According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Jermain Taylor has been stripped of his Middleweight championship due to his legal issues of the last couple months.

In stripping Taylor of its title, the IBF invoked its rule 5.C., which says, in part, “Any boxer who is ill, injured, under a legal impediment which would prevent the bout from taking place, or on suspension at the time the championships chairman and president order a bout under this rule shall be considered unavailable.”

On Monday, the IBF would have ordered his mandatory defense against former titlist Hassan N’Dam. Because Taylor is in police custody and unavailable, his handlers cannot negotiate the bout, which would have also caused the IBF to vacate the title.

“The IBF wishes Jermain the best of luck and hopes that he is able to resolve these matters quickly,” IBF president Daryl Peoples said in a statement. “Jermain Taylor’s promoter, Lou DiBella, was advised to notify the organization when Mr. Taylor resumes his boxing career.”

“I have not even a thought into the future of his boxing career or whether he retains the title,” DiBella said. “It’s about whether he can maintain control over his own life.”

IBF Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor injured his ribs and was arrested again on Monday thus postponing his February 6 title defense with Sergio Mora, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

A woman said Tuesday that Jermain Taylor threatened to fatally shoot her 5-, 3-, and 1-year-old children, and that she knocked the gun away after the cursing middleweight boxing champion put the weapon to her husband’s head in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Monday.

Toya Smith, 40, told The Associated Press that she and her family were having a good time at the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade Monday when Taylor produced his boxing belt and asked to get a photo with her son. Smith says her family had never met Taylor before and that it appeared he had been drinking.

“He bent down to give my son the belt and he almost fell over and dropped the belt, and he thought my baby dropped the belt,” Smith told The Associated Press.

“He put [the gun] up against his temple, I jumped in front of it and it went off up into the air,” injuring her husband’s ear, Smith told the AP. “He was going to shoot him, but I saw it, he was going to kill him and I had to hit the gun.”

A Little Rock police report says Taylor was arrested without incident and a gun was recovered. He is charged with five felony counts of aggravated assault, three felony counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and a misdemeanor count of drug possession after he was found to have a small bag of marijuana.

Taylor was released Tuesday from the Pulaski County jail on $50,000 bond. His attorneys did not return phone calls to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

In addition, Taylor’s title defense against Sergio Mora, which was scheduled to headline the Feb. 6 edition of ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, is off and unlikely to be rescheduled. His promoter, Lou DiBella, said Taylor suffered a broken rib in a sparring session a few days ago. DiBella said they had hoped to keep the fight together but that X-rays showed a fracture.

“We learned a few days ago that Jermain suffered a rib injury in sparring, and we were getting another opinion and seeing how Jermain felt, and then this incident happened,” DiBella told ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael on Monday. “His fight on Feb. 6 was going to be canceled due to a legitimate injury, a rib fracture, but this obviously is a shocking development no matter what the exact details are, and it leads myself and his management [Al Haymon] to be more concerned with his well being, his mental health and his future than his boxing career.

“Right now there aren’t any plans to reschedule anything or think about his future in the ring until the events surrounding his legal issues are dealt with.”

“He was pointing at the kids, so I jumped in front of him again and said, ‘Please don’t shoot my kids,'” Smith said.

“Do I have bad luck, or do I have bad luck? I am getting so used to this,” Mora told ESPN.com about having his title shot canceled. “If I didn’t have Lou and [adviser] Al Haymon scrambling for me to get another opponent, I would be panicking. But I’m in a good place. I have a good team, and they are going to take care of things.”

“But I felt the bad news coming even before what happened [Monday],” Mora said. “I was training my ass off, but this is not the first time this has happened. I’m gonna keep training like I am fighting on Feb. 6 and headlining a card on ESPN2.”

New York, NY (1/7/15) – On Friday, Feb. 6, DiBella Entertainment and Goossen Promotions will present an exciting edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights when IBF middleweight champion Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor (33-4-1, 20KO’s) puts his IBF middleweight championship crown on the line against former junior middleweight champion and “The Contender: Season One” winner Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (27-3-2, 9KO’s). The 12-round championship bout is set take place at MGM Resorts International’s beautiful Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, in Biloxi, Miss. It will be televised live on ESPN2 beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

“This is a highly competitive fight and a very important one for the 160lb. division,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “This is a huge opportunity for both Jermain and Sergio and it is a fight that nearly happened many years ago. Now both of their careers have come full circle and we anticipate a very exciting ‘must-win’ fight between two of the best middleweights in the world on Feb. 6.”

“I’m honored to work with my good friend Lou DiBella on this highly anticipated IBF middleweight championship between Jermain Taylor and Sergio Mora on Feb. 6, telecast live on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights,” said Tom Brown of Goossen Promotions.

“Jermain Taylor’s world title fight in October against Sam Soliman was the second highest-rated fight of the year on ESPN2,” said Brian Kweder, ESPN Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions. “We expect similar results in what promises to be an even more action-packed fight against Sergio Mora.”

“MGM Resorts International and Beau Rivage are pleased to host this middleweight championship bout and have Taylor defend his title in the same great venue where he earned it back just a few short months ago,” said George P. Corchis, Jr., President and COO of MGM Resorts International’s Southern Operations. “We look forward to putting on another world-class televised event and showcasing a great fight.”

Seven years after losing his middleweight crown to Kelly Pavlik, Jermain Taylor regained the IBF title on Oct. 8 of last year defeating veteran Australian belt-holder Sam Soliman via unanimous decision. Over the course of 12 rounds, held at Beau Rivage, Taylor dictated the pace with a thudding and consistent jab. Using that punch to set up his power shots, Taylor went on to knock down Soliman a total of four times in the most impressive victory of his comeback thus far that began in 2011 following a two-year layoff.

It was in 2005 that Taylor upset Hall-of-Famer Bernard Hopkins to become the undisputed middleweight champion. Taylor made four successful defenses of his belts, before moving up to the super middleweight division and later briefly retiring following back-to-back losses. Taylor returned to the ring in December of 2011, and put together four impressive victories to earn his shot at Soliman. Now with a championship belt back firmly around his waist, Taylor is ready to begin his second reign as middleweight champion of the world when he takes on the former champion Mora.

“I am thrilled to be returning to Beau Rivage in Biloxi to defend my IBF middleweight world title,” said Jermain Taylor. “Regaining the belt meant everything to me and I will be 100 percent focused in training camp to retain my championship. On February 6, boxing fans will be in for a real exciting night of action when I defeat the Latin Snake, Sergio Mora.”

Sergio Mora, now rated No. 13 by the IBF, was originally supposed to face Taylor for his unified middleweight crown back in 2007, but the fight never materialized. However, after some months of inactivity and frustration, Mora finally received his first world title shot in June 2008, going down in weight to challenge WBC 154lb. champion Vernon Forrest. Using his unorthodox style, Mora was able to outbox and outpoint Forrest over 12 rounds to seize the championship. Moving back up to middleweight, a fight with then-champion Pavlik in 2009 fell through when Pavlik pulled out for medical reasons. Following that disappointment, Mora endured a couple controversial decision defeats, as well as a draw with Shane Mosley.

Starting in 2013, Mora regrouped and signed with promoter DiBella Entertainment, and has since put together four straight victories. In June 2013, Mora dominated the 29-2 former world title challenger Grzegorz Proksa on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights en route to earning a unanimous decision. He then reeled off consecutive fifth-round knockouts over another world title challenger in Milton Nunez and the 14-1 prospect Samuel Rogers. In both of those contests, Mora employed a more aggressive approach than he had earlier in his career, looking to focus more on his power and entertaining the audience. He ended 2014 with a shutout win over the always-game Dashon Johnson in December. Now that his career has come full circle, nearly eight years after he initially turned down the chance to face Taylor, Mora, at 34 years old, has the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I’m a firm believer in destiny,” said Mora. “My trainer Dean Campos instilled that in me early in my career. The fight is happening now for a reason. I wasn’t ready to fight Taylor then [in 2007]. I’m more than ready now. I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in destiny.”

Tickets are on sale now and priced at $29.95, $49.95, $69.95 and 89.95, plus tax and service charges. They can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office, through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 4:45 p.m., with the first bout scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

For more information on the fight, visit www.dbe1.com, www.goossenpromotions.com, www.espn.com/boxing, and www.beaurivage.com. Visit us on Facebook at facebook/DiBellaEntertainment, facebook/goossenboxing, facebook/ESPNBoxing and facebook/beaurivage. You can also follow on Twitter @loudibella @DiBellaEnt @goossenboxing @ESPNBoxing, @BeauBiloxi and #BeauBoxing.

Jermain Taylor will defend his IBF Middleweight title against Sergio Mora in Biloxi, Mississippi on February 6 according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

The bout will be televised on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.

“It’s a quality fight and it gives Jermain a chance to defend his title before his mandatory defense is due,” said Taylor’s promoter Lou DiBella said. “And for Sergio Mora, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. He turned it down once many years ago when it was a much bigger fight and for a lot more money. But he passed on it then and I think it’s one of the great regrets that he has had. He said if he ever got the opportunity again it’s something he would want to do. This is a fight that both guys wanted.”

