RSSO'Neil Bell
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
EEC - April 24, 2007
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Philippine broadcasting network ABS-CBN is reporting that one of Manny Pacquiao’s bodyguards shot and wounded a 10 year old boy yesterday. The boy was rushed to St. Elizabeth Hospital in General Santos City and is currently in stable condition. Doctors stated that the boy was shot in both of his hands.
There is a nationwide gun ban in the Philippines. So why did Pacquiao’s bodyguard have a gun? He was given approval to carry firearms after alleged kidnapping threats to Pacquiao and other members of his family.
- The WBC has ordered two mandatory title bouts: Edgar Sosa will defend his WBC Light Flyweight Title against Luis Lazarte and Jean-Marc Mormeck will make his first defense of his WBC Cruiserweight Championship against David Haye. The winner of the Mormeck-Haye bout will be forced to fight former WBC Cruiserweight title holder O’Neil Bell later this year.
- Corrie Sanders will face Kevin Monity on May 12…
- Amir Khan will take on Willie Limond at London’s O2 Arena on July 14. Steven Luevano and Nicky Cook will decide who gets the vacant WBO Featherweight Title that same night in the main event…
- Here are some quotes from the Litzau - Valtierra press conference that was held yesterday…
Bob Van Syckle (Litzau’s trainer): “This is a very important fight for Jason. A win in this fight will get him back in the top ten rankings and back on HBO in a revenge match with Jose Hernandez. Jason had his best training camp ever. At first I was a little apprehensive about training in his hometown of St. Paul with all the temptations nearby, but, Jason showed his professionalism by maintaining a strict training discipline. He trained 3 times a day, starting with a run around Phalen Lake at 6:00 am, sparring at Rice Street Gym in the afternoon and finishing up with strength and conditioning at Lifetime Fitness in the evening. You will see a new and improved Jason Litzau with an emphasis on Defense and smart, aggressive offense.”
Jason Litzau: “Since I was a little kid, I dreamed of fighting in the main event at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in my hometown of St. Paul. Now, on April 25, my dream will become a reality. I hope we can sell out the arena because nothing motivates me more than 6,000 screaming fans. I know that this will be my toughest fight. My opponent has never been stopped, and he is coming here to stop me. I guarantee that I will give everyone in the stands and everyone watching on ESPN2 their money’s worth. My ultimate goal is to win a World Championship for Minnesota and to do it in the big arena, the EXCEL Energy Center.”
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Thursday, April 19, 2007
Godfrey Looking For World Title Shot
PROVIDENCE - World cruiserweight contender Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey made a major statement on April 6, loud and clear to be precise, when he stopped Felix Cora, Jr. in the second round of their ESPN2 Friday Night Fights main event fight at Mohegan Sun Arena.
“I am the best cruiserweight in the world,” Godfrey looked back at his scintillating performance to describe the statement he made. “I’m ready to take on anybody in the world who’s ranked ahead of me. An opportunity to fight (Jean Marc) Mormeck for his titles would be a gift from heaven for me.”
Godfrey (15-0, 9 KOs), 26, recently moved up to No. 3 in the World Boxing Council ratings. He’s also ranked No. 7 in the World Boxing Association and No. 9 in the International Boxing Federation.
“There’s nobody out there who is as talented as Matt,” Godfrey’s manager Bret Hallenbeck added. “We believed Cora was a top 5 talent. We’re coming after all of the top cruiserweights.”
Continue reading "Godfrey Looking For World Title Shot"
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Monday, March 26, 2007
EEC - March 26, 2007
After a little break we are back…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Look for the KO Corner World Rankings to be updated at some point this week…
- Mikkel Kessler wants Joe Calzaghe, we’ve known that for a long time now. It’s been assumed that Calzaghe wants a crack at Kessler as well, the problem is that talks to try and get the two together have always fallen apart in the past. Kessler refuses to fight him in England just as Calzaghe won’t go to Denmark.
