RSSLightweight
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Paez Jr Dominates, Wins by Second Round KO
Sycuan Ringside Promotions’ teenage super lightweight sensation Jorge Paez Jr. won his second straight bout by early knockout, battering and then stopping Carlos Urrea in the second round of their fight Friday, June 29, in Mexicali, Mexico.
The 19-year-old Paez Jr., who now has a record of 15-1 with 10 knockouts, ended it with a right to the head mid-way through the second round.
Paez Jr., who weighed 136 pounds for the scheduled six-round contest, dominated the bout, knocking down Urrea with a right to the head in the first round. Paez, who’s co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, opening a cut over Urrea’s left eye later in the first.
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Saturday, June 30, 2007
Johnston To Face Reyes on August 11
LAS VEGAS - Four-time world champion Stevie “Lil’ But Bad” Johnston returns home to fight Rolando Reyes on August 11 in the 12-round main event for the vacant IBO lightweight title, headlining Punchout at the Pepsi Center “No Mercy,” promoted by Silverhawk Championship Boxing, at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
IBA lightweight title-holder Johnston (41-4-1, 18 KOs) won a unanimous 12-round decision on May 18 in Broomfield against Humberto Toledo in Steve’s first fight in his native Colorado in 6 1/2 years. Johnston, now 34, captured the WBC lightweight championship twice between 1997 and 2000, and had seven successful title defenses. Stevie has defeated five major world champions—Sharmba Mitchell, Jean Baptiste Mendy, Cesar Bazan, James Page, and Alejandro Gonzalez - as well as 11 other major world title challengers including Angel Manfredy and Saul Duran.
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Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Report: Corrales Was Drunk When He Crashed
Las Vegas Police released a statement yesterday stating that Diego Corrales had more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system when he crashed his motorcycle and died.
“It’s quite possible that had he not been impaired, he could have prevented his accident,” Las Vegas police Sgt. Tracy McDonald said after toxicology tests showed Corrales’ blood-alcohol content was 0.25 percent. The legal limit for drivers in Nevada is 0.08 percent.
“Bottom line, no one else did anything wrong,” McDonald said of an investigation that found speed was a factor and no drugs were in Corrales’ system when he died May 7 at age 29. “He basically killed himself.”
The Las Vegas Department of Motor Vehicles also said that Corrales had a history of driving drunk and was riding the motorcycle without a valid license.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Spadafora Violates Parole; Back in Prison
Former IBF Lightweight Champion Paul Spadafora is now apparently back in prison after supposedly violating his parole…
Paul Spadafora Back in Prison, Court Date Set
Former IBF lightweight champion Paul Spadafora is back in prison for allegedly violating his parole.
Spadafora, 31, was arrested May 30 and is being held in the state prison at Albion, Leo Dunn, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, said Friday. Dunn said the alleged parole violations are not public record at this point in the process, nor are the terms of Spadafora’s parole.
“In general, parolees could have conditions to keep them away from certain people, and to not use drugs or alcohol,” Dunn said. “Those are conditions the vast majority of parolees have.”
Spadafora spent seven months in state prison followed by six months in a boot camp after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and a weapons violation for shooting his girlfriend in October 2003. Spadafora, an admitted alcoholic with a history of booze-related scrapes with the law, was drunk when he shot Nadine Russo, 23.
Spadafora (40-0-1) has lived and trained in Erie since he was paroled in April 2006. He won both fights in a post-release comeback engineered by Erie boxing promoter Michael Acri. A hearing for Spadafora was scheduled for June 13. If probable cause exists that a parole violation occurred, Spadafora will remain jailed until a violation hearing is held within four months, Dunn said. Spadafora could remain behind bars for the rest of his 21-month-to-five-year prison sentence if he is found to have violated parole. The boxer was arrested on the parole violation the same day he asked an Erie County judge to issue a protection-from-abuse order against Russo.
The judge denied Spadafora’s request when he didn’t show up at a hearing on Thursday.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Johnston Calls Out Juan and Julio Diaz
LAS VEGAS - Four-time world lightweight champion and reigning IBA title-holder Stevie “Lil’ But Bad” Johnson has issued challenges to two of the three Diaz world lightweight champs - (WBA/WBO) Juan, and (IBF) Julio - as well as leading contender Joel Casmayor for a proposed title fight August 11 at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
Johnston’s promoter, Silverhawk Championship Boxing, recently sent substantial purse offers to representatives of the aforementioned lightweights with the understanding that a potential television deal would considerably increase the offer. None have yet to accept the challenge to fight Johnston.
David Diaz (32-1-1, 17 KOs) isn’t available because he’s scheduled to defend his WBC title August 4 against Erik Morales, while Juan (32-0. 16 KOs) reportedly has to fight his mandatory next.
Johnston (41-4-1, 18 KOs), 34, ruled the lightweight division between 1997 and 2000, capturing the WBC lightweight championship twice between 1997 and 2000, and he had seven successful title defenses. Stevie has beaten five major world champions—Sharmba Mitchell, Jean Baptiste Mendy, Cesar Bazan, James Page, and Alejandro Gonzalez - as well as more than a dozen other major world title challengers.