“We know Mora is a tough fighter and we’re going in there as if we were fighting Bernard Hopkins,” said Taylor’s trainer Pat Burns said of the legend Taylor defeated twice in 2005, including to win the undisputed title in their first fight. “You have to have that mindset or you’ll get your ass kicked. Jermain will do his work. The rest is up to the courts. But we will be focused on the task in front of us and that is the fight. When it’s time to focus on his legal situation he will.

“In terms of boxing, Jermain still has excellent speed, and speed kills, and his jab was tremendous against Soliman and his right hand looked good, his balance looked good and his defense looked good. Mora is a tough guy, but Jermain is still pretty darn sharp.”

“I think Sergio believes he has a great chance to win the fight and I thought Jermain fought very well against Soliman and has looked good in his recent fights, but the odds makers will have it closer now than they would have had it in the heyday of Jermain’s career,” DiBella said.

“Sergio left a lot of money and a huge opportunity on the table back then but things have come full circle.”

By Norm Frauenheim-

Sad spectacles are little bit like jagged scars. They are always there, an uncomfortable reminder that real estate between the ropes is as bizarre as it is dangerous. Jermain Taylor is another chapter in the never-ending tale of a love-affair with stories that unfold like accidents. They are doomed to fail.

Leave it up to others to judge whether Taylor should have been allowed to fight for the IBF version of the middleweight title, which he won Wednesday night with a unanimous decision over Sam Soliman in an ESPN2-televised bout in Biloxi, Miss.

We know about the brain bleed he suffered in a 2009 loss to Arthur Abraham. We know that he is facing two felony charges for allegedly shooting his cousin on August 26 at his home in suburban Little Rock. We know about the Facebook video in which he waves a gun and says he’ll never “lose to another white boy.’’

I should be outraged. But I’m not. We’ve seen it before.

Joe Mesi, who retired unbeaten, fought seven times after it was reported he had suffered two brain bleeds in a 2003 victory over Vassiliy Jirov. Floyd Mayweather Jr., who hopes to retire unbeaten, was allowed to fight and beat Miguel Cotto in 2012 before going to jail for domestic violence. Bernard Hopkins, 0-2 against Taylor, once raced across a crowded press room, confronted Joe Calzaghe and shouted that he “couldn’t go back to the projects if I let a white boy beat me.” Four months later, Calzaghe, who also retired unbeaten, scored a split-decision over Hopkins.

The story lines are familiar, because of compliant commissions, judges, legal loopholes, acronyms and money. In Taylor, however, they have come together in what looks like a perfect storm. The IBF’s 160-pound championship appears to be nothing more than a paper crown. But it’s a piece in a jagged puzzle put together behind the scenes by Al Haymon, who promised Taylor the title shot. Haymon fulfilled the deal by moving another one of his fighters, the young and dangerous Peter Quillin, into a position to take the title from Taylor, who also faces a mandatory IBF defense against Hassan N’Dam.

The light-hitting and hobbled Soliman was one thing. He’s 40-years-old. He had 11 losses in 55 fights before the loss. What qualified him to be the IBF’s middleweight champ in the first place? All of that, of course, mattered little to Haymon. Soliman added up to an easy target and that’s what Taylor has become. What might be easy for Quillin, however, is dangerous for Taylor.

It’s hard to know what to make of his Facebook video. It’s offensive, but perhaps it’s intended to be in what was a misguided attempt to sell the Soliman fight. He’s waving around a gun within seven weeks after he was arrested and charged with shooting his cousin? That’s not salesmanship. That’s stupid. It makes you wonder what Taylor is thinking, or if he’s thinking at all.

Nevertheless, Taylor is moving through a system that has pushed other star-crossed fighters into the cross-hairs they always seek and that the sport regrets after it’s too late. It’s not clear where Taylor is in the legal process. As of Thursday, there was still no court date. It could be months when he faces the only mandatory that should matter. Throw in a couple of delays, and he’ll be facing the unbeaten Quillin before he faces a jury. He has a better chance with that jury.

Jermain Taylor re-captured the IBF Middleweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision over Sam Soliman at the Beau Rivage Casino & Resort.

Taylor scored knockdowns in round’s seven, eight, nine and eleven as Soliman appeared to hurt his knee.

Taylor, 159.8 lbs of Little Rock, Arkansas won by scores of 116-111, 116-109 and 115-109.

Taylor captured the title in 2005 and made four defenses. Taylor is now 33-4-1. Soliman of Australia is 44-12.

Andre Dirrell scored a 4th round stoppage over Nick Brinson in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Dirrell landed a booming left that hurt Brinson and after a follow up barrage the fight was stopped at 2:12 of round four.

Dirrell, 169 lbs of Flint, MI is now 23-1 with 16 knockouts. Brinson, 168.8 lbs is now 16-3-2.

Ahmed Elbiale scored a 1st round stoppage over Dakota Dawson in a scheduled 4-round Light Heavyweight bout.

Elbiale scored two knockdowns, first from a hard right hand and a right to the side of the head and the fight was stopped at 1:10.

Elbiae, 174.6 lbs of Egypt is now 7-0 with 7 knockouts. Dawson, 171.6 lbs is now now 3-1.

Carlos Velasquez scored a dubious 2nd round stoppage over Jean Javier Sotelo.
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Velasquez hit Sotelo with a left on the belt but Sotelo went down citing a low blow. He spent the allotted five minutes on the canvas but could’t and wouldn’t continue and the fight was stopped at 1:38 of round two.

Velasquez, 131.6 lbs of Puerto Rico is now 18-1 with 12 knockouts. Sotelo, 131.4 lbs of Venezuela is now 19-13-2.

Both IBF Middleweight Champion Sam Soliman and challenger Jermain Taylor were respectful to each other and thankful to their teams during a press conference/weigh-in held at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, in Biloxi, Mississippi, in advance of tomorrow (Wednesday, October 8) night’s championship fight.

Soliman and Taylor are headlining a mammoth 14-fight card that also features Andre Dirrell and a host of up-and-coming prospects and proven contenders.

ESPN Wednesday Night Fights will broadcast the two main events and a four-rounder between Ahmed Elbiale and Dakota Dawson live.

Sam Soliman 160 vs. Jermain Taylor 159.8
IBF World Middleweight Championship
André Dirrell 169 vs. Nick Brinson 168.8
Ahmed Elbiale 174.6 vs. Dakota Dawson 171.6
Carlos Velásquez 131.6 vs. Jean Javier Sotelo 131.4
Steve Lovett 176 vs. Ricardo Campillo 177
Phillip Jackson Benson 172.2 vs. Michael Gbenga 173.6
Joey Hernández 162 vs. Jose Miguel Rodríguez 157.6
Mario Barrios 125.4 vs. Abraham Rubio 127
Walter Castillo 142 vs. Shad Howard NA
Justin DeLoach 156.2 vs. Joshua Snyder 155
Gervonta Davis 126.8 vs. German Meraz 125
BJ Flores 203.8 vs. Kevin Engel 190.8
Regis Prograis 142.2 vs. Mario Hermosillo 142.2
Erick Bone 142.6 vs. Peter Oluoch 144

Promoters: DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing, in association with Soliman Stanley Promotions

Venue: Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, in Biloxi, Mississippi

TV: ESPN Wednesday Night Fights (9 pm EST/8 pm CT)

Tickets: priced at $89.95, $69.95, $49.95 and $29.95, plus tax and service charges, and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office, or through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 5:00 pm, with the first bout scheduled for 5:30 pm.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, U.S.A. – Undefeated featherweight professional boxer Gervonta “Tank” Davis (Baltimore, MD/pro record: 8-0, 8 KOs) returns to the ring on Wednesday, October 8, 2014, at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, in Biloxi, Mississippi. Davis will face German “Panteonero” Meraz (47-31-1, 25 KOs) in a six round bout. Davis’ fight will be televised on ESPN 2, and is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing & Promotions, LLC. In the main event, Arkansas’ Jermain Taylor will challenge Australia’s Sam Soliman for the IBF Middleweight Title.

