RSSLight Heavyweight
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Hopkins Begins Training With Roach
LOS ANGELES - Light Heavyweight Champion Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday and began training with new trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym. Hopkins is already entrenched in a vigorous regimen in preparation for his summer blockbuster fight against Winky Wright in “Coming to Fight,” on July 21st at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas , Nevada live on HBO Pay-Per-View.
“I’m thrilled to be training with Freddie Roach in Los Angeles,” said Hopkins. “It’s a complete change of scenery for me and the new surroundings are a great motivation at this stage of my career.”
Hopkins is training in Los Angeles for the first time in his long and illustrious career. Previous sites and regular favorites for the veteran pugilist have included Miami, Philadelphia, Big Bear and most recently New Orleans. A major influence in his decision to train in the City of Angels was the addition of Roach to his team, who owns the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
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Jones Jr-Hanshaw Quotes
Quotes from He’s Baack! Witness The Return of a King: Jones vs. Hanshaw” Los Angeles press conference at the historic Los Angeles Sentinel, the West Coast’s largest African American newspaper.
“He’s Baack! Witness The Return Of a King: Jones-Hanshaw” is a scheduled 12-round bout which will be on top of a packed and exciting undercard. The PPV TV will be distributed by In Demand and produced by Madison Square Garden Network.
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Sunday, June 10, 2007
Magic Man Returns to Form; Dawson Stops Ruiz
Antonio Tarver lands a punch on Elvir Muriqi. Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime
HARTFORD, Conn. – The brightest young star and one of the most accomplished veterans of the light heavyweight division won exciting contests Saturday on Showtime at the Connecticut Convention Center. Former two-time world champion Antonio “The Magic Man” Tarver did enough to get past determined Elvir Muriqi to win a controversial close majority decision and the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) 175-pound title. And undefeated 24-year old “Bad” Chad Dawson registered a sixth-round TKO over Jesus “Chuy” Ruiz in the first defense of his World Boxing Council (WBC) title.
It took about four rounds for the magic to return for Tarver but when it did he seemingly took control of the bout. Muriqi of Bronx, NY, won more than a few of the early rounds, and a lot of fans with a valiant and exciting effort.
Fighting from the inside, Muriqi seemed to surprise Tarver with some big shots and hard work to the body. But by the sixth, Tarver began landing crisp, punishing combinations in flurries to clearly outscore his opponent.
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Wednesday, June 06, 2007
How Great Was Bob Foster?
The saying goes that “you are only as good as your era”. OK… where does that leave Mr. Bob Foster? He is now considered one of the greatest light heavyweights of all time. Is it justified? Was he just a champion at a time when the contenders were pretenders? Should he suffer from the stigma of “right place, right time”? I hardly think so and here is why…
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Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Elvir “Kosovo Kid” Muriqi Camp Notes
New York – World Ranked Light Heavyweight contender Elvir “Kosovo Kid’ Muriqi (34-3, 21KO’s) has been in training camp for two weeks in the Pocono Mountains for his June 9th IBO World Championship bout against former undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver (24-4, 18KO’s). The event will take place at the Connecticut Convention Center, located in the new riverfront district in downtown Hartford, CT.
Still two weeks away before fight night, fans can rest assured there will be no weight debacle at the scales. Murqi is already in peak form weighing a trim 179lbs!
“It’s great training in the Poconos. There are no distractions, so I can focus on the job at hand. I’m running at 6am every morning and sparring 10-12 rounds. Collin Morgan, my trainer, knows that I’m working very hard for this fight. I’m relentless with my training, but Colin is there to keep in under control. He’s been a tremendous asset to my career and come fight night I’m going to show the goods”
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Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Chad Dawson-Jesus Ruiz Quotes
Undefeated “Awesome” Chad Dawson ( 23-0, 1 NC, 15 KOs), of New Haven, Conn., will make the first defense of his WBC light heavyweight title against hard-hitting Jesus “Chuy” Ruiz ( 19-4, 17 KOs ), of Long Beach, Calif., by way of Guadalajara, Mexico, in the co-featured bout on Saturday, June 9 on Showtime ( 10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
In the other Showtime Championship Boxing co-featured attraction at The Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Conn., f ormer undisputed 175-pound world champion Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver ( 24-4, 18 KOs ), of Tampa, Fla., will battle New York-based Elvir “The Kosovo Kid” Muriqi ( 34-3, 21 KOs ) for the world IBO light heavyweight crown.
