Nick Casal released from the hospital

Jr welterweight Nick Casal (22-4-1, 17 KOs) who was brutally attacked last week was released a few days ago from the hospital. Casal has received a huge support from the cities of Buffalo and his native Niagara Falls, New York since this story went global after being initially reported by Fightnews.com. Casal is in good spirits and recovering well from his injuries. The attacker is now in police custody as of the last few hours and being charged with first degree assault with no bail set. Casal is currently on his way to the police station to positively identify the attacker.

Conte blames contaminated supplements

Former BALCO chief Victor Conte, who has been working with Andre Berto, is tweeting up a storm on the topic of Berto testing positive for a forbidden steroid. Here’s some of what he is saying…

“Andre Berto’s postive test for nandrolone has absolutely nothing to do with me or any supplements I provided. Likely trace contamination.”

“Andre has admitted to taking supplements other than what I provided without my knowledge. Apparently, something was contaminated.”

“This shows that VADA is highly effective. I encouraged Andre to enroll in VADA & he comes up positive. An investigation is being conducted.”

“Several hundred positive tests for nandrolone. I don’t believe they are from using it with intent to cheat. Always from trace contamination.”

“Lots of uneducated people. Nandrolone is the longest lasting steroid known to man. No athlete would ever use it with intent to cheat.” (more…)

Holland, MI Show Canceled

By Bob Ryder

The “Quake At The Lake” boxing card scheduled for Saturday night featuring hometown favorites Johnny Garcia and Jordan Shimmell has been canceled. According to one source there were several paperwork issues unresolved with the state boxing commission. No new date for the show has been announced.

Weights from Bally’s Atlantic City

Jamaal Davis 157 vs. Eberto Medina 157.2
Chuck Mussachio 174 vs. Bill Bailey 178.5
Roberto Yong 165.5 vs. Fred Jenkins, Jr. 165.5
Korey Sloane 138 vs. Justin Johnson 138
Korey Pritchett 139 vs. David Gonzalez 140
Louis Robinson 183.5 vs. Todd Unthank-may 178.5
Latwon Halsey 145 vs. Miguel Corcino 145.5

Fight Date: Saturday, May 19, 2012
Venue: Bally’s Atlantic City
Promoter: Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc.
First Bout: 7.30pm
Tickets: $50 & $75 available at the door

Berto fails VADA drug test

First it was Lamont Peterson, now Andre Berto is the latest fighter to run into problems with extra voluntary drug testing not required by the state boxing commission. We had heard last week that former welterweight champion Andre Berto has tested positive for a steroid in pre-fight drug testing but wanted to wait for official confirmation before reporting it. That confirmation came today. This time Golden Boy has ample time to find a replacement opponent for Victor Ortiz on June 23 in the likely event Berto is not allowed to fight. Last week the company was forced to cancel Peterson’s rematch with Amir Khan, which should have been in the midst of the pre-fight weigh-in as this report is being posted.

Former BALCO chief Victor Conte, who is working with Berto tweeted “Andre Berto’s postive test for nandrolone has absolutely nothing to do with me or any supplements I provided. Likely trace contamination.”

Weights from Montreal

By Dave Spencer

Tablecloths were the order of the afternoon as both visiting opponents fighting for North American titles came in heavy. Lanardo Tyner who hasn’t fought at 140 in close to four years and was only announced this week as an opponent predictably came in heavy, being slightly over two pounds over the light-welterweight limit. More surprisingly Lionell Thompson who at 12-0 would be considered a slight favourite in his match-up with Nicholson Poulard (17-3) also came in heavy by a pound. Both fighters were given two hours to lose the excess weight but didn’t; should either win the titles would remain vacant.

Despite the extra pounds, it didn’t stop Tyner from talking the talk as he stepped off the scales. “It’s ‘Pain Server’ time,” he barked to the crowd. “I’m going to step him up and welcome him to the big leagues.” Dierry Jean was unimpressed responding that it was instead ‘Douggy Style’ time and that he already was well aware of what the big leagues were all about.