On Friday night, September 26, 2014, Davis held a pre-fight public workout titled, “Bullying Stops Here,” at Mondawmin Mall center court in Baltimore, Maryland. The exhibition included mitt work, heavy bag drills, jump rope, and various other training exercises. Following the workout, Davis spoke to the crowd about bullying, signed autographs and took pictures with his supporters. Davis said, “The public workout at Mondawmin Mall was great. Thank you to everyone who showed up to support me. Bullying is a very important topic in our country right now, and I wanted to make sure everyone is aware of how people can be hurt by it. At the workout, a few boxers from my gym shared some stories we’ve had with bullying. Hopefully, we helped someone in the crowd who was watching. Bullying definitely stops here!”
Davis spoke about his upcoming televised fight. He said, “I’ve always dreamed about making my television debut, and now it will happen on October 8. Thank you Al Haymon, Team Davis, and ESPN2, for helping make my dream come true. I’ve been putting in solid work in the gym and I will be ready for my fight. This will be my first time fighting in Mississippi, so I’m looking forward to putting on a show for the crowd. I can’t wait to represent for my city of Baltimore. Thank you to my fans that keep supporting me. I’ll keep fighting for you.”
The nineteen-year old boxer explained what makes him special in the sport of boxing. He said, “I am still learning the sport of boxing, but I study this sport, and I’ve been boxing since I was a young kid. I’m fast in that ring, and I’ve fought against boxers with lots of different styles when I was in the amateurs. I’ve sparred many great pros as well. I consider myself an intelligent fighter, always listening to my corner and my coach Calvin Ford. The great boxers stay focused on what they are supposed to do, and they can adjust to any fight situation. I understand that fans need to be entertained, and I’m definitely that guy that can bring excitement to the sport of boxing. All I can say is tune in to ESPN2 on Wednesday, October 8, and watch me!”
Gervonta’s longtime boxing trainer, Calvin Ford (Upton Boxing Center/Baltimore, MD) said, “It was great to see such public support for our team at our mall workout. Thank you Mondawmin Mall, Kenny and Mia Ellis, Alijiah Williams, Daniel Coleman, Darrell Chase, Shoe City, Rich Brand Apparel, Nike Boxing, and RK Jewelers for helping make our event really special. The public workout allowed our city to get a glimpse of what ‘Tank’ can do, and how he can entertain a crowd. Gervonta was talking to the kids about doing well in school, spoke about bullying, and he really brought a positive showmanship to the event.”
Ford talked about Davis’ preparation for his upcoming bout. “We have had a great camp for this fight. Thank you to Club One Fitness and Upton Boxing Center for helping provide the quality sparring for our camp. We are facing a crafty veteran opponent in Meraz, but we’ll be prepared for whatever he brings to the table. ‘Tank’ has worked hard his whole life to get this TV opportunity, and it’s no secret that he has the talent to eventually get to the top of his division. We are looking forward to getting back in the ring to show what we’ve been working on for this fight. I can’t wait for the world to see his talent on ESPN2.”
Tickets for Gervonta Davis’ ESPN2 fight in Mississippi are priced at $89.95, $69.95, $49.95 and $29.95, plus tax and service charges, and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office by phone (888) 566 7469 or through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 4:45pm CT and the first bout is scheduled for 5:30pm CT.

Follow Gervonta Davis on Instagram: @GervontaDavis or http://instagram.com/gervontadavis
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NEW YORK CITY (October 1, 2014) IBF Middleweight World Champion “KING” SAM SOLIMAN is wrapping up his training in New York City this week in preparation for his title defense against former undisputed middleweight champion JERMAIN “Bad Intentions” TAYLOR set for Wednesday, October 8th from the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi and telecast LIVE on ESPN2, (9 p.m. ET).

“I’ve trained in New York City numerous times, I love it here, there’s an electricity and energy that can’t be matched” said the Australian native. “The fans and boxing community have always been very welcoming to me.”

“I’ve got one more sparring session today and then we’re leaving for Biloxi on Friday for the fight.”

In camp over the last ten days in New York City with Soliman have been two undefeated prospects.

“I like utilizing undefeated prospects for sparring, they’ve always brought out the best in me.”

“Along with two here I had three undefeated fighters working with me in Australia which brought the total records of the five fighters to 63-0-0 (42KO’s)” said Soliman. “I like sparring with prospects that have the will and desire that only an undefeated fighter can have.”

In regards to his title defense against Taylor, 32-4-0 (20KO’s), Soliman stated, “I’m preparing for the best Jermain Taylor. I would never underestimate anyone and I believe he is still a world class fighter.”

Soliman, 44-11-0 (18KO’s) will break camp in New York City on Friday and head to Biloxi, Mississippi for the challenge from Taylor. “No problem at all for me at 160, I can’t remember being above 170 in the last 15 years.”

At the age of 40, Soliman won his first world title by defeating Felix Sturm on May 31, 2014, in the champions’ homeland of Germany.

SOLIMAN VS. TAYLOR is presented by Dibella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing, in association with Soliman Stanley Promotions.

Tickets priced at $89.95, $69.95, $49.95 and $29.95, plus tax and service charges, are available at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office, or through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 4:45pm, with the first bout scheduled for 5:30pm.

ESPN2 will televise live the 12-round IBF World Middleweight Championship fight between titleholder Sam “King” Soliman (44-11, 18 KOs) and former Middleweight titlist Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor (32-4-1, 20 KOs) in an ESPN Boxing Special presented by Corona Extra on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 9 p.m. ET. The winner of the championship bout will face the winner of tonight’s Hassan N’Dam vs. Curtis Stevens IBF Middleweight eliminator fight in an ESPN Boxing Special at 9 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+ and WatchESPN.

“With the excitement over the rise of Gennady Golovkin, the anticipation over Miguel Cotto’s next move, and Peter Quillin’s power play in vacating the WBO belt, the Middleweight division is white hot right now from an interest- level standpoint,” said Brian Kweder, ESPN senior director, programming and acquisitions. “Equally as interesting has been the return of Jermain Taylor to the division so we are excited to provide fans with two consecutive ESPN Boxing Specials to finish painting the Middleweight picture.”

The October 8, show, from the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss., will also be televised live on ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra. Both shows will be also available via WatchESPN. The card promoted by Warriors Boxing.

Commentators:
Todd Grisham and analyst Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action for ESPN2, while Pablo Viruega and analyst Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes. Claudia Trejos and Leopoldo González will anchor the ESPN Deportes studio. Bi-lingual reporter Bernardo Osuna will present live reports and interviews for both ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

Main Event:
Australia’s Soliman won the IBF Middleweight title in his last fight by defeating then-titleholder Felix Sturm. Soliman, a former kickboxing world champion, was also a participant in the 2007 season of The Contender reality television show.

“Jermain Taylor — he’s been there, done that. He’s been a world champion himself,” Soliman said. “I’m excited about the fact that I’m fighting a guy who has won all the belts – I’m keen on doing that! He’s done what I’m looking forward to doing myself. It’s a rich scalp for me.”

Taylor of Arkansas — a former undisputed WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF and The Ring Middleweight world champion — is coming off a seventh-round TKO win over J.C. Candelo. Taylor has fought top-level opposition throughout his career including, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch, Kelly Pavlik, Cory Spinks, and Bernard Hopkins.

“Things have come full circle for me — I have another shot to become a world champion, and I’m not going to let this opportunity pass by without being victorious,” Taylor said. “I’ve made a bunch of mistakes in boxing, losing to fighters I shouldn’t have lost to because of a lack of training, but I’m ready to clear all that up. With hard work and dedication, I’ll be 110 percent ready. I think Sam Soliman is a great fighter. He’s had a great career and he comes to fight, but I have to go in there and beat the hell out of him.”

Co-Feature:
The 10-round co-feature will pit Super Middleweights “The Matrix” Andre Dirrell (22-1, 15 KOs) from Flint, Mich., fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla., against New York’s Nick “The Machine Gun” Brinson (16-2-2, 6 KOs). Dirrell, a former Super Middleweight world title challenger, scored a fifth-round TKO win over Vladine Biosse in his last fight, while Brinson is looking to rebound from a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Dominic Wade.

About ESPN Boxing
ESPN is home to ESPN Friday Night Fights and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates (Spanish version), a weekly boxing series which runs between January and August and showcases some of the best bouts in the boxing industry. Friday Night Fights began on October 2, 1998 and Noche de Combates (formerly Viernes de Combates) began on January 10, 2004. ESPN began televising boxing on April 10, 1980 when weekly boxing returned to television for the first time since 1964, with the debut of Top Rank Boxing on ESPN.

NEW YORK CITY (September 24, 2014) Earlier this week, IBF Middleweight Champion, “King” SAM SOLIMAN arrived in New York City to finalize preparations for his world title defense against former undisputed middleweight champion JERMAIN “Bad Intentions” TAYLOR on Wednesday, October 8th from the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi and telecast LIVE on ESPN2, (9 p.m. ET).

“I’m happy to be back in the Big Apple, the boxing capital and defending my IBF title in the United States which has always been my dream and now is a reality,” said Soliman, 44-11-0 (18KO’s).

In addition to training in New York City, Soliman will meet with the New York City media on numerous occasions prior to departing to Biloxi for the world title defense against Taylor,
32-4-1 (20KO’s).

SOLIMAN VS. TAYLOR is presented by Dibella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing, in association with Soliman Stanley Promotions.

Tickets are priced at $89.95, $69.95, $49.95 and $29.95, plus tax and service charges, and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office, or through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 4:45pm, with the first bout scheduled for 5:30pm.

New York, NY (9/3/14) – On Wednesday, October 8, DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing, in association with Soliman Stanley Promotions, will stage an exciting night of boxing with IBF middleweight champion “King” Sam Soliman (44-11, 18KO’s) defending his crown against former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor (32-4-1, 20KO’s) in the main event. The card will take place at the beautiful Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, in Biloxi, Mississippi.