“Their managers need to go to Home Depot to get some plungers so they can un-pucker their fighters’ butts,” Johnson said. “I’m a real fighter. I worked my way back into position to fight any of those guys. I’m ready to go. It doesn’t matter which one, I just want to fight the best, and eventually unify all of the lightweight titles.”
Silverhawk’s initial offer to Julio Diaz’ people was countered, which was immediately accepted by Silverhawk, and both sides are still talking. “Stevie came up when the lightweight division had fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, Jose Luis Castillo, Diego Corrales, Angel Manfredy and so many other great fighters,” Rider added. “He’s ready to take on any of today’s top lightweights right now.”
Rider noted that Johnson has nearly as many world title fight wins (12, 9 WBC, 2 IBA & 1 IBO) as the three Diaz champions combined (14 - David 1 WBC, 2 IBA; Juan 7 WBA, 1 WBO; Julio 3 IBF).
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Juan Diaz Becomes Unified Lightweight Champion
MASHANTUCKET, Conn.—World Boxing Association lightweight champion Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz added the World Boxing Organization championship to his list of accomplishments tonight after Acelino “Popo” Freitas’s trainer Oscar Suarez threw in the towel during the one-minute break between the eighth and ninth rounds at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
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Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Can Acelino Outbox The Bull?
This Saturday at The Foxwoods in Connecticut there will be a lightweight unification fight between WBO title holder Acelino Freitas and WBA kingpin Juan Diaz. Freitas of Brazil was a long time WBO Super Featherweight champion. He failed to win the WBO lightweight title in his first attempt when he was halted by the dangerous Diego Corrales in 2004. The now 31 year old Freitas claimed the vacated WBO crown in 2006 with a split decision over the slick Zahir Raheem.
The 23 year old Juan Diaz was born in Mexico but fights out of Houston, Texas. He is undefeated in thirty one fights and he has held the WBA version of the title since beating Lavka Kim in 2004. He has made five successful defenses. Between the two fighters their combined record is 69-1!
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Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Joan Guzman, Michael Katsidis and Oscar Larios Quotes
Joan Guzman (left) and Michael Katsidis square off after Wednesday’s press conference in Anaheim, Calif. In the main event at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday, May 26, Katsidis will defend his interim WBO lightweight crown against Guzman, the current WBO 130-pound champion and former WBO 122-pound titleholder. Photo: Rob DeLorenzo/Golden Boy Promotions
The only boxer from the Dominican Republic to win world titles in two weight classes will try to make it three when current WBO lightweight champion and former WBO 122-pound kingpin Joan Guzman (27-0, 17 KOs) steps up in weight to challenge fellow unbeaten and interim WBO lightweight titleholder Michael Katsidis (22-0, 20 KOs) on Saturday, May 26, 2007, at The Arena at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. In the co-feature, undefeated Jorge Linares (23-0, 14 KOs) and ex-WBC 122-pound champ Oscar Larios (59-5-1, 37 KOs) collide for the vacant WBC featherweight belt.
HBO Boxing After Dark will televise the doubleheader beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Sycuan Ringside Promotions, Rockstar Energy Drink and Tecate will present the event.
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Monday, April 16, 2007
Denver Hosts Johnston-Jose on May 18
LAS VEGAS - Denver’s prodigal son Stevie “Lil’ But Bad” Johnson returns home to Denver to fight there for the first time in 6 1/2 years when he headlines “Rocky Mountain Mayhem,” promoted by Silverhawk Championship Boxing, on May 18 at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
Johnston (40-4-1, 18 KOs) will defend his IBA World lightweight title belt against Dominican knockout artist Luis Ernesto “The Butcher” Jose (27-4-2, 24 KOs) in the 12-round main event. Also scheduled to fight on the “Rocky Mountain Mayhem” card are NBA light welterweight champion Adrian “Juanito” Mora (18-0-1, 10 KOs), of Thornton (CO), and Sonny Liston-look alike heavyweight Cedric “The Bos” Boswell (23-1, 18 KOs).
“I feel very good about fighting at home again,” Johnston said. “I’m returning as a champion and that’s awesome. The people there are real sports fans. They love sports and me. I always train hard but I’m training even harder for this fight because I’m going home to give my best possible performance.”
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Friday, April 13, 2007
Rodolfo “Gato” Gonzalez
You would think that a boxer who won his first 52 bouts would get some recognition. Especially if he won 50 of those fights by knockouts. Quite an impressive streak that Rodolfo “Gato” Gonzalez started in 1959. Nevertheless there would be many turns ahead for Rodolfo on the road to stardom.
Rodolfo Gonzalez was born in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1945. All 52 of his wins took place in Mexico against boxers with less then stellar records. Still he was learning his trade. Gonzalez made his U.S. debut in 1963 and suffered his first loss when he was stopped in the tenth round by Licho Guerrero at the famous Olympic Auditorium.
Gonzalez would not return to the ring for nearly three years. When he returned he lost on points to a pretty good fighter named Bobby Valdez. A return bout ended as a first round technical draw so Rodolfo and Bobby hooked up a third time. Valdez halted Rodolfo in the ninth round. Finding little gold in California, Gonzalez went to Las Vegas and won three straight before dropping a decision to tough Alton Colter.