In today’s USA Today, Kessler mentions that he hopes his nationally televised bout this past weekend on HBO will get him the exposure he needs to have Calzaghe’s representatives setting up this fight as a priority.
“I want Joe Calzaghe, if he dares,” said Kessler. “I want to show the United States that I’m the best fighter.”
- David Haye has received a letter from the WBC stating that he will be getting a mandatory title shot against newly crowned WBC Cruiserweight Champ Jean-Marc Mormeck this summer.
“I’m really looking forward to fighting Mormeck,” said Haye. “I think our styles will make for a great tear up but I’m convinced that I have the ability to beat him.”
Before that happens, Haye has to defeat Tomasz Bonin on April 27th in London. If he’s successful, it seems that O’Neil Bell is going to have to wait a while...
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Wednesday, March 14, 2007
MSG Acquires Rights to Rematch Between Bell and Mormeck
New York, NY – MSG, a world class sports and entertainment network, has acquired the television rights to air the highly anticipated cruiserweight world championship rematch fight between World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council cruiserweight champion O’Neil “Supernova” Bell and former unified world cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck. The fight will be telecast live on MSG from Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan in Levallois-Perret, France, on Saturday, March 17 at 4:00 pm ET. The fight will be re-telecast on MSG later that evening at 12:30 am, on March 19 at 8:00 pm and additional airings will begin in April. Legendary international boxing commentator Bob Sheridan will call the action. (MSG will also provide the fight to Fox Sports Net for distribution to its regional services in other parts of the country.)
Continue reading "MSG Acquires Rights to Rematch Between Bell and Mormeck"
Thursday, February 08, 2007
EEC - February 8, 2007
If you enjoyed yesterday’s rankings, I’m sure you will also like the fight predictions we will be coming out with in the next few weeks…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- As of right now, the June 9th showdown between Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto is apparently off...
So what exactly is happening here? Mark Vester breaks it down better then I can:
Last week, the WBO held a purse bid for a bout between their welterweight champion Antonio Margarito (34-4, 24KOs) and the mandatory challenger, Paul “The Punisher” Williams (32-0, 24KOs). Dan Goossen of Goossen-Tutor Promotions beat out Golden Boy Promotions for the right to promote the fight. Goossen bid $1.5 million to secure the promotional rights to stage the bout in either late May or early June, in either Las Vegas or Los Angeles.
Arum told scribe Robert Morales of the Press-Telegram that he did not participate in the purse bid because Margarito and his team told him that he was going to fight Cotto in June. Earlier this week it was revealed that Margarito signed to face Williams, instead of Cotto. Arum, who owns full promotional rights to Margarito, says that he never gave him permission to sign a contract for the fight.
Goossen-Tutor Promotions isn’t permitted to sign a contract making a Margarito-Williams bout since Margarito is under an exclusive contract with Arum and Top Rank…
“He has a contract with us, an exclusive contract with us,” Arum said of Margarito. “We didn’t participate in the purse bid because they (Margarito’s co-managers) told us not to because they were fighting Cotto. It (Margarito-Williams) may be a done deal as far as (Goossen) is concerned, but these people have no authority to sign a contract because they’re under an exclusive promotional agreement with us.”
You know what that means. Arum says he will be filing litigation by the end of the week, meaning he will now be in separate legal battles with Goossen-Tutor and Golden Boy Promotions at the same time.
- IC Wales is reporting that WBO Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Maccarinelli wants to come over to America and take on WBA, WBC, and IBF Cruiserweight Champion O’Neil Bell in an attempt to unify all four major cruiserweight titles.
Maccarinelli will defend his WBO title against Vincenzo Cantatore on April 7th. Because Bell fights the month before, a summer fight could work out great for the both of them:
“Bell is the one recognized as the undisputed champion, but he can’t call himself that until he beats me,” Maccarinelli told IC Wales. “That’s the fight I’m aiming for. He’s said he’s got a lot of admiration for me and that he wants my belt. I want to fight the best straight away and I definitely feel that I’ll get him.”