A national hero in his native Australia, Soliman, the longtime top-rated contender, captured the IBF middleweight crown with a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over reigning champion Felix Sturm, in Sturm’s backyard this past May. Soliman had previously taken Sturm’s belt the year before via close unanimous decision, only to see the verdict changed to a ‘No Contest’ when Soliman tested positive for a banned substance. The Australian vehemently denied the failed test results and promised to beat Sturm even easier if they fought again. He did exactly that when the two met in their eagerly anticipated rematch. Soliman is currently riding a nine-bout winning streak, dating back to 2009, with his last defeat coming at the hands of then-WBA world super middleweight champion Anthony Mundine in May 2008.

“I’m going to be stepping into the ring against a former world middleweight champion and super middleweight contender, who is chasing a comeback dream,” said Soliman. “Jermain Taylor has nothing to lose, and that makes him a very dangerous opponent. I know how dangerous that mindset is. It’s the same ‘all or nothing’ approach that I’ve taken into my last 10 fights to win the title. I’m bringing the same intensity to my preparation for this fight. It has taken me 20 hard years to get to where I am. Being a world champion is a special feeling, and one I plan on keeping. This is my first title defense, and I’m leaving no stone unturned to make sure it’s not my last.”

In 2005, Jermain Taylor was on top of the boxing world, having defeated longtime undisputed middleweight champion and future Hall-of-Famer Bernard Hopkins, not once but twice in the same year. Fast forward nine years later and the 36-year-old Taylor will be getting another crack at reclaiming a piece of the coveted middleweight world championship when he takes on the IBF titlist Soliman.

Following a two-year hiatus from the ring in the wake of back-to-back losses in 2009 while campaigning at super middleweight, Taylor returned to the division where he once reigned supreme and rejoined forces with trainer Pat Burns. Since his return, Taylor, now rated #8 by the WBC and #15 by the IBF, has looked better and better with each outing, going 4-0 thus far in his comeback, with three wins by knockout. The only opponent to go the distance with Taylor during his comeback was then-undefeated and now fellow top-rated middleweight contender Caleb Truax (24-1-2, 14KO’s). Taylor is relishing the opportunity to once again prove that he is one of the best 160lb. fighters in the world.

“Things have come full circle for me. I have another shot to become a world champion and I’m not going to let this opportunity pass by without being victorious,” said Taylor. “I’ve made a bunch of mistakes in boxing, losing to fighters I shouldn’t have lost to because of a lack of training, but I’m ready to clear all that up. With hard work and dedication, I will be 110 percent ready. I think Sam Soliman is a great fighter. He’s had a great career and he comes to fight, but I have to go in there and beat the hell out of him.”

“October 8 will bring a highly competitive middleweight championship matchup when former undisputed champion Jermain Taylor attempts to take the IBF title from a crafty reborn Sam Soliman,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment.

“I am thrilled to be co-promoting this event with my dear friend Lou DiBella,” said Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing & Promotions, LLC. “The implications for the winner of this bout are very important to the current boxing landscape and to the legacies of Sam Soliman and Jermain Taylor.”

“When I was approached regarding this bout, Kurt and Team Soliman looked at it very carefully as we knew of Lou DiBella and Leon Margules by reputation,” said David Stanley, of Soliman Stanley Promotions. “We knew that they are boxing people who look after the interests of their fighters first. This aligned with our values, and Kurt Emhoff and I have enjoyed the process of working with Warriors Boxing and DiBella Entertainment to deliver an international level event with an excellent IBF world middleweight title bout for the headliner.”

“We are honored to bring championship boxing back to Biloxi with this much-anticipated middleweight title fight at Beau Rivage,” said George P. Corchis, Jr., President and Chief Operating Officer of MGM Resorts Southern Operations. “We look forward to these two world-class athletes putting on a great show at MGM Resort’s world-class facility on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”

Tickets go on sale Friday, September 5, 9:00am CT, and are priced at $89.95, $69.95, $49.95 and $29.95, plus tax and service charges, and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office, or through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 4:45pm, with the first bout scheduled for 5:30pm.

Former Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor was arrested on Tuesday night for allegedly shooting his cousin in Arkansas accroding to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Taylor, who recently signed to fight Sam Soliman for the IBF Middleweight championship is free on a $25,000 bond after the former middleweight champion was jailed overnight in Little Rock in connection with the shooting of his cousin.

Taylor was arrested Tuesday night at his home in Maumelle, Arkansas, a suburb of Little Rock, according to police.

Taylor was taken into custody, booked into the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility and charged with two felonies — first-degree domestic battery and aggravated assault — Lt. Carl Minden, the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, told ESPN.com.

The cousin was in serious condition at a hospital after being shot multiple times, Minden said.

Minden said the police responded to a 911 call from Taylor’s wife, Erica, at around 7 p.m. ET.

“Mr. Taylor’s cousin and another individual came to his residence, and there was some sort of altercation,” Minden said, adding that the two who showed up at Taylor’s home were unarmed. “At some point, Mr. Taylor retrieved a handgun and fired several rounds. His cousin was struck multiple times. The cousin is alive and in serious condition at an area hospital. He has pretty serious injuries. The other person was not struck, but Mr. Taylor had fired several rounds and missed.

On the fight with Soliman, “ESPN had committed to carry the fight and was working towards a contractual agreement. We are now reviewing the situation and will make a decision once more details emerge,” an ESPN spokesman said in a statement.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the October 8 IBF Middleweight title fight between Sam Soliman and Jermain Taylor will on ESPN 2 at 9 PM ET.

No venue has been named to host the bout.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, IBF Middleweight champion Sam Soliman will defend his title against Jermain Taylor in October in the United States.

According to Warriors Boxing promoter Leon Margules and Lou DiBella, who are co-promoting the card, the contracts are signed for the fight to take place on Oct. 4. However, there is a good chance the fight will be moved to Oct. 8 and air on ESPN2 as a Wednesday night boxing special, one week after the network will carry the Oct. 1 title elimination bout between Curtis Stevens and Hassan N’Dam for the right to become the mandatory challenger for the Soliman-Taylor winner.

“Jermain is very excited about it,” trainer Pat Burns told ESPN.com on Wednesday. “We’ve won four fights since we got back together and Jermain has come back. I’d like to have had more fights, more activity, but that’s the business. Jermain has been maintaining himself and his weight is good. It should pay off for him. He’s already in pretty good shape.”

“We always wanted to get another opportunity. They don’t come around too often,” Burns said. “We have a second chance and it’s a blessing. He’s fortunate to have this opportunity. I know there are some who say Jermain shouldn’t get this opportunity and some that say Sam Soliman shouldn’t be fighting Jermain, but I don’t worry about the critics.

“I put them aside and let’s go ahead and see how it comes out. I think we’ll win the fight. I know Jermain will work hard. We will be prepared and let the cards fall where they may.”

“This should be a competitive fight,” said said promoter Lou DiBella, who has promoted almost all of Taylor’s fights. “Jermain came back for this kind of opportunity and he is getting it against probably the most vulnerable of the middleweight champions. It’s a winnable fight and a great opportunity. Jermain is very live to win that belt.”

Kurt Emhoff, an attorney and Soliman’s and co-manager, said Soliman has signed for the fight, deciding to fight Taylor rather than accept a unification fight against Gennady Golovkin that was also on the table.

“We got a very generous offer for this fight,” Emhoff said.

“They had the Geale fight coming up and we had to wait a little bit and then this offer came in and it blew the (offer for the) Golovkin fight out of the water,” Emhoff said. “It took Sam (17) years to win a title. He has fought everybody, but he’s going to be 41 and he was looking for the best possible financial package that was offered and that’s what we took.

“Jermain is ranked by the IBF, he’s a big name, he’s won four fights in a row and he beat Truax. So we know we have to be ready and we expect the best Jermain Taylor. He was seconds away from beating Froch. We’re taking him seriously. He’s a tough out for anybody.”

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Dec. 11, 2013) – SHOWTIME EXTREME® viewers will be treated to high-energy boxing action at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) this Saturday, Dec. 14, as bouts featuring Ricardo “Dinamita” Alvarez and Robert Easter Jr. will set the stage for SHOWTIME’s quadruple header headlined by the championship bout between Adrien “The Problem” Broner and Marcos “Chino” Maidana. Additionally, fans in the arena will see the return of former World Champion Jermain Taylor. U.S. Olympians Jamel Herring and Rau’shee Warren will also be featured at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

In the SHOWTIME EXTREME featured bouts, Alvarez takes on “Lightning” Rod Salka. Plus, Easter Jr. battles Hardy M. “El Huracan” Paredes and Herring faces off with Lance “Lay ’em Down” Williams.