Dierry Jean 139.8 vs. Lanardo Tyner 142.1
(Vacant NABA Light Welterweight Title)
Nicholson Poulard 174 vs. Lionell Thompson 176
(Vacant NABA Light Heavyweight Title)
Ghislain Maduma 136.6 vs. Aldo Valtierra 137
Baha Laham 131.6 vs. Arpad Vass 130.7
Ahmad Cheikho 147 vs. Laslo Komjathi 147.
Ibrahim Kamal 133.9 vs. Aboubeker Bechelaghem 134.5
Chris Plaitis 132.5 vs. Csaba Toth 129.4
Schiller Hyppolite 172.4 vs. Ferene Sarkozi 172

Venue: Holiday Inn Pointe Claire
Promoter: Eye of the Tiger
First Bell: 7pm

Sanchez, Rosas make weight

Photos: Rafael Soto/Zanfer

Juan Carlos Sanchez 115 vs. J Alberto Rosas 115
(IBF super flyweight championship)
Armando Robles 147 vs. Alejandro Barrera 147
Sergio Torres 135 vs. Guillermo Arroyo 136.8
Miguel Barchelet 131 vs. Carlos Orozco 131
Miguel Beltran 135 vs. Daniel Medina 135
Julian Yedras 108 vs. Alfonso Gonzalez 109
Alberto Beltran 141 vs. Carlos Parra 143
Oscar Arce 112 vs. Cristian Cortez 111.7
Venue: Tecate Box Tour Puerto Vallarta
Promoter: Zanfer Promotions
TV: TV Azteca
Click here for photos

June 1 “A Puño Limpio” card announced

Junior welterweight prospect Osenohad “Cano” Vazquez (6-1, 2 KOs) and unbeaten hard puncher Rafael “El Pollo Blanco” Gonzalez will collide on June 1st, headlining the new edition of the series “A Puño Limpio”, to be held at the Cancha Mario Jimenez (7-0, 6 KOs)in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, in a PR Best Boxing Promotions (PRBBP) presentation, in association with Top Rank, to be televised live on WAPA America at 10PM. Vazquez, from Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, will fight Gonzalez, from Caguas, in an eight round bout. In the junior flyweights and in a six rounds fight, Israel “El Heredero” Vazquez (5-0-2, 5 KOs), son of former three time WBA world champion Wilfredo Vazquez and brother of the former WBO superbantamweight Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., will face veteran Miguel “Samurai” del Valle (8-17, 2 KOs). Seven more bouts will complete the show.

Weights From Tepic, Mexico

By Felipe Leon

****Photos Coming****

Oscar Gonzalez 120.2 vs. Giovanni Caro 118.4
Pedro Guevara 107.6 vs. Jose Martinez 106.3
Omar Estrella 132.3 vs. Jhean Carlo Aparicio 132.3
Oswaldo Castro 114.4 vs. Jose Estrella 114.6
Pedro Melo 115.3 vs. Salvador Arias 113.5
Brian Sanchez 170 vs. Marco Antonio Parra 164.2
Damian Gonzalez 165.1 vs. Arturo Grajeola 161.4

When: Saturday, May 19th
Where: Monumental Plaza de Toros de Don Antonio, Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
Promotor: Box Latino
TV: Televisa

WBC silver twinbill Saturday night

Two WBC Silver Championship fights will be in the spotlight this weekend at the Antiguo Palenque De La Feria in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico. Strawweight Ganigan “El Zurdo” Lopez (21-3, 14 KOs) faces Denver Cuello (30-4-5, 20 KOs) and featherweight Robinson Castellanos (14-9, 9 KOs) meets Miguel Angel Gonzalez (16-3-1, 7 KOs). In addition to fighting for the WBC Silver championship, Lopez and Cuello will also be competing in a WBC world title final eliminator. The Canelo Promotions/Boxeo De Gala card will air on Sunday afternoon on Fox Deportes on a delayed basis.

