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Friday, February 09, 2007
Oliver to Defend Title Against Undefeated Stark Jr.
Looking for a real fight? ShoBox: The New Generation will present yet another showdown when Mike “Machine Gun’’ Oliver (17-0, 7 KOs) defends his United States Boxing Association (USBA) junior featherweight title against Gary “Kid” Stark Jr. (18-0, 8 KOs) in the main event Friday, Feb. 16, on Showtime (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
The co-feature will pit unbeaten Derek “Pooh’’ Ennis (10-0-1, 7 KOs ) against Allen “The Dream Shatterer’’ Conyers (10-2, 8 KOs ) in an eight-round junior middleweight scrap. The excellent DiBella Entertainment doubleheader will originate from the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami , Okla.
“Oliver against Stark Jr. is exactly the type of fight that has given ‘ShoBox’ its reputation.” said “ShoBox” color commentator Steve Farhood. “The fighters have a lot of similarities; unbeaten records, strong amateur backgrounds and excellent boxing skills. Also, both are junior featherweights hailing from the Northeast, which means moving them has been extremely difficult. In that sense, they’re perfect for each other. This is the right fight at the right time for both Oliver and Stark Jr.
“Stark Jr. is a boxer who doesn’t need much convincing to become a brawler. He has faced better opposition than Oliver, but Oliver’s hand speed is superior. Then again, if you haven’t seen Oliver, trust me on this one: his hand speed is superior to just about any fighter you can name.
“This should be a fast-paced 12-rounder, competitive throughout. The winner is likely to emerge as a top-15 contender.”
Continue reading "Oliver to Defend Title Against Undefeated Stark Jr."
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EEC - February 9, 2007
Interesting weekend in terms of fights starts today…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Cedric Boswell and his camp have made an offer to Evander Holyfield in order to set up a fight in the near future involving the two.
Boswell is confident that the fight can be set up rather easily and that he will come away with a victory…
“I’ve been a big fan of Evander Holyfield for a long time,” Boswell said. “He’s a great fighter, a legend who’s been good for boxing. But if I get him in the ring, I’ll be fighting to win. I think it’ll be a great fight. We both live in Atlanta, too. I’m a counter puncher who can still move around a lot. Evander has said that he wants a fight against a good opponent to take him back to the top. I’m trying to find a nice way to say it, but I don’t
think he can beat me.”
Boswell’s manager, Jim Rider also shed some light on the situation:
“We contacted Holyfield’s promoter (Main Events) and offered Cedric Boswell, anywhere they want the fight,” Rider explained. “I think it’ll be a good fight for fans and good for boxing. They said they’d put Cedric’s name in the hat and speak to Evander about him. Cedric has come back with a vengeance. He’s training harder now than he’s ever done in his life. We also offered them Sherman Williams to fight Calvin Brock on the same card. And we offered Gerald Nobles to Hasim Rahman for his March 17th fight.”
- David Tua will try to continue to climb back up the heavyweight ladder when he takes on Robert Hawkins on February 22nd at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
- Apparently Don King and Anna Nicole Smith were good friends and he is very saddened by her death. I’m surprised at the amount of boxing articles involving Anna Nicole that have come out over the past few hours…
Weekend Fights:
Friday -
Eddie Chambers vs Derric Rossy - Selden, New York - Heavyweight (ESPN 2)
Chris Arreola vs Zakeem Graham - Selden, New York - Junior Lightweight (ESPN 2)
Saturday -
Shane Mosley vs Luis Collazo - Las Vegas, Nevada - WBC Interim Welterweight Title (HBO)
Vivan Harris vs Juan Lazcano - Las Vegas, Nevada - WBC Junior Welterweight Title Eliminator (HBO)
Some Good Reads
Boxing Scene: Dawson Passes Class, Peter is Left Back
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Thursday, February 08, 2007
Sugar Ray Leonard to Train Manfredo
Sugar Ray Leonard announced earlier today that he would be training Peter Manfredo Jr. for his upcoming fight against Joe Calzaghe on April 7th.
Leonard is taking the place of Freddie Roach, Manfredo’s usual trainer who has opted to instead train Oscar De La Hoya for his showdown against Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 5th.
Even though he has never been a trainer before for such a big-name fighter, Leonard was confident that he would do well…
“I’m not a trainer, but my skill is in tactics and strategy,” said Leonard, whose only previous cornering experience was for his brother.