Brother of former world champions Canelo and Rigoberto “El Espanol” Alvarez, 32-year-old Ricardo “Dinamita” Alvarez (27-4, 20 KO’s) of Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico may have gotten a late start in the game, turning professional in 2008, but he is making up for lost time with impressive performances in the ring. Winner of four straight bouts, the Guadalajara standout will meet Bunola, PA’s “Lightning” Rod Salka (18-2, 3 KO’s) in a 10-round junior welterweight bout. The 30-year-old Salka brings a three fight winning streak into Saturday’s bout, including a fifth round technical knockout win over Emmanuel Lucero in February.

Opening the SHOWTIME EXTREME telecast will be an eight-round lightweight bout between Toledo’s Robert Easter Jr. (7-0, 7 KO’s) and Osorno, Chile’s Hardy M. “El Huracan” Paredes (16-12, 10 KO’s). The latest boxing standout to emerge from Ohio, the 22-year-old Easter Jr. has ended each of his seven professional bouts in three rounds or less. But the hard-hitting Paredes, a former WBO Latino and Chilean champion, has no intention of leaving the ring at the Alamodome with anything less than a victory.

Coram, NY’s Jamel Herring (5-0, 3 KO’s) represented the United States in the 2012 Olympics and he’s since won all five of his professional bouts, looking more impressive with each outing. On Saturday, the 28-year-old will meet Muscatine, Iowa’s Lance “Lay ’em Down” Williams (6-2, 6 KO’s) in a four- or six-round lightweight matchup, which will also be featured on SHOWTIME EXTREME if time permits. A knockout puncher with four first-round finishes, the 28-year-old hopes to start a new knockout streak at Herring’s expense.

Former Middleweight World Champion Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor (31-4-1, 19 KO’s) continues his comeback in a 10-round super middleweight bout against longtime contender J.C. Candelo (32-12-4, 21 KO’s). The 35-year-old Taylor, fighting out of Little Rock, Ar. has won three consecutive bouts, most recently a second-round knockout of Raul Munoz in October of 2012. Colombia’s Candelo, now making his home in Houston, hopes the fans in his adopted home state will push him on to victory against Taylor, and with wins in five of his last seven bouts, the 39-year-old veteran expects big things at the Alamodome.

In the eight-round bantamweight opener, three-time U.S. Olympian Rau’shee Warren (16-0, 3 KO’s) of Cincinnati puts his perfect record on the line against Kanasin, Yucatan Mexico’s Jose “Cacho” Silveira (15-9, 6 KO’s). The busy Warren is coming off his sixth win of 2013, a shutout victory over Jhon Alberto Molina in October. The 34-year-old Silveira is coming off a split decision win over Carlos Koh this past September.

“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBA Welterweight World Championship taking place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T, Grudge Match and Casamigos Tequila. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman will defend his interim WBA Welterweight World Championship against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz will put his WBC Super Bantamweight World title on the line against Cesar Seda in a 12-round bout and Beibut Shumenov faces Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight World titles. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25, $20 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are available at the Alamodome box office, or through Leija*Battah Promotions by calling (210)979-3202 or emailing m@leijabattahpromo.com online at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000.

Former Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor will return to the ring on December 14th against JC Candelo in San Antonio according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Al (Haymon, Taylor’s manager) asked us to put him on the card and we put him on the card,” said Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer, who has a very close relationship with Haymon, told ESPN.com on Tuesday

“This opportunity for Jermain came up so we’ve been training really hard,” Taylor’s trainer Pat Burns told ESPN.com. “He looks fantastic. He’s excited and in great spirits. In the last year the highest he went up to was 177 pounds. As soon as I got here (to Little Rock for training camp) on Oct. 14, he was about 170. After two workouts he was 166, which is absolutely perfect.”

“I think people should be entitled to their own opinion if a fighter should retire or not, but it’s a personal thing and I am not going to go and tell somebody they should retire,” Schaefer said. “Whether Jermain should retire or not, it’s not up to me to decide. Jermain Taylor is not a stupid guy. If he feels he has the necessary tools to compete, and so do the people around him, then let him do that.

“Let him try that and see where it will take him. He’ll have this fight and take it from there. He and his team can make that assessment.”

New York/St. Charles, Mo. (October 11, 2012) – Tomorrow night former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor (30-4-1, 18KO’s) will step back into the ring and continue on his comeback trail as he takes on Raul Munoz (21-15-1, 16KO’s) in a 10-round middleweight bout. Highlights of the bout will be aired on ShoBox: The New Generation. In the ShoBox main event blue-chip prospect Jose “Sniper” Pedraza (10-0, 6KO’s) looks to keep his unblemished record intact when he takes on Philadelphia’s Tevin Farmer (7-3-1, 1KO) in an eight-round lightweight matchup.

In the televised co-feature, undefeated up-and-coming prospects Jonathan Cepeda (12-0, 11KO’s) and Lamar Russ (10-0, 6KO’s) will square off in an eight-round middleweight bout. The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Rumble Time Promotions in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Universal Promotions SHOWTIME® will begin live coverage at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

“I feel great. Physically and mentally I feel I am on the top of my game,” said Taylor.

Photo by Tom Casino
“I am ready to go out there and make a statement. I want to show the world that I am ready for the best that the middleweight division has to offer. I fully expect to be fighting for a world title belt sometime early next year.”

The bout on Friday will be Taylor’s third consecutive fight on the SHOWTIME® network since returning to the ring in December of last year. Taylor went on a two-year hiatus from the ring following his early departure from the coveted Super Six Tournament in the super middleweight division. Taylor has since moved back down in weight to where he ruled as the undefeated middleweight champion of the world from 2005-when he ended Bernard Hopkins’ record-setting reign-to 2007. In Taylor’s most recent outing in April, he won a dominant 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Caleb Truax. Taylor is hoping to work his way into another title shot in 2013, but he must first get by Munoz.

“In order for Jermain to return to championship form he has to stay busy,” said promoter Lou DiBella, who has promoted Taylor from his first professional bout. “Skills need to be rediscovered and confidence needs to be built. An active, prepared and confident Jermain Taylor can still be a force to be reckoned with at the highest level of the middleweight division.”

Photo by Tom Casino

“It took us about five years to get our first crack at the world title so I knew once we returned that it was going to take us some time to get Jermain back to where he was when he beat Hopkins,” said trainer Patrick Burns. “I am extremely happy though where Jermain is right now. Physically he has been there for some time now, but more important was his mental aspect. He needed to get back to where he was mentally and to get that confidence back, and I can assure you that it is there. That is what excites me the most about Jermain right now. He has his confidence back and knows that he has the ability to once again be the best middleweight in the world.”

The event is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Rumble Time Promotions in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Universal Promotions. Tickets are priced at $100, $75 and $40, and can be purchased through the Ameristar Casino or by calling (314) 267-2204. Doors open at 5:30PM with the first bout scheduled for 6:00PM.

Lawton, OK (May 17, 2012) – WBC Continental Americas Middleweight champion George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooahnippah is becoming increasingly impatient for a date with one of the world’s top 160 pound fighters.

The hard-hitting Tahdooahnippah, a huge draw in his native Oklahoma, has an outstanding professional record of 30-0-1 with 22 wins by knockout. All but two of his fights took place in the Sooner State, which kept him under the radar. Even though he’s yet to taste defeat and owns impressive knockouts against seasoned pros such as world title challenger Jonathan Corn, Jimmy Holmes and Tyrel Brown, the Lawton resident is yet to receive a career-defining opportunity.

“It’s time for me to face some big name fighters and show the world who I am,” said Tahdooahnippah, a member of the Comanche Nation. “When I fought Jimmy Holmes for the WBC belt, I had a torn bicep and still stopped him in the opening round. Whoever has been in my way thus far, I’ve got them out of there and I don’t plan on changing that, regardless of who is standing across the ring!”

Atop his wish list is former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor. Once a fixture on the pound-for-pound list, Taylor, 30-4-1 (18 KO’s), is 2-0 since returning from a two-year layoff. In his most recent bout, the Little Rock, AR native survived a scary ninth round knockdown against Caleb Truax en-route to claiming a unanimous decision victory.

Tahdooahnippah, whose opposition is comparable to Truax’, called his fight with Taylor a major eye-opener.

“I’ve been watching Caleb Truax his whole career and we were promoted similarly. The only difference is he got the opportunity that I’ve been looking for. Jermain Taylor also isn’t the same fighter he once was and recent upset wins by fellow Oklahomans Carson Jones and Grady Brewer truly inspired me.”

“Caleb wasn’t able to close the show and I know that I have more power than him. I’m a different fighter than Caleb. I’m hungrier and have a more fan-friendly style. If he can go ten rounds with Jermain and put him on his back and I know that I can get Jermain out of there!”

Tahdooahnippah’s manager Bobby Dobbs also feels the fighter he helped build from the ground up is ready to face a top-notch foe.

“George is 30-0 and had a few big fights fall through,” said Dobbs. Fernando Guerrero backed out on us a few years ago and it’s been frustrating to get him a fight. We’ve been ready to take the next step and Jermain Taylor is the guy we want. He’s on the comeback trail and is looking for another opportunity. Comanche Boy has no problem taking him out of the equation!”

