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Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Anchondo Back with a Vengeance
If a man was giving a speech and hiccuped at the podium, he would step back, clear his throat, and continue his address. Following the only hiccup of his career, Mike Anchondo, 27-1 (19 KO), is ready to continue his declaration as one of the elite fighters in the sport on April 27, when he faces off with dangerous Darling Jiminez on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights.
After years of struggling to make the unnaturally low weight of 130 pounds, Mike is moving up to the lightweight division and it’s extra five pounds. “The guys hit a little harder,” Anchondo said, “but ultimately it comes down to the speed and power I have.”
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Wednesday, March 28, 2007
White and Fuller Collide on May 5
A pit bull will tangle with a Motor City brawler when Dean “The Pit Bull” White (14-6-1, 7 KOs) battles Damian “Damo” Fuller (26-4-1, 12 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight contest as the co-featured attraction on the highly-anticipated Lange-Cabell II: The Rematch card set for Saturday, May 12th at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.
White, who was born in Detroit, moved to Reston, VA in his teens and now lives in Smithsburg, MD (located between Frederick and Hagerstown), scored an impressive eight-round decision over Dorin Spivey on the last Patriot Center card, living up to his nickname and earning points with fans for his aggressive style and toughness. The Herndon, VA high school graduate is looking to rebound from a tough, nationally-televised loss to Verquan Kimbrough on February 22nd.
White will have his hands full with fellow southpaw Fuller who has won three in a row and is undefeated in his last five bouts (he’s scheduled to fight John Roby April 14 in Iowa). Born and raised in Detroit, Fuller has battled such world-class competition as current IBF Junior Welterweight champion Lovemore N’dou and former WBC Lightweight champ Diego Corrales. Highly-regard Tommy Brooks, who has worked with Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield among others, serves as Fuller’s trainer.
Lange-Cabell II: The Rematch, presented by Jackie “The First Lady of Boxing” Kallen’s Ice Promotions, will feature Jimmy Lange (27-3-2, 19 KOs) vs Fontaine “The Flame” Cabell (21-6-2, 16 KOs) in a 12-round Main Event rematch for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental America’s 154-pound title. Matchmaker JD Brown will complete the undercard by showcasing a mix of local and regional up-and-coming stars and battle-tested veterans.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Freitas-Diaz Bout to Occur at Foxwoods
Promoters Art Pelullo/Banner Promotions and Don King/Don King Productions will present a sensational world title unification fight on Saturday, April 28, 2007, at Foxwoods Resort Casino, located at 39 Norwich Westerly Road in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The main event will be televised live on HBO.
WBO lightweight world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas, 38-1 with 32 knockouts, of Salvador, Brazil, will face WBA lightweight world champion Juan “El Torito” Diaz, 31-0 with 15 knockouts, of Houston, Texas, in the main event scheduled for 12 rounds for the unified WBO-WBA lightweight championship of the world.
Both fighters are tremendous competitors with exciting styles. Freitas, now 31 years old, is more experienced at the championship level and is known for his one-punch knockout power. He is 13-1 with 9 knockouts in world championship fights and looking to win his fifth world title. He won the WBO jr. lightweight title in August, 1999, and made six successful title defenses before adding the WBA super featherweight world title in January, 2002. Freitas won the WBO lightweight title for the first time in January, 2004, and regained it in his last fight in April, 2006.
Just 23 years old, Diaz brings relentless pressure and nonstop punching to every fight. In spite of his youth, he is already 6-0 with 2 knockouts in world championship fights. Juan won the WBA world title at the age of 20 in July, 2004, and has made five successful title defenses.
An exciting undercard of supporting bouts will be announced. All bouts subject to change without notice.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
EEC - February 22, 2007
Woooooooo!
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Lalia Ali will participate in the next edition of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars…
- Jim Lampley was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of violating a restraining order. He was also was ordered to stay away from Candice Sanders as well, a continuation of the restraining order.
- Joel Casamayor was stripped of his WBC Lightweight Title for discussing a fight between himself and WBO Lightweight belt holder Acelino Freias. David Diaz has now been named the WBC champ. Strict I know…
Casamayor and his promotional company released this statement
Santa Barbara Management strongly disagrees with the decision of the WBC to strip Joel Casamayor of his Lightweight Championship. Joel won his title the way a true champion should, in the ring. He has done nothing to justify this outrageous decision by the WBC and we are considering all of our options, legal or otherwise. Joel and everyone at Santa Barbara Management would like to thank all of the fans and others within the boxing community who have phoned and emailed us to show their support.
- Reports are coming out that Nikolai Valuev will make a mandatory title defense against Ruslan Chagaev on April 14th in Germany like we previously reported. Just another reason to stay on top of us for the latest news…
- Tommy Morrison will speak in an interview after his fight tonight according to Versus…
VERSUS will have a pre-taped interview with Tommy Morrison as well as a live interview during the telecast tomorrow night as part of its VERSUS Fight Night in collaboration with Top Rank Boxing at 9 p.m. ET from the Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort in Chester, West Virginia.
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Wednesday, February 21, 2007
ESPN 2 Televising Quiles-Campbell IBF Lightweight Eliminator on March 2
HOLLYWOOD, FL - Careers may be on the line on Friday, March 2, when veteran contenders Ricky Quiles and Nate Campbell battle it out in a 12 round IBF lightweight title elimination bout at the A La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa, Florida, that will not only determine who will face the winner of Saturday’s championship bout between Jesus Chavez and Julio Diaz, but who will keep his spot among the elite at 135 pounds.
“This is a high stakes fight between two fighters who know that everything is on the line on March 2nd,” said Leon Margules, Executive Director of Seminole Warriors Boxing. “I expect both guys to give their all because a win here puts them a step closer to doing what they’ve dreamed of their entire careers – winning a world championship.”
