” Belmontes, last April 26 at StubHub Center on SHOWTIME. Figueroa was victorious in a puncher versus boxer matchup by the scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 113-115.

Estrada, 29, who’ll be making his SHOWTIME and United States debut, has campaigned exclusively in Mexico. He’s won nine consecutive fights, five by way of knockout. At 5-feet-10 ½, he is three inches taller than Figueroa.

Estrada won the WBC Silver Lightweight Championship with a sixth-round TKO over Isaias Sampaio on April 19, 2013. Before that, Estrada scored a 10th-round technical decision over Arakawa in a match stopped after the 10th after Estrada could not continue due to a swollen right eye that was caused by an unintentional headbutt.

Unbeaten since losing a split 12-round decision to Reyes Sanchez in a scrap for the vacant WBC Silver Light Welterweight Title on Sept. 11, 2010, Estrada is coming off a third-round knockout over Hugo Armenta last Dec. 14.

Bika, 35, is no stranger to winning hard-fought, tough, tight, world title fights. He won the then-vacant WBC 168-pound belt with a 12-round majority decision over Marco Antonio Periban (116-112, 115-113 and 114-114) on June 22, 2013, on SHOWTIME and then boxed to a split decision draw (114-112, 110-116 and 113-113) against Dirrell despite getting floored in the fifth and losing a point for a low blow in the 11th round.

A 2000 Olympian for his native Cameroon, Bika felt he deserved the decision against Dirrell and took exception with the penalty for a punch the referee ruled south of the border.

“I feel I was fighting the referee as well,’’ Bika said. “The body shot was a legitimate shot. Not below the belt line. I got him on the belt line, Dirrell just wanted to milk it. I was the busier fighter and now I just want to fight the best ahead of me.”

While Bika was going 12 rounds for the ninth time, it was the first time Dirrell had gone past eight. Still, the younger brother of 2004 U.S. Olympic Bronze medalist and former world title challenger Anthony Dirrell was positive that he’d done enough to triumph. Upon hearing the verdict, a visibly upset Dirrell bolted from the ring.

“I want to apologize to the fans for leaving the ring like that, but I was just disappointed,” a frustrated Dirrell told SHOWTIME’s Jim Gray a few minutes later. “He hit low and head butted. I definitely want a rematch.”

Dirrell’s career has twice been seriously jeopardized; the first time in December 2006 when he was diagnosed with cancer and was sidelined for 20 months and again in May 2012 when he was involved in a motorcycle accident and suffered a broken lower left leg and left wrist. At the time he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Dirrell was 12-0 and had been boxing professionally for only two years.

A victory over Bika would cap a remarkable journey, and Dirrell is confident it will happen in the rematch.

“This fight has been on my mind since I heard the decision from our first fight,’’ he said. “I’m just real excited to get it. I know I can beat Bika, I know I have what it takes and that’s what it is. It just takes hard work and dedication to stay focused on the game plan.

“I could have done better the first fight. I don’t feel like he was hitting me with more shots than I was hitting him with, but I still think I won it. This time it will be convincing.‘’

# # #

Shawn Porter vs. Kell Brook is a 12-round fight for the IBF Welterweight World title promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the 12-round co-main event, Omar Figueroa defends his WBC Lightweight title against Daniel Estrada, and in the televised opener, the WBC Super Middleweight title is on the line when Sakio Bika defends his belt against Anthony Dirrell. The event will take place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., and will air on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

LOS ANGELES (July 11) – 2012 U.K. Olympic Bronze medalist Anthony Ogogo (6-0, 3 KOs) shoots for his seventh professional victory this Saturday at the Echo Arena in Liverpool when he faces off with Sheffield southpaw Wayne Reed (10-8, 5 KOs) in a six-round middleweight bout on the Tony Bellew vs. Julio Cesar Dos Santos undercard.

The matchup is the unbeaten Lowestoft native’s third of 2014, and it comes on the heels of his first win in Las Vegas, where he stopped Jonel Tapia in the third round on May 3.

“I’m really excited to be back in the ring and I can’t wait until Saturday night” said the 25-year-old Ogogo. “Fighting in Las Vegas was a fantastic experience and it’s great to be fighting back in Britain with my home support in Liverpool.”