Fans can interact with George by going to facebook.com/comancheboygeorge.tahdooahnippah or HDboxing.net.

BILOXI, Miss. (April 21, 2012) – Jermain Taylor found himself in a very familiar place late in his fight – the canvas – but unlike in the past, Taylor returned to his feet and took home the victory. Taylor controlled a large majority of the 10-round middleweight bout before Caleb Truax floored him with a right hand early in the ninth. Taylor won the second straight fight of his comeback campaign via unanimous decision by the scores of 98-91, 97-92 and 97-94 in the main event of tonight’s ShoBox: The New Generation doubleheader. In the SHOWTIME®-televised co-feature, Erislandy Lara demolished Ronald Hearns via TKO at 1:34 of round one in a scheduled 10-round junior middleweight bout from Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss.

Fighting for only the second time in the last thirty months, Taylor (30-4-1, 18 KO’s), of Little Rock, Ark., started slowly, using his signature jab to dictate an effective tempo and put rounds in the bank early. Truax (18-1-1, 10 KO’s), of Osseo, Minn., fought tentatively throughout the fight before gaining some confidence by engaging Taylor on the inside in the eighth round. The two met in the middle of the ring to start the ninth and, after Taylor lazily returned his left after throwing a jab, Truax landed a perfect right hand to Taylor’s chin that sent him to the floor.

Instead of suffering another knockout loss, a well-conditioned, resilient Taylor returned to his feet and kept the fight – and his career – alive through rounds nine and 10 with heart, hope and holding. The defeat was Truax’ first as a professional.

Following the bout, an ecstatic Taylor was unfazed by the knockdown. “I got back up and did my thing,” said the former undisputed middleweight world champ. “I’ve been knocked out a few times. This is what I’ve been thinking about. This is what I’ve worked for. This is what I planned. Now I’m in shape so I can get back up from a knockdown.”

The co-feature ended almost as quickly as it began when Lara (16-1-1, 11 KO’s), of Houston by way of Cuba, steamrolled through Hearns inside the first round. Hearns (26-3, 20 KO’s), of Detroit, Mich., attempted to use his long jab to keep away his shorter opponent but Lara’s lefts shattered Hearns in short order.

After a clean left to the head sent Hearns flat on the canvas, Hearns was able to rise off the floor – if not to the occasion. Following the knockdown, the 29-year-old Lara had Hearns in trouble with an attack against the ropes. Referee Keith Hughes gave Hearns a standing eight count but allowed the bout continue. Lara had other plans. The former Cuban amateur standout landed two more flush lefts to Hearns’ head before Hughes halted the bout.

CompuBox recorded that Lara connected on 10 of 13 power punches compared to Hearns’ performance of 0 for 9.

The special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation was promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Golden Boy Promotions.

Barry Tompkins called the action from ringside with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The telecast will replay this Thursday, April 26 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME®.

For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com.

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. The growing list of fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Leonard Dorin, Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Malignaggi, Kendall Holt, Timothy Bradley, Bernard Dunne, Yonnhy Perez, Yuri Foreman, Andre Ward, Cornelius Bundrage and, most recently, Rico Ramos.

About Showtime Networks Inc.:

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

Former world Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor will make his second comeback fight on April 20th against Undefeated Caleb Truax on Showtime.

“I thought Jermain had a very good performance against Nicklow after 26 months out of the ring, but what I want to see is a better performance against a slightly better opponent,” Lou DiBella, Taylor’s promoter, told ESPN.com on Tuesday.

“Anyone who is undefeated is a different type of challenge,” DiBella said. “When you’ve been out of the ring for 26 months, this is exactly what Jermain needs. He fought at the end of December and is coming back just a few months later. He can’t just fight twice a year at this stage. He needs the activity, the rounds and the comfort of the ring.

“I thought the first performance was very good given the time off and the circumstances of why he had the time off. He sustained an injury and took time off, so there is a hurdle that has to be overcome when you get back in the ring.”

“Pat Burns did a great job getting Jermain in shape,” DiBella said. “He was in better shape in his fight in December than he was for some of the fights he had at the end of his first go-round. I expect to see a more relaxed and more fluid fighter against (Truax). I think the activity is very important and we’ll really be able to assess things after this fight.”

Also on the card, junior middleweight contender Erislandy Lara (15-1-1, 10 KOs), in his first bout since a highly controversial majority decision loss to Paul Williams in July, will face former middleweight title challenger Ronald Hearns (26-2, 20 KOs), the son of newly elected International Boxing Hall of Famer Thomas Hearns, in a scheduled 10-rounder at a catch weight of 157 pounds.

Featherweight Gary Russell Jr. (19-0, 11 KOs), the 2011 ESPN.com prospect of the year, will open the card in a scheduled eight-round bout against Dat Nguyen (17-2, 6 KOs).

Jermain Taylor made a successful return to the ring and the Middleweight division with an eighth round stoppage over Jesse Nicklow in a scheduled ten round bout at the Morango Hotel and Resort in Cobazon, California.

Taylor, who was making his first ring appearance in twenty-seven months came out quick and went right after Nicklow. The bout settled into a solid boxing performance with Taylor featuring his once vaunted jab. Nicklow landed his one big shot of the night when he landed an overhand right that seemed to get Taylor’s attention round three.

Taylor then dominated with the jab for the next several rounds. Taylor was docked a point after round six for clearly hitting Nicklow after the bell. Taylor landed several big right hands in the seventh and that set up Taylor landing a big right and left hook that saw referee Ray Corona stop the fight maybe a bit premature at thirty-six seconds into round eight.

Taylor, 161 lbs of Little Rock, Arkansas is now 29-4-1 with eighteen knockouts. Nickoow, 159 lbs of Baltimore, MD is now 22-3-3.

“I felt a little rusty but as the rounds went by I got more comfortable,’’ Taylor said. “I wanted to try and go in there and have some fun. We’ll see where I go from here. There is no timetable. But I’m not going to walk from it. I’ll fight anybody.’’

Regarding the late hit, Taylor said, “I got a little frustrated with him leading with his head so much, but it is something that will never happen again. I apologize to all my fans. It was very unprofessional of me.’’

Andre Dirrell wasted no time in shaking off a twenty-one month layoff by disposing of Darryl Cunningham in round two of a scheduled ten round Super Middleweight bout.

After a feeling out first round, Dirrell landed a huge left that dropped Cunningham in the second frame. It seemed that Cunningham’s corner threw in the towel but referee Jack Reis did not acknowledge the act. Dirrell quickly jumped on Cunningham and dropped him again with a right and the towel was waved again but this time Reis stopped the fight at 2:05 of round two.

Dirrell, 169 lbs of Flint, MI is now 20-1 with fourteen knockouts. Cunningham, 167 1/2 lbs of Detroit, MI is now 24-3.

“I am just so happy to be back,’’ said Dirrell after this first fight since March 27, 2010. “I wanted it to go further, but I felt really good. My hands felt lighter, my feet felt fast. I’d say I fought at about 99.5 percent, which was more than I could ask for.

“Time will tell what I do next, but I’m going to continue to work hard. There is such a small window. I’m 28 years old. I’m just going to continue to push forward.

“But I can finally see the big picture again.’’

In a battle of undefeated Light Heavyweights, Luis Garcia won a eight round unanimous decision over a seemingly disinterested Alexander Johnson.

Garcia took what Johnson gave him which were solid yet unspectacular shots throughout the slow paced eight rounds. It seemed that after round two that Johnson wanted to be anywhere but in the ring on this night as he looked around the ring as much as his opponent.

Garcia had success with the right hand and was in control as Johnson threw very few punches (466-222) and landed alot less (193-32) then did Garcia.

Garcia, 174 1/2 lbs of Hatanzas, Cuba won by scores of 80-71; 80-72; 80-72 and is now 12-0. Johnson, 172 lbs of Washington, DC is now 12-1.

“This was my first fight in over 13 months and I was a little rusty but I am happy to get the win and looking forward to fighting again very soon in the states,’’ said Garcia after triumphing by the scores of 80-71 and 80-72 twice. “I promise that I’ll give the fans a much better show next time.’’

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that former Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor will return to the ring in August after a two year break following a brutal knockout loss to Arthur Abraham.

The report indicated that Taylor will go back to his original trainer Pat Burns.

“I’m training him. We’re working out all the logistics right now about exactly when and where the fight will take place. (Taylor adviser) Al Haymon is working on all of that now,” Burns told ESPN.com Monday. “I will be with Jermain in the next couple of days. We need to get going on the next phase of training, and that’s sparring.”

Multiple sources told ESPN.com that Showtime, which had a contract with Taylor, one of the original participants in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, likely will televise the bout on Aug. 13. It is likely to take place in Taylor’s hometown of Little Rock, Ark., according to sources. No opponent has been selected.

“I like everything I’m seeing, but most important, both neurologists he has seen have given him 100 percent clearance to compete and, based on what I’ve seen, he looks outstanding. He’s very hungry. He has the look he had when he was on the way up.