Quiles vs Campbell headlines an exciting night of boxing presented by Seminole Warriors Boxing and Star Fight Promotions. The bout will be televised live on ESPN2’s Friday Nights, beginning at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT.
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Thursday, February 08, 2007
Esteban de Jesus: A Tragic Story
If ever a boxer was a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, it was Puerto Rico’s Esteban De Jesus. This former one time claimant of the W.B.C. lightweight title may have been the best Puerto Rican 135 pounder since Carlos Ortiz. Unfortunately he boxed during the era of possibly the greatest of all lightweights, Roberto Duran. This occurred on November 17, 1972 at Madison Square Garden. Esteban floored Duran in the first round and then boxed his way to a decision win in a non-title bout. Then he twice whipped the respected Ray Lampkin in bouts for the American Lightweight title thus establishing himself as the top contender.
On his way to his first meeting with Duran, Esteban had lost just once and that was to W.B.A. featherweight champion Antonio Gomez in a non-title fight. He defeated Josque Marquez twice, Victor Ortiz, Lionel Hernandez, Percy Hayles, Angel Robinson, and Cleveland’s Chuck Wilburn. After his victory over Duran, Estsban defeated the classy Johnny Gant and former junior welterweight titleholder, Alfonso Frazier. These victories finally set up a title shot against Duran. On March 16, 1974 in Panama City, Esteban again decked Duran in the first round. this time though Roberto was in much better condition and he gradually wore down his formidable foe stopping Esteban in round eleven.
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Sunday, February 04, 2007
Beau Jack: A True All-Time Great
The name Sidney Walker would not be very familiar to most fight fans. Mention the name Beau Jack and you would get a much different reaction. They are one and the same. Beau Jack was one of the most exciting fighters of the 1940’s and early 50’s.
Sidney Walker was born on April 1, 1921 in Augusta, Georgia. He began his professional career in 1939 fighting out of South Carolina. Later Beau Jack boxed often out of the New England area. By the time he invaded New York in 1941 he sported a 27-4-2 record. He scored a knockout win in a fight at Ebbets Field and his next bout was at Madison Square Garden. It would be the first of twenty seven appearances Beau Jack would make at that famous venue. A testimony to his popularity over the years.
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Dawson, Diaz Win World Titles
IBF “interim” champ Julio Diaz won the IBF lightweight title outright with a third-round knockout over defending champion Jesus Chavez, who was counted out after injuring a knee. Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – In a near shutout, 24-year-old “Bad” Chad Dawson took the World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight title from tough Polish champion Tomasz Adamek by unanimous decision in his first world title fight Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena at Osceola Park in Kissimmee, Fla. In a bizarre co-feature on the Showtime Championship Boxing world-title doubleheader, interim lightweight titleholder Julio Diaz won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title by knockout over embattled veteran Jesus Chavez.
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Thursday, February 01, 2007
EEC - February 1, 2007
Your morning boxing news coming at ya…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- The Milburn family of Windsor, Ontario has donated a pair of Joe Louis’ gloves that he used in his historic battle with Max Schmeling in 1936 to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The Milburn family originally received the gloves from relatives who were close with Louis’ long time manager.
- WBC President Jose Sulaiman thinks that it’s time for Erik Morales to hang up the gloves…
“When someone loses hunger, he loses the desire to win,” Sulaiman said. “I think fighters lose the motivation to get up at 4 a.m. in the morning and go running, and the motivation to go on a diet. And I believe in that regard, Erik has not taken care of himself. He put himself through inhuman levels to lose weight, and he has picked the best to fight with the least amount of conditioning, and that is why he is in the situation that he is.”
Sulaiman also thinks that Morales needs one last fight…
“But my opinion is that he wants to retire with a victory, and he believes he can win the championship at lightweight. Erik doesn’t want to go out a loser in the way that he lost against Manny Pacquiao. He doesn’t want to go out in the minds of the people thinking of him on the canvas. So there are two motivations for him: his fourth world title and his leaving boxing with a different image for fans who’ve seen him for so many years.”
What does this all mean? Since Joel Casamayor will fight Acelino Freitas, that leaves David Diaz open for Morales’ taking. Look for a WBC Lightweight Title fight in either March or April…
- Floyd Mayweather Jr’s advisor, Leonard Ellerbe, has told The Las Vegas Review-Journal that Freddie Roach’s training methods aren’t going to have an impact on the fight between Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya:
“Oscar had two chances to win this fight, slim and none, and slim just left town when he hired Freddie,” Ellerbe said. “I have a lot of respect for Freddie as a great trainer, but to compare Freddie Roach as a trainer to Mayweather Sr. is like comparing (Manu) Ginobili to Kobe Bryant.”
- Manny Pacquiao has not yet decided whether or not he wants to run for mayor of his hometown or for a seat in the House of Representatives in the Phillipines.
Some Good Reads:
FOX Sports: The big time has called Kelly Pavlik
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Adamek-Dawson, Chavez-Diaz Quotes
Jesus Chavez, Tomasz Adamek, promoter Don King, Chad Dawson and Julio Diaz pose after Wednesday’s final press conference at Kissimmee, Fla. Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime
One night before the Super Bowl on Saturday, Feb. 3, Adamek (31-0, 21 KOs) will defend his WBC light heavyweight crown against Dawson (22-0, 1 NC, 15 KOs), while IBF lightweight titleholder Chavez will defend against Interim IBF 135-pound champion Diaz on Showtime Championship Boxing (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
Fans attending the fight card at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla., will get a third world title fight: IBF Junior Middleweight Champion Cory “The Next Generation” Spinks against IBF No. 1 contender “Smooth” Rodney Jones.