“In every one of Anthony’s fights — most notably his May win in Vegas — he has showed the poise and power necessary to get a title shot and be a world champion,” said Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. “Anthony delivers each and every time he steps in the ring, and I expect another great performance out of him this weekend.”

Ogogo vs. Reed will air on Sky Sports at 7pm British time on Saturday, July 12.

By Norm Frauenheim=

A catch-weight clause in the Canelo Alvarez-Erslandy Lara contract quickly became a forgotten controversy Friday when each fighter weighed in at 155-pounds at the MGM Grand for a Showtime pay-per-view bout Saturday night with a lot hanging in the balance, yet no significant title at stake.

It’s a mystery why a catch-weight was in the deal at all. Canelo demanded it. Lara was angered by it. There was a theory that it was Canelo’s way of saying he couldn’t make the junior-middleweight limit of 154 anymore. Perhaps, it’s a sign he’s moving up in weight to 160 after Lara, the World Boxing Association’s champion.

Or maybe it was just a question of money. Why pay the WBA a sanctioning fee? It would have cost Canelo three percent of his purse. According to contracts filed with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Canelo is guaranteed $1.5 million, which doesn’t include an undisclosed percentage of Mexican television revenue. At minimum, he would have paid the WBA $45,000.

Whatever the motivation, Canelo (43-1-1, 31 KOs) saved himself and Lara (19-1-2, 12 KOs) some money. Lara’s contract guarantees him $1 million. Lara also walks away from Saturday night’s fight with his title no matter what happens.

Yet, Lara still looked like an angry young man at Friday’s formal weigh-in. After the fighters stepped off the scale, there was the ritual eye-to-eye, nose-to-nose pose for cameras and fans. Lara, about a 2-to-1 underdog late Friday, rolled his head one way, then another, in Floyd Mayweather-like fashion. It was a menacing bit of theater. But it didn’t seem to affect the ever-unflappable Canelo, who faced Mayweather in the same ritual before his loss to the pound-for-pound king in September. Canelo never blinked then. He didn’t blink Friday.

“I wanted to break his face then,’’ Lara, a Cuban, said in Spanish interpreted by manager Luis DeCubas Jr.

A crowd of about 4,000, dominated by Canelo fans from Mexico, roared its disapproval. Saturday night, Lara said, those fans will change their tone. He seemed to say that in the very least they’ll learn to respect him.

“They will find out exactly what the Cuban school of boxing means,’’ Lara said through DeCubas

But Canelo wasn’t buying into Lara’s school of thought.

“Tomorrow,’’ he said, ‘’we’ll find out who takes who to school.’’

Notes: Abner Mares weighed 126.5 pounds for his comeback in a bout with Jonathan Oquendo Oquendo also weighed 126.5 pounds.. …Ex-WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez was at 130-pounds for his junior-light-weight bout against Francisco Vargas, who came in at 129.

Tureano Johnson scored a 10-round unanimous decision over local favorite Tureano Johnson in a Middleweight bout at The Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Washington.

The fight was fought at close quarters for most of the bout with Gavronksi having success early but Johnson’s more active style started to take over in the middle rounds and started battering the tough Gavrosnki. Gavronski looked fatigued going down the stretch and Johnson was able to capitalize on that by landing some hard shots to the head.

Johnson, 160 lbs of the Bahamas won by scores of 99-91 on all cards and is now 15-1. Gavronksi, 159 lbs of Washington is now 14-1-1.

“I wanted to get back in the win column,” said Johnson, “Gavronski is a good fighter with a lot of heart so I take my hat off to him for going the distance with me. I learned a lot it this fight and I feel I still have room to grow as a fighter. My goal is to become a champion one day and I’m not going to stop until I accomplish it. My promoter Gary Shaw says he’ll get me a big fight so I’m just going to keep working hard in the gym. I’ll be back in the ring before you know it.”

Jonathan Maicelo scored a 10-round split decision over Art Hovhannisyan in a Lightweight bout.

Maicelo bixed well using his speed advantahe as Hovhannisyan tried to press forward with ploddimg agression. Hovhannisyan was cut over the left in the 10th round.

Maicelo, 134 1/2 lbs of Peru won by scores of 100-90, 97-93 and is now 18-1-1-1. Hovhannisyan, 134 1/2 lbs of Armenia won a card 96-94 is now 17-2-2.