“He went through a lot and lot of guys would have thrown in the towel, but he has a determination to come back and capture the title, and that’s pretty exciting. I’m glad we were able communicate and work this out. He’s very hungry, which is great to see, and he’s done a lot of maturing.”

Taylor, according to Burns, had extensive neurological tests done in Little Rock as well as at the renowned Mayo Clinic. He said both neurologists received copies of the medical reports from Germany from after the Abraham fight so they could compare test results.

“This has been going on for a little over a year,” Burns said. “When it comes to a concussion there is nothing like time (to allow it to heal). He is still young and we all did a lot of research. The medical reports say he is at no greater risk than any other fighter, otherwise I’m not interested.

“I don’t need the money. I’m very content with the way I’m living my life. But there is a feeling that is itching me — that he can recapture the world title.”

“The first time I saw Jermain he was 197 pounds,” Burns said. “He came down to Miami to see me. He had called me two or three times and I wasn’t showing a whole lot of interest. But Jermain was adamant about it. So he came down and we had some heart to heart discussion about what went down and there was a lot of acknowledgement about what happened from his side.

“I told him that, yes, I was disappointed about what had happened, but I put it in my rearview mirror pretty quick and moved on. I was very disappointed in the way he was being handled by his new trainers and the people he was surrounded with in Little Rock, who were supposed to be the people looking out for him.

“My concern was that he go to a neurologist,” Burns said. “He went to a local one in Little Rock. I advised him to go the Mayo Clinic, which he did about four months ago. His safety is more important to me than anything else. Working with Jermain is going to put money in my pocket, but it won’t change my lifestyle. I need to make sure I can live with myself.

“I later found out that Al Haymon was adamant about him going to the Mayo Clinic also, so we were on the same page, which was great.”

“It was a test to see the commitment and I was very, very pleased with his commitment,” Burns said. “About four weeks ago, he came down and was 170 pounds and left at 164. The other day he was 165. I have someone in Little Rock I trust and that’s what he weighed. He knows there is no room for anything other than honesty.

“He’s doing great. I’ve spoken to Al Haymon, I’ve been in touch with Jermain and his wife about this and he wants to fight, and I’m willing to take this on. In a nutshell, here’s my evaluation: He looks extremely hungry, extremely sharp and all the instincts are there. He looks tremendous. His mental state is great and I sense a real commitment.

Burns said he and Taylor plan to start a full training camp, including sparring, perhaps as soon as next week with the intention of fighting in August. He said all of this is being done with the support of Taylor’s family.

“In Erika, he has a great wife. She had concerns for him and his health and she wanted to make sure he was cleared,” Burns said. “There is life other than boxing. She supported him. She helped facilitate all of the exams Jermain undertook. If she’s happy, that is very important. The people that love him and care about him have to support this for it to be a go. Had there been any doubt, it wouldn’t have happened. And Jermain told me himself, ‘I have to take care of my family and be there for them.’ He wasn’t going to go through any undue risk because he has a family to take care of for a long, long time.”

The move back down to middleweight is something Burns pressed for.

“He should have never been at 168 pounds,” he said. “Not only will he fight at middleweight now, he’ll be able to have a big dinner (the night before the weigh in). None of that killing himself to make weight.

“Nothing replaces hard work. I still have that old marine mentality. I was raised hard. My mother was tough on me. I’m going back to him to make him a world champion again. Let’s see if we can win a few fights and recapture a middleweight title.”

As Nottinghamshire’s Carl “The Cobra” Froch made his ringwalk, Saturday, Showtime commentator Steve Farhood recounted Froch’s run of super middleweight opponents since 2008 – Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham – and approvingly added, “There’s not another active fighter you can name who’s faced that caliber of competition in such a period of time.”

Farhood’s assertion went untested for about 90 minutes. Then Mexico City’s “Dinamita” Juan Manuel Marquez made his way to a prizefighting ring on the other side of the world and took up Farhood’s challenge – naming Manny Pacquiao, Joel Casamayor, Juan Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Juan Diaz again, and Michael Katsidis.

At worst, Dynamite finishes tied with The Cobra.

But Saturday was such a celebration of what boxing should be that, for once, the only disagreements worth tracking are those conducted between the ropes. No, Saturday, Nov. 27, was not enough to keep 2010 from being a steadfastly bad year, but it was still quite something. From the Hartwall Arena of Helsinki, Finland, to Oracle Arena in Oakland, USA, then back to MGM Grand in Las Vegas, boxing did itself proud.

In the final fight of Group Stage 3, part of Showtime’s durable “Super Six World Boxing Classic” – a tournament that, one way or many others, has managed to isolate four of the world’s five best 168 pounders in its upcoming semifinals – Carl Froch dominated Germany’s Arthur Abraham in Helsinki, winning by unanimous scores of 119-109, 120-108 and 120-108.

A while later, Super Six favorite Andre “Son of God (S.O.G.)” Ward, who defeated Andre Dirrell by walkover a month ago, participated in the hardest fight of his career, against Cameroonian Sakio Bika, and prevailed by misleadingly lopsided scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 118-110.

And while Ward brawled heavy with Bika in Oakland, master craftsman Juan Manuel Marquez rose from a knockdown to stop Australian Michael Katsidis at 2:14 of round 9 and remain the undisputed lightweight champion of the world, in Nevada.

Three completely different fights with six markedly different fighters leading to three matches that compared favorably with any Thanksgiving fare any other sport served up. Made you proud to love boxing, finally.

We start with Froch because his win was unexpected. The fight was a toss-up, really, as every fight in Showtime’s groundbreaking tournament has been. Froch was not favored. Arthur Abraham, looking to redeem himself after the year’s most notorious cheap shot, was expected to find Froch’s chin often enough to prevail. Instead, Froch borrowed Andre Dirrell’s approach and executed it better than Dirrell ever could.

Why did a man without Dirrell’s speed or class prevail over a man whom Dirrell was fading against in their March fight? Because Froch is a fighter, not merely an athlete who chose boxing because he heard you could make a lot of money doing it.

Remember for a moment the end of Dirrell-Abraham – with Dirrell on his trunks after a slip, legs splayed, chin in the air, hands on the mat, perfectly defenseless – when Abraham blasted him with a punch that merited immediate disqualification, rendering Dirrell unable to continue. Now see if you can imagine Froch in that same position.

You can’t. The idea of Froch helpless after an inanely showy move that dropped him on the canvas can’t be conjured. Froch has quirks, but expecting sportsmanship to stand between him and violence in a prizefighting ring is not one of them.

Froch did to Abraham what Manny Pacquiao did to Joshua Clottey. He determined his opponent would not punch so long as he was being punched, and he kept punching. The few times Froch was tagged by Abraham, like in the fifth round, Froch dropped his chin to his chest with a thud, then glared at Abraham from the tops of his eyes.

And in the 11th, when a borderline blow to Abraham’s beltline made the former middleweight champion a thespian, Froch had none of it. He went directly at Abraham, smacking him with three more body shots in a way that said: “This is a fight actually, you wanker, so have some more.”

Writing of fighting, how about that Andre Ward? A mollycoddled Olympian no more. The last American to win a gold medal looked like nothing so much as a prizefighter, Saturday. He went foul-for-foul with a crafty, rugged professional and beat him right. That’s no indictment of Bika, though. Bika made every Super Six fan wonder how Allan Green ever got an invitation to substitute for Jermain Taylor.

Froch and Ward both impressed, yes, but neither was in a fight impressive as Juan Manuel Marquez’s, Saturday. Froch and Ward are excellent champions working towards greatness. But Marquez is a legend.

In round 3 of his championship match with Katsidis, Marquez slipped under a spell of his own offensive arsenal, as he’s wont to do, and got blasted with a left hook while cocking one. Marquez went down almost too hard. The back of his head kissed the canvas. Had the canvas been but two inches higher, not even Marquez would have risen to do what he did.

And that was plant his feet and engage a younger man in a desperate exchange of fire. Just as he had done against a younger man named Juan Diaz in Houston, Marquez made the purist’s calculation: My short straight punches tell more than your looped leveraged ones do. Six rounds later, Katsidis was in need of rescue, and referee Kenny Bayless provided it.

Now we look forward. Sometime in the next six months, Froch will make an entertaining scrap with Glen Johnson. Round that time, Ward will battle the remnants of Arthur Abraham’s pride. Anything could happen. But Froch and Ward have to be the favorites to meet in the finale of the Super Six. And what a spectacle that’ll be.

Now if only we could find an opponent for Juan Manual Marquez . . .

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

Ward, Green Talk up Title Fight

On June 19th at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, Andre Ward will defend his WBA Super Middleweight title for the first time against longtime contender Allan Green as part of Group Stage 2 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Ward and Green, a replacement in the Showtime-televised tournament for the departed Jermain Taylor, discussed their upcoming fight at a press conference held in Oakland on May 10th.