Calzaghe was quick to make it known that having Leonard is his corner isn’t going to help Manfredo any when it comes time to lace up the gloves:
“I don’t care who he has in his corner, he isn’t going to beat me, it’s as simple as that,” said the undefeated 34-year-old.
It’s going to be interesting to see what happens here. This might be the beginning of a new career for Leonard. Who knows - What happens if De La Hoya beats Mayweather and Oscar decides to continue fighting? Would he dump Floyd Mayweather Sr. completely and ask Roach to stay on. That could lead to Manfredo sticking with Leonard.
So many interesting storylines going on right now involving a circle of fights…
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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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Wednesday, February 07, 2007
IBF Orders Tokarev-Huck Title Eliminator
A shot at World Cruiserweight Champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk will be on the line later this year when highly regarded unbeatens Vadim Tokarev (23-0-1, 16 KOs) and Marco Huck (18-0, 14 KOs) will meet in a 12 round elimination bout recently ordered by the International Boxing Federation (IBF).Ekaterinburg, Russia’s Tokarev is currently ranked third in the world by the IBF; Huck, a native of Yugoslavia now making his home in Berlin, Germany, is ranked fourthThe IBF has given both parties until February 16th to come to terms for what is destined to be an unforgettable battle.
“I’m pleased that the IBF has ordered this elimination bout and we’re excited at the prospect of promoting it here at the Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena in Florida or in Vadim’s home country of Russia,” said Leon Margules, Executive Director of Seminole Warriors Boxing, Tokarev’s promoter. “Either way, Vadim will be the crowd favorite, as he is not only a hero in Russia, but he has built a huge following of fans in Florida after his four round blowout over Felix Cora last May. He is the rare fighter that can appeal to all fight fans, whether here or abroad.”
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Chambers, Arreola Invade New York City
Ready and anxious to display their talents and move up the heavyweight rating’s ladder before a national TV audience, undefeated world contenders – “Fast” Eddie Chambers and Cristibol “The Nightmare” Arreola – have arrived in the Big Apple for their featured bouts on ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights on February 9, 2007.
Presented by Goossen Tutor Promotions in association with Final Forum and Score Promotions, the telecast will be staged at the Ammerman Campus Field House of Suffolk County Community College in Selden, Long Island, New York.
Chambers (27-0, 15 KOs), of Homewood, PA, and training out of Philadelphia, will take on New York State Heavyweight Champion and also unbeaten, Derric Rossy (15-0, 9 KOs) of Medford, NY, in the 12-round main event for the USBA Heavyweight title.
In a 10-round bout, Arreola (18-0, 16 KOs), of Riverside, California, is scheduled to open the telecast against the heavy-handed banger from Cincinnati, Ohio, Zakeem Graham (10-1-1, 7 KOs).
“It’s this type of event, putting competitive and meaningful matches together, that catapult the winners closer to the top of the heavyweight division,” stated Dan Goossen.
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Monday, February 05, 2007
Cardona to Face Judah in April
When Israel “Pito” Cardona came out of his 3 1/2-year retirement last year, he dreamed of getting an opportunity for a high-profile fight like the one he just signed against former 5-time world champion Zab Judah on April 27 in Southaven, Mississippi.
Born and raised in Hartford (CT), “Pito” won his first 24 pro fights, 18 by knockout, including an IBO super featherweight winning performance against Jeff Mayweather. He later defeated Steve Larrimore for the IBO light welterweight crown.
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Chad Dawson Calls Out Hopkins, Jones, Tarver
Undefeated “Bad” Chad Dawson, the newly-minted World Boxing Council light heavyweight champion, and his trainer Floyd Mayweather, Sr., established themselves as the ticket to beat for “Fighter of the Year” and “Trainer of the Year,” respectively, and we are just four weeks into 2007. Dawson (23-0, 15 KOs), from New Haven, CT, put a cold blooded beatdown on Tomasz Adamek (31-1, 21 KOs), last Saturday, ending the previously undefeated champion’s 21-month reign. The world title fight was broadcast live last Saturday on Showtime Championship Boxing from the Silver Spurs Arena at Osceola Park in Kissimmee, Fla.
“It was a Conn job!” exclaimed trainer Mayweather. “A Billy Conn job. I have polished the roughest diamond in boxing and transformed, “Bad” Chad Dawson into the crown jewel of the light heavyweight division. He’s Conn, Archie Moore and Bobby Foster all rolled up in one. All he needed was the right jeweler to bring out his brilliance and that jeweler was ME! If I had him a year sooner, he would have been world champion a year sooner.”
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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.