“I trained really hard for this fight and my conditioning made a positive difference,” said Maicelo. “I knew Hovhannisyan was going to be tough and he brought the fight to me. My timing was on tonight and I was landing some clean shots. I’m looking forward to what Gary Shaw has planned for me in the future.”

Undercard Results

Kenneth Simms Jr. defeated Evan Woolsey via third round knockout.

Eduardo Martinez won a unanimous decision against Lavale Wilson.

Fatlum Zhuta vs. Shariff Woo Johnson ended in a majority draw.

Jennifer Hamann defeated Ariel Beck via unanimous decision

Chazz Witherspoon 235.4 – Tyabb Beale 255.4
Tim Witherspoon Jr. 148.9 – Jeff Lentz 147.6
Kevin Womack Jr. 146.9 – Anthony Prescott 146.8
Jamil Gadsden 154.2 – Nick Valliere 151.8
Matthew Gonzalez 161.1 – Rafael Machado 158.8
Louis Cream 149.7 – Malik Jackson 151.3

Venue: Riverwinds
Promoter: Silver Spoon Promotions
1st Bell: 7:30 PM / Doors 6:30 PM

TV: GFL.tv live / Comcast (delayed)

Photo By Thomas LaManna

Here are the main quotes from today’s kick-off press conference ahead of the fight between IBF Cruiserweight World Champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez (28-1, 14 KOs) and former WBA Champion Firat Arslan (34-7-2, 21 KOs) on August 16 at the Erfurt Exhibition Hall in Thuringia, Germany.

Yoan Pablo Hernandez: It is good to be back – back to work! Even before my last fight in November last year, my health was on the downside and it got even worse by February. Finally, I am fit to fight again and I cannot wait to defend my world championship. Firat Arslan is a fighter my teammate Marco Huck had some trouble with. I respect the way he performs, already being 43 years old. I will be well prepared for Arslan as I do not want to go more than twelve rounds against him.

Firat Arslan: My deep respect for Yoan Pablo Hernandez, who is not only the defending IBF Cruiserweight Champion but also the best at that weight, courtesy of Boxrec.com. However, I will have a plan to beat him on August 16. The man who will help me to work this plan out will be Fritz Sdunek. With him and my friend Dieter Wittmann at my side, I am more than equal to Hernandez and his coach Ulli Wegner. My dream will come true – I will become a world champion again!

Tickets for their world championship fight on August 16 in Erfurt, Germany are available via www.eventim.de.

Philadelphia (July 11, 2014)– Fresh off his recent 7th round stoppage over Brian Rose on June 14 in Brooklyn, WBO Jr. Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade (21-0, 14 KO’s) is in Liverpool, England this week as he is accompanying Vladine Biosse as he takes on undefeated prospect Callum Smith.

Andrade’s father/trainer Paul trains Biosse.

Andrade has gained lots of popularity in the United Kingdom following his win over Englishman Rose.

Andrade, who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing has done a plethora of interviews with the British press, posed for many pictures with fans and signed autographs.

LONDON (July 11) – Mexican star Canelo Alvarez believes that Erislandy Lara will go down as one of the best fighters he will ever face.

The 23-year-old fan favourite Alvarez takes on the wily Cuban this Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, live and exclusive on BoxNation, with both men looking to categorically prove that they are the light-middleweight division’s number one.

Alvarez, however, is aware of the threat that the man from Guantanamo presents and admits that when he hangs up the gloves Lara will be amongst the very best he would ever have gone toe-to-toe with.

“This fight is important because Lara and I are the best two fighters in our weight class. He might not have the most recognisable name, but in the boxing world, everybody knows he is the most dangerous opponent. This will be a very important victory,” said Alvarez.

“Without a doubt this is one of the best opponents that I’ll ever have. But I’m always going to look for tough opponents, tough rivals. I want to fight the best,” he said.

Despite the magnitude of this fight, this weekend’s bout will not be for a world title, something which has no bearing on the former unified 154-pound champion Alvarez, who will be looking to use his speed to overcome his well-schooled opponent.

“A title doesn’t matter to me for this fight. This fight is for honour, for glory. We’ll go for a world title next year,” said Alvarez.