Green (29-1, 20 KOs) of Tulsa, Oklahoma decided against making the cross country trip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he is training to Oakland for the presser, but appeared on screen via a live stream. The normally self-aggrandizing Green was a bit more subdued than was expected, but he still exuded confidence in regards to the June bout. “Andre Ward is a good young fighter. Very skilled, very talented and I do respect his skills. But against a fighter like myself, he is going to have to bring a lot more to the table than he did against Mikkel Kessler,” said Green referring to Ward’s title-winning effort. “I did admire what he did to Kessler; no disrespect there, but at the same time, come June 19th I will be WBA Super Middleweight Champion.”

Ward (21-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland refused to talk down Green in anyway, and if anything built up the Tulsa native. “In my opinion, Allan Green is a beast,” said Ward. “That’s what I am preparing for. That’s what I am eating, sleeping and drinking. I’m getting ready to fight a monster, that’s how I am looking at it.”

Fighting in Oakland for the third time in a row, which accounts for all of the fights he has had in his hometown, Ward sounded eager to get back in front of his supportive fan base. “We have a date, June 19th. When you have a date and you got a dancing partner, there not much else that needs to be said. We have that, and I look forward to putting on another tremendous performance for the fans and, believe it or not, I am going for three points in this fight,” said Ward in reference to the points a knockout victory would earn him in the tournament.

Ward’s reserved, but well stated trainer Virgil Hunter was a bit more tongue-in-cheek in his assessment of the June 19th fight. “We understand what we have to do,” claimed Hunter. “It didn’t take much to go back to the drawing board because, basically, you are getting ready to fight a guy that specializes in knocking out people that have been knocked out before several times. So you have to ask yourself that when you are making your preparation. How do you prepare for a guy that specializes in knocking out people who have been knocked out? So it gets pretty simple after that.”

Tickets for the event, promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Antonio Leonard Productions and DiBella Entertainment, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

Schlienz Out; Nave Lines up New Opponent for Friday

Paul Nave, three fights into his return to boxing, was tabbed to rematch journeyman Daniel Schlienz this Friday, June 4th at the Marin Center Exhibit Hall in San Rafael, California. Nave defeated Schlienz by decision back in November, and had hoped to improve upon that outing by taking the rematch in more decisive fashion. However, Schlienz was ruled out after suffering a stoppage defeat last month, which left Nave and his matchmakers looking for a new opponent to fill the slot.

Two weeks and three days before the fight, Nave received a phone call from Assistant Chief Athletic Inspector Che Guevara informing him that his opponent would not be approved by the California State Athletic Commission. Nave was especially frustrated with the ruling coming so close to fight date, and because he disagreed with the commission’s decision.

“Their job is whether, in their eyes, the fight is safe or not,” said Nave (18-8-2, 7 KOs) of San Anselmo, California. “Is it a mismatch or a blow out, or is it safe. I already fought the guy. There was no knockdowns and it went all six rounds. He is not suspended and I had a competitive fight with him, it was no blow out.”

At the time of our interview, local journeyman Dario Castillo (5-10-1) of Pittsburg, California was tabbed to replace Schlienz in the main event. Should Castillo be the guy, Nave will have some adjustments to make. “He is left handed I hear now, and I have probably not fought a left hander in twenty years and now I will be fighting a left handed kid,” said Nave about the southpaw Castillo. “My preparation is going pretty good, but it is just frustrating that I am not sure who I am fighting now.”

Nave is not only preparing for a fight, in which his company Liberty Boxing Enterprises is the promoter, but he is the co-producer and subject of the reality television series Paul Nave: Goin’ The Distance which airs on Sunday nights on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. The series has followed his family life and documented all the preparation it takes to promote and get ready for a fight. For many, this would be an impossible workload and balancing act. “It is a lot of work, and it is not easy,” admits Nave.

In the co-feature Friday night, Jaime Rodriguez (5-6-3, 2 KOs) of Reno, Nevada will fight Jose Alfredo Lugo (9-13-1, 5 KOs) of Richmond, California by way of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico in a six-round lightweight rematch. They originally met in a highly entertaining bout on the November undercard, with Rodriguez taking a contested six-round unanimous decision.

All-action super bantamweight Jonathan Alcantara (4-1-1) of Novato, California will take on Danny Pantoja (0-3-2) of Fairfield, California in a four-round bout. Alcantara is coming in off of an upset unanimous decision over former amateur standout David Clark on April 1st. Pantoja, who has been matched quite tough in his career, comes in off a decision loss to former National Golden Gloves Champion Efrain Esquivas on April 23rd.

Ending an eight-year layoff, Ulyses Caballero (4-0-1, 3 KOs) of San Pablo, California will take on former amateur standout Jason Montgomery (1-0-1) of San Leandro, California in a four-round light middleweight fight.

Also slated for the card is debuting Herman Bacho of Santa Rosa, California who will take on John Dunham (0-5-1) of Stockton, California in a four-round welterweight fight.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Liberty Boxing Enterprises, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

Julaton Takes on Villalobos June 30th

Looking to rebound from a decision loss to Lisa Brown in March, Ana Julaton will return to the site of that recent defeat, the Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada to take on Maria Elena Villalobos on June 30th. Their fight, for the vacant WBO Super Bantamweight title, will be shown live nationwide in Canada on TSN.

Julaton (6-2-1, 1 KO) of Daly City, California is not only returning to the Casino Rama, but the June bout will mark the return of Freddie Roach to her corner. Julaton had been trained by either Nonito Donaire Sr. or Rick Noble before her past three fights. At a recent press conference Julaton sounded excited to return to Rama and rejoin Roach. “I am hoping to provide amazing boxing,” said Julaton. “I feel that is what the fans want. On June 30th that is what I provide, especially with Freddie back in the corner. He is the first guy I started out with for my first six professional fights. Just to be reunited with him. The chemistry is not only there, it is a lot stronger.”

Villalobos (6-3, 3 KOs) of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico is coming off of a failed attempt at the WBC Super Bantamweight Champion Marcela Acuna in Argentina in April. In that fight Villalobos went the full ten round distance, but lost a unanimous decision to perhaps the top fighter in the division.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Orion Sports Management, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

Two Strong Showings at 2010 National Golden Gloves

Northern California was represented by two boxers at the 2010 National Golden Gloves in Little Rock, Arkansas last month. Eros Correa, a 108-pounder out of San Jose, California, and Eric Altamirano, a 132-pounder out of Concord, California, both advanced to the quarterfinals at the national tournament.

Correa, who fights out of the San Jose PAL Sports Center, notched a decision victory over David Carlton of Cincinnati, Ohio in the preliminary round. In the quarterfinals, Correa was defeated by Santos Vasquez of Sun Valley, Nevada by decision.

Altamirano, who trains at the Community Youth Center in Concord, scored two victories en route to the quarterfinals. In his first bout, Altamirano scored a decision win over Ryan Martin of Knoxville, Tennessee. The following day Altamirano scored a first round stoppage of Christopher Singleton of Gonzales, Louisiana. In the quarterfinals, Altamirano lost a decision to Duran Caferro of Helena, Montana.

Photo by Jan Sanders/Goossen Tutor Promotions

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Jermain Taylor has pulled out of Showtime’s Super Six Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic.

Taylor was due to face super middleweight titleholder Andre Ward in the second stage of the modified round-robin tournament on April 17.

“I’m going to take some time off from the sport of boxing and take myself out of [the] Showtime Sports World Boxing Classic tournament,” Taylor said in a statement. “It’s important that I give my body and mind some much-needed rest, because I have been boxing for nearly 20 years. I plan on keeping myself in shape and making a return to the sport sometime in the future.”

Taylor’s promoter Lou DiBella was pleased that Taylor took his advice and withdrew from the tournament.

“I know it must have been a difficult decision for Jermain and I’m very happy for him and his family that he decided to give himself a much-needed break,” DiBella told ESPN.com.

Behind the scenes Taylor’s manager, Al Haymon, had been working with Showtime on a buyout of Taylor’s remaining tournament fights. It is unclear what sort of deal they reached, if any, before Taylor’s announcement.

“This was not an easy decision for me, having discussed it with my family, trainer [Ozell Nelson], friends and my adviser, Al Haymon, because I’m a very competitive person. But I know this is the smart road for me to take,” Taylor said. “I want to thank Showtime Sports for everything and I wish the best for my five counterparts who will continue on in the Super Six tournament. Most of all, I want to thank the many fans for their continued support.”

Taylor’s replacement is likely to be the winner of a fight between Sakio Bika (28-3-2, 19 KOs), champion of the 2007 “Contender” tournament, and Allan Green (29-1, 20 KOs). Their handlers are working to finalize a fight between the two for Feb. 5 on Showtime’s “ShoBox” series. DiBella promotes Green and Haymon manages Bika.

Late last week, DiBella told ESPN.com that “Allan has agreed to the fight and Bika and Al Haymon are working on their side.”

If Bika and Green fight to a draw, DiBella said the winner of a coin flip would become the alternate. If an injury forced the fight to be called off, the healthy fighter would get the open spot in the field.