Flores wins WBC heavyweight Youth title

Before a celebrity packed crowd of nearly 1,000, young heavyweight prospect, Alexander “The Great” Flores, took his first step in his climb up the heavyweight rankings with a fifth round knockout of Joey Montoya on Roy Englebrecht Promotions Rumble On The Range III show at the Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank, California.

Under a beautiful California evening before the likes of Joe Pesci, Andy Garcia, Scott Baio, Oscar De La Hoya, and with a boxing ring set up on the driving range at the historic golf club started by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, 21 year old Flores, who overcame a second round accidental headbutt, goes to 9-0 with the win as he controlled the fight from the start. However the very game Montoya didn’t back down, but just couldn’t avoided Flores relentless firepower and Montoya’s corner called a halted to the onslaught after the fifth round with the Colorado Springs boxer taking his first pro loss and dropping to 4-1-3. This was the 7th knockout win for Flores who is promoted by Roy Englebrecht Promotions and mostly will now be ranked in the WBC’s top 30. (more…)

WBC will ban Luxembourg if Haye-Chisora comes off

While the WBA and WBO have sanctioned the July 14 grudge match in London between David Haye and Dereck Chisora, the WBC has sided with the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) and vowed to ban the Luxembourg Boxing Federation and anyone associated with them. In a letter from WBC president Jose Sulaiman to the BBBofC, the WBC confirmed that anyone involved in the fight will be dismissed from the WBC if the fight goes ahead.

“We will expel Luxembourg from our organisation if the commission went ahead as well as any person or institution that has relations with them,” wrote Sulaiman. “We will not condone such a disgraceful behaviour (from Chisora) after seeing that this boxer has no idea of what good behaviour is, by accepting to participate in the intent to threat and embarrass the organisation of boxing with such an act. I am sure the European Boxing Union is on the verge of a strong position against Luxembourg. I am also furious with the promoter who is trying to blast the ethics, honesty and seriousness of the sport of boxing.”

More than 20,000 tickets have already been sold for the fight.

Kessler, Green make weight (with lbs. to spare)

Photo by Photo Wende

Tomorrow night Mikkel Kessler and Allan Green are fighting for the WBC silver light heavyweight world championship at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark. Today the former WBC and WBA super middleweight world champion Kessler weighed in at just 169.1 lbs. Green weighed in at 171.7 lbs. The light heavyweight limit is 175 lbs.

Haye-Chisora sanctioned by WBO and WBA

It was confirmed today that David Haye and Dereck Chisora’s heavyweight showdown on July 14th will be for the WBO International and WBA Intercontinental titles. The pair meet in one of the most eagerly awaited heavyweight fights in recent years at West Ham United’s Boleyn Ground in East London.

Also confirmed by promoter Frank Warren for the “Licensed To Thrill” card is Alexander Povetkin’s WBA world heavyweight title defense against former champion Hasim Rahman on the show which will be sanctioned by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation. It had been expected that that bout would be moved to Germany after threats to ban all involved in the Haye-Chisora promotion by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Paco Valcarcel, president of the WBO, said, “We have to go ahead and approve the fight. The Luxembourg Boxing Federation is a member of the WBO and the problem is between the LBF and the British Boxing Board of Control, not the LBF and the WBO.”

The British Boxing Board of Control are both affiliated with WBO and WBA organizations.

Weights from Hollywood, Fla.

By Phil Doherty
Photos: Segundo Rivero/ Acquinity Sports

Claudio Marrero 125.25 vs Emmanuel Lucero 126
Juan Carlos Payano 117.5 vs Luis Maldonado 118
Humberto Savigne 173 vs Richard Hall 173.5
Felix Diaz 146.75 vs Javier Perez 143.25
Jessy Cruz 120.75 vs Jamal Parram 121