“He’s got a fight in March and I’m fighting in April, so it could work out. There’s talk about Joe going over to the States in July or there’s a lovely stadium (Liberty) down in Swansea which would be happy to hold the event. Home or away doesn’t bother me whatsoever. When that bell goes it’s only me against him, the crowd’s not going to help either of us.”
Some Good Reads:
FOX Sports: Greatness demands political incorrectness
The Sweet Science: Is Boxing Dead? Ask Mr. Computer
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007
EEC - February 6, 2007
After a little hiatus that extended into the beginning of the week, we are back once again with the Early Eight Count…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- The April fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jin Chi has been postponed until at least October according to Top Rank head honcho Bob Arum yesterday.
Arum informed ESPN that Pacquiao would still be fighting in April, but now he would be lacing up the gloves on April 21st against an opponent that has yet to be named. The fight will take place in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
“Manny will fight in San Antonio and we’ll have an announcement on the opponent in a couple of days,” Arum said.
Arum also announed that Jorge Arce and Jose Navarro will face off in the co-main event. Other fighters who could also possibly be added to the card in the near future are Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Brian Viloria, and Edgar Sosa.
So what was the reason for the change? It’s hotel problems…
“We found out that because of certain delays there are only about 4,000 decent hotel rooms in Macau, and that is not enough to handle demand for this event,” Arum said. “They have a whole group of properties that are coming on line that we were expecting to be open by the end of April, but they aren’t going to make it. By the fall there will be 10,000 rooms. There will be plenty to handle the people in the fall.”
- Yet another boxer arrested…
Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion O’Neil Bell was arrested in Big Bear, California after assaulting his training partner, Larry Slayton.
37-year-old Larry Slayton, was helping Bell train for his March 17 rematch with Jean-Marc Mormeck in Paris, France. Slayton claims that Bell became angry with him during a workout session in the woods, and threw a hatchet at him. Bell was carrying the hatchet for protection against bears. At that point Slayton ran as Bell allegedly began to pelt him with large rocks. Arden Wiltshire, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said that Deputies found Slayton with cuts from running through the brush and “fearful for his life.”
He is currently out on bail…
- Miguel Cotto has been named fighter of the year by the Puerto Rico Boxing Commission…
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: From gridiron to ring, Rossy’s rising fast
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Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Don King Announces Bell-Mormeck II in March
Legendary boxing promoter Don King arrived in Paris today to stage a press conference on Wednesday (Jan. 24) announcing a highly anticipated rematch between World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council cruiserweight champion O’Neil “Supernova” Bell and former unified world cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck that he will be promoting with the Levallois Sporting Club on March 17 at the Palais des Sport Marcel Cerdan in the city of Levallois.
Bell and Mormeck met each other in one of last year’s most memorable boxing matches in the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 7. The prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America recently distinguished this match as one of the five best fights in the world during 2006, naming Mormeck vs. Bell a Fight of the Year nominee. The winner will be announced at the annual BWAA awards dinner, which will take place this year in Atlantic City, N.J., in April.
Continue reading "Don King Announces Bell-Mormeck II in March"
Friday, October 20, 2006
McCall, Bell Get Ready for Superfighter
HOLLYWOOD, FL - With the December 1st event date approaching rapidly, Seminole Warriors Boxing Promotions’ undisputed cruiserweight champion O’Neil Bell and former world heavyweight champion Oliver McCall are training feverishly for their opportunity to win five million dollars in the inaugural ‘Superfighter’ tournament at Melbourne, Australia’s Telstra Dome.
For Bell, who will be making his heavyweight debut in the tournament, and McCall, who sees this as the perfect way to get himself back to a world title shot, ‘Superfighter’ is a once in a lifetime shot that couldn’t possibly be turned down.