“How will I beat him? With speed, movement and combinations. He’s a fighter that moves very well. He has a very tight defence, but the thing that he doesn’t move well is his feet, his legs.

“We know his style; he has a very difficult style. But we’ve prepared to break down that style. We worked for a difficult style, for a southpaw. Without a doubt we had the right sparring partners. It’s not an easy fight but we’ve prepared for everything,” said Alvarez.

31-year-old Lara is in equally buoyant mood, having finally been given his shot at the big time.

Now fighting out of Houston, Texas having defected from Cuba before the 2007 Pan American Games, Lara is unperturbed by Alvarez’s size advantage and says the boxing style he was raised with will help see him through.

“Every fighter that I’ve fought has been heavier than me and I’ve been able to deal with them, so we’re not worried about Canelo’s size. Everyone goes into the ring how they feel comfortable. I’m not worried about his weight on fight day,” said Lara.

“The Cuban style is the best style in boxing. Everybody knows that we win the most medals at the Olympics, at international tournaments. And that’s shown throughout our history.

“We’re going to wait for him. We’re going to see what he can show. I just keep working hard. Anybody who comes to this country is dreaming of this opportunity. I need to take advantage of it. I’m ready for this fight,” he said.

This weekend’s card will also see the return of Mexican idol Abner Mares, who makes his first appearance since his shock loss to Jhonny Gonzalez in August last year, when he takes on Jonathan Oquendo.

“I’m very excited to be back. It’s been 11 months [away] in a sport I love that’s given me everything. I’m very hungry to return, I’m a three-time world champion and I want more. I’m only 28 years old and I’m very determined,” said Mares.

“Oquendo is a young determined fighter, but if he’s been hungry for a week, I’ve been hungry for almost a year,” he said.

The stacked bill also has a rejuvenated Juan Manuel Lopez featuring, following his devastating second round stoppage of Daniel Ponce De Leon, when he takes on unbeaten Francisco Vargas.

The man who ran Danny Garcia extremely close in his last outing, Mauricio Herrera, is in action too and takes on interim WBA light-welterweight champion Johnny Perez.

Canelo Alvarez vs Erislandy Lara is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise returns for an all-action tripleheader of fights from two sites when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: BRANDON RIOS VS. DIEGO CHAVES, SERGEY KOVALEV VS. BLAKE CAPARELLO AND JESSIE VARGAS VS. ANTON NOVIKOV is seen SATURDAY, AUG. 2 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, exclusively on HBO. HBO Sports teams will be ringside at both events, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Aug. 3 (8:00 a.m.) and 5 (1:00 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Aug. 3 (3:30 p.m.) and 4 (11:00 p.m.)

Presented from Las Vegas, the main event of the evening marks the 2014 debut of fan-favorite Brandon Rios (31-2-1, 22 KOs) of Oxnard, Cal. The former 135-pound champ has participated in a handful of classic throwback brawls in his young career and is determined to rebound after tough losses to Mike Alvarado and Manny Pacquiao last year. His foe in the ten-round welterweight fight is Diego Chaves (23-1, 19 KOs) of Buenos Aires, making his Las Vegas debut in just his second fight outside Argentina.

The middle bout is a 12-round world title fight at 175 pounds, as Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) defends his light heavyweight crown against Australian Blake Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) in Atlantic City. Surging to the top of the 175-pound division, the undefeated slugger is making his fourth appearance on HBO in 13 months, after delivering spectacular knockouts in his three previous bouts on the network. Kovalev, who now calls Ft. Lauderdale home, will face a formidable challenger in the undefeated Caparello.

The evening’s opening bout comes from Las Vegas, with undefeated hometown darling Jessie Vargas (24-0, 9 KOs) facing Anton Novikov (29-0, 10 KOs) of Kopeysk, Russia, in a super lightweight contest scheduled for 12 rounds. Vargas has displayed a willingness to meet any competitor, and will encounter a crafty southpaw in Novikov, his third undefeated opponent in his last four fights.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producers, Dave Harmon and Jon Crystal; director, Jonathan Evans.

Nutley, NJ (July 11, 2014)–On Friday night, July 25th, GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions will present a special night of boxing that will take place at the Turning Stone Resort Casino and be broadcast live on Showtime’s acclaimed series, Sho Box: The New Generation.

This anniversary special broadcast will be the 200th Episode of Sho Box and will begin at 10 PM ET.

The event is sponsored by Modells Sporting Goods.

In the main event, Antoine “Action” Douglas (14-0, 9 KO’s) and former world title challenger Michel Soro (23-1, 13 KO’s) will square in a Middleweight fight scheduled for 10 rounds that will be for the WBA International title.

Three other eight-round bouts will make the broadcast as Super Middleweights Jerry Odom (11-0, 10 KO’s) takes on Vilier Quinonez (8-0, 5 KO’s) for the WBC Fecarbox Super Middleweight title. Cecil McCalla (18-0, 6 KO’s) fights Oscar Godoy (13-2, 6 KO’s) in a Welterweight bout plus Lightweight Wanzell Ellison (11-0-1, 5 KO’s) boxes Tony Luis (17-2, 7 KO’s)

The combined record of the 8 fighters is a staggering 115-5-1 with 61 knockouts.

Douglas of Burke, Virginia has been one of the most talked about Middleweight prospects in the United States. The 21-year old has quality wins over undefeated Colby Courter (4-0) and Marquis Davis (8-0-2). In his last bout, Douglas was impressive in scoring a sensational 2nd round stoppage over former world title challenger Luca Messi (37-9-1) on April 4 in Parsippany, New Jersey.

The win over Davis was also televised on Sho Box.

Soro of Villeurbanne, France has an impressive record of 23-1 with 13 knockouts and will be making his American debut.

He won his first eighteen bouts including a win over David Makaradze for the WBO European Jr. Middleweight title.

That win set Soro up for a shot at WBO Jr. Middleweight champion Zaurbek Baysangurov.

Soro fought a great a fight and dropped Baysangurov in the 2nd round but the champion retained his belt in a close decision.

Soro has won five fights in a row which includes a win over Kris Carslaw (17-3) for the WBO European Jr. Middleweight title. He defended the title twice and in his last bout he scored a 5th round stoppage over Alexey Ribchev on June 7.

Odom of Bowie, Maryland has a record of 11-0 with 10 knockouts. 8 of those knockouts have come in the 1st round.

The 21 year-old Odom turned pro in 2012 and this will be his 12th fight in 20 months. He is coming off a 4-round unanimous decision over Edgar Perez on April 26.

Quinonez of Miami, Florida via Cuba has a record of 8-0 with 5 knockouts.

The 29 year-old turned pro in 2010 with a 1st round stoppage over Abdellah Smith. He also has a Eliseo Durazo (4-1). In his last bout, he stopped Edgar Perez in the 1st round on May 1.

McCalla has a perfect record of 18-0 with 6 knockouts. The 29 year-old native of Randallstown, Maryland turned pro in 2008 with a 4-round unanimous decision over Ivan Ziglar (1-0-1).

He also has wins over undefeated Antonio Walls (2-0) and Gary Lynch (4-0). In his last bout, McCalla scored a 6-round unanimous decision over Antonio Chaves Fernandez on April 18 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino..

Godoy of Watsonville, California is a tough and durable fighter who has several solid wins over the likes of Roberto Crespo (4-1), Richard Hargraves (3-0-1), Ricky Duenas (12-2) and his last bout when he scored a 6-round majority decision over Victor Fonseca (8-2-1) on March 14 in Tustin, California.

Ellison of Newark, New Jersey has a record of 11-0-1 with 5 knockouts.

The 25-year old turned pro in 2009 and is coming off a 6-round split decision over previously undefeated Iain Weaver on April 4 in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Luis of Cornwall, Ontario, Canada is known for his exciting style.

The 26-year old won his first 15 bouts with wins over solid veterans Adrian Valdez, Adrian Verdugo (13-1-1) and Aldo Valtierra.

He captured the WBC Continental Americas Jr. Welterweight title with a 1st round stoppage over Alejandro Barrera. He racked up two more wins before his 1st setback to Jose Hernandez.

Two more wins set up a fight with undefeated prospect Ivan Redkach. Luis fought a tough fight before dropping a 10-round unanimous decision on January 17.

Los Angeles, CA (July 11, 2014) Heading into the 2014 All-Star Break and seeking depth in their starting pitching, the first place Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired middleweight world boxing champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN to take the mound on Saturday night for their game against their Southern California rivals San Diego Padres at the famed Chavez Ravine stadium in Los Angeles.

“This is a terrific opportunity for Gennady, he’s been training up in Big Bear for his title defense against Daniel Geale in two weeks and his fastball has never looked sharper” said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions. “Although planned as an honorary first pitch by the Dodgers we’re confident that he can get through the first few innings unscathed.”

Said Golovkin, “I’m honored to throw out the first pitch on Saturday night. I’ve been training in Big Bear for my fight against Geale but look forward to having a great time on Saturday night at the ballpark.”

Sporting boxing’s highest knockout percentage with a record of 29-0-0 including 26 stoppages, Golovkin will head to mound at 6:55 p.m. PT for the honorary pitch prior to the 7:10 p.m. PT start of the third game of the Dodgers/Padres weekend series.

Golovkin will wrap up training within the next week and head to New York City for his WBA/IBO Middleweight World Title defense against two-time former world champion Geale on Saturday, July 26 from ‘The Mecca of Boxing”, Madison Square Garden on LIVE on HBO World Championship Boxing ® beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

GOLOVKIN VS. GEALE is presented by K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Grange Old School Boxing.

Advance tickets priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25 are available at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com

For fight updates on GOLOVKIN VS. GEALE via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, in addition to on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin/@GGGBoxing, Daniel Geale/@RealDealGeale, Tom Loeffler – K2 Promotions/ @TomLoeffler1 and Gary Shaw Productions/@GaryShawBoxing. Use the hashtag #GolovkinGeale to join the conversation on Twitter.

Canelo Alvarez 155 – Erislandy Lara 155
Abner Mares 126.5 – Jonathan Oquendo 126.5
Juan Manuel Lopez 130 – Francisco Vargas 129
Johan Perez 140 – Muaricio Herrera 140

Toronto | New York (July 11, 2014) – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of Enfusion 20 from Mallorca, Spain this Saturday, July 12, at 2:30 p.m. ET, featuring some of Europe’s top kickboxing prospects.

Enfusion 20 will be aired live on Cablevision’s Optimum TV in the U.S. and nationwide in Canada.

The Enfusion female 54 kg world championship will be up for grabs as Morocco’s Iman Ghablou takes on England’s Iman Barlow.

In other featured bouts, Damian Garcia and Loren Jorge throw down in a clash of Spanish standouts, German Christian Brorhilker battles Dutchman Wendell Roche, Spain’s Kike Bonnin faces Germany’s Olli Koch, Spain’s Antonio Gomez takes on Portuguese prospect Ricardo Luiz, plus Spain’s Ruben Barnabe kicks off the festivities against Frenchman Thomas Alisier.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com and follow on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

July 11, 2014 – HBO Boxing presents “Road to Golovkin/Geale,” an exhilarating special examining the upcoming middleweight title fight between undefeated champ Gennady Golovkin and former two-time champ Daniel Geale. In a highly anticipated 160-pound showdown set for the big stage at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, July 26, Golovkin and Geale will finally meet in the ring. The encounter will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing ®.

The “Road to Golovkin/Geale” special will premiere Saturday, July 12 at 12:05 a.m. ET/PT on HBO. It will preview the long awaited meeting between two accomplished warriors who have been on a journey to confront each other in the ring. The special will provide all-new content including portraits of both fighters’ path to this significant summertime showdown on boxing’s leading television platform.

Golovkin, who had spectacular breakout year in 2013, brings a perfect 29-0 record with 26 KOs into the showdown. Geale, enormously popular in his native Australia, sports a professional ring record of 30-2 with 16 KOs. This marks his second fight in the United States.

The 15-minute special will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

Other HBO playdates: July 12 (12:05 a.m.), 14 (9:45 a.m.), 16 (2:15 p.m. & 10:45 p.m.), 20 (11:45 a.m.), 22 (12:00 p.m. & 2:55 a.m.), 25 (5:30 p.m. & 1:00 a.m.), and 26 (8:45 a.m.).

HBO2 playdates: July 13 (6:15 p.m.), 15 (9:15 p.m.), 17 (5:45 p.m.) 19 (7:15 p.m.), 21 (2:50 p.m.), 23 (11:30 p.m.) and 25 (11:10 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 11th, 2014) – It’s the birthplace of The Beatles, known for its inventions and innovations in public health and social reform, as well as its eclectic nightlife and rich history of performing arts.

As far as CES Boxing’s Vladine Biosse is concerned, Liverpool, England, is just another city, another venue, another stop along the way, as he continues his slow, steady climb toward the top of the super middleweight division before Father Time has its say.

More than 50 years since the birth of Beatlemania, and 40 years since “Mr. Moonlight” Frankie Vaughan dominated the UK Top 40, Liverpool is bracing itself for “Mr. Providence” as Biosse (15-3-2, 7 KOs) faces his toughest test to date at Echo Arena.

The 32-year-old southpaw will challenge undefeated champion Callum Smith (11-0, 9 KOs) in a 10-round bout Saturday, June 12th, 2014 for the World Boxing Council (WBC) International title, which Smith captured in October and defended for the first time in May with a second-round knockout win over Tobias Webb.

While Smith has already predicted a late stoppage Saturday, accounting for how long it’ll take him to adjust to a southpaw challenger, Biosse is playing it cool, offering no insight other than the promise to leave everything in the ring.

“I will give him hell,” he said.

In the cramped, competitive super middleweight division, Biosse is as tough as it gets. The former University of Rhode Island football player gave unbeaten prospect J’Leon Love “hell” in his last bout Feb. 28th in New York, taking Love into the 10th and final round before referee Benjy Esteves Jr. stopped the fight, a curious decision since Biosse had already absorbed Love’s best for nine rounds.

Though he’s yet to face the same level of competition Love has gone toe-to-toe with, the 6-foot-3 Smith is considered one of the most promising up-and-comers in the 168-pound weight class.

The youngest of four brothers – Paul, Liam and Stephen – all of whom boxed professionally, Smith came within a whisker of qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, losing a heartbreaker in the quarterfinals of the qualifier in Turkey.

As a pro, he’s won nine consecutive bouts by knockout, including his most recent fight in May in which he sent Webb to the canvas four times in the second round, and another dominant performance in April against 54-fight veteran Francois Bastient, whose corner threw in the towel in the third round when a short, right uppercut put Bastient halfway through the ropes.

The key for Biosse will be fighting effectively on the inside, which is the best way to neutralize Callum’s reach and soften his defense. In a scheduled eight-round bout against 6-foot-4 veteran Marcus Upshaw in January of 2013, Biosse got off to a strong start by boxing on the inside and staying away from Upshaw’s jab. Once Upshaw found his range, he peppered Biosse with combinations set up by the jab and eventually earned the stoppage 2 minutes, 25 seconds into the final round, sending Biosse to the canvas twice.

Biosse had won his previous three fights before the loss to Upshaw. Since then, he’s 1-1-1, including a win over Philadelphia’s Latif Mundy and a draw against Rhode Island’s Rich Gingras. Among his most notable wins are victories on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights against Joey McCreedy and Tim Connors and a unanimous decision win over intrastate rival and former regional title-holder Joey Spina.

Winning the WBC International title would go a long way toward putting Biosse in the mix among the elite fighters in his weight class. Over the past decade, seven of the nine fighters who held the WBC International Super Middleweight title went on to win world championships, a list that includes Mikkel Kessler, Otis Grant, Jurgen Braehmer, Mario Veit, Denis Inkin, Robert Stieglitz and Adonis Stevenson.

The Biosse-Smith fight is one of four title bouts on Saturday’s card in Liverpool, promoted by Matchroom Boxing. Former world light heavyweight champ Nathan Cleverly will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) Inter-Continental Cruiserweight title against Argentinian Alejandro Emilio Valori in a 12-round bout.

“I appreciate the invite and the opportunity to come overseas for this fight and challenge the champion,” Biosse said, “but make no mistake, I am coming to win like I do every time out.

“I’ve seen tapes and I respect Callum as a fighter, but I’m always and I always come to fight.”

Visit www.cesboxing.com for more information, follow CES Boxing on Twitter at @CESBOXING and Instagram at CESBOXING, or “like” CES Boxing on Facebook.