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Thursday, May 24, 2007
Jones Jr-Hanshaw Quotes
NEW YORK - Quotable quotes from boxing legend Roy Jones Jr, his July 14 PPV TV opponent Anthony Hanshaw and others who gathered at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to formally announce the Jones-Hanshaw fight.
The fight will be seen nationally and around the world on a live broadcast emanating from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center.
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Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Jones Jr. Returns to PPV on July 14th
Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. (50-4, 38 KOs) will get into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame by acclamation. But the greatest super middleweight fighter of all time is not ready to be enshrined just yet. Jones is fighting onward and no boxer is admitted into the hallowed halls in Canastota, N.Y., until he has been retired for five years.
“The Hall Of Fame…well, that will be nice. But I am not ready for that and I am not ready for any rocking chair, either,” Jones said. “I am ready, willing and able to prove that I still have what it takes to be a world champion once more. That is why I am fighting a young, tough strong, undefeated guy like Anthony Hanshaw on Saturday, July 14 on PPV TV.
“There is plenty of boxing life left in me yet,” Jones said. “I guess Joe Calzaghe knows that because he does not want any part of me. I am taking this fight to measure myself. No one can hold me to a greater standard than I hold myself. I will use Hanshaw as my measuring stick. I coming not only to win but to win big and to shine from start to finish. Age is just a number, I promise you, because you will see more than flashes of the Roy Jones Jr. that made all that boxing history.”
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Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Dawson to Defend Title June 9
NEW YORK – For many years, young southpaw Chad Dawson was known as “Bad” Chad. On Feb. 3, 2007, “Bad” Chad became “Awesome” Dawson.
On that night, Dawson captured his first world title, the World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight crown, with a brilliant and decisive 12-round decision over fellow unbeaten defending champion Tomasz Adamek of Poland on Showtime.
In two impressive bouts on “ShoBox: The New Generation,” the premium network’s prospect oriented series, and a career-best victory on Showtime Championship Boxing, Dawson went from promising prospect to legitimate contender to world champion. Now, the 24-year-old is poised to become boxing’s next great American superstar.
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Montell Griffin Gunning for 50 Wins, Third World Title
Bronx, NY - Montell “Ice” Griffin (48-6, 30KO’s) grew up idolizing the Greatest of All-Time, Muhammad Ali. As a child, he watched Ali train at his father gym and learned to mimic his style-many people even thought Griffin was his son! Griffin’s problem? His height peaked at 5’7”. Neigh Sayers told Griffin he would never succeed, he was too short to compete as a light heavyweight. From becoming a 1992 US Olympian to becoming the first man to beat Roy Jones, Griffin’s has made a career of proving his critics wrong. Montell recalls, “Just being around Ali made you want to strive harder to reach your goals”.
On May 16th at the Hard Rock Café, Hollywood FL-once again Montell Griffin plays the underdog role when he faces the former IBF Light Heavyweight Champion Glen Johnson (44-11-2, 29KO’s) in an IBF Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator. “I may be the underdog, but Johnson will soon find out what Roy Jones Jr. and Toney knows, I am too fast and too strong to stop. Remember, Jones’ DQ loss was the result of his frustration, after Ice took more rounds off of him than he had given up in his previous 33 fights combined! “Montell still shows the fire and desire to become a champion again” said Star Boxing CEO Joe DeGuardia. “He’s trained long and hard, and he is confident. The fight is a must win for the 2 skilled veterans.”
Griffin, currently the USBA Light Heavyweight Champion, has been a consummate professional over his spectacular 14 year career, and continues to astound critics by continuing to fight at the highest level of the sport. John Caluwaert, Griffin’s manager, describes him as, “crafty, smart, and above all a tactician. He studies his opponents, finds their vulnerabilities and exploits them.” Forty-eight of Montell’s opponents can testify-he’s one of the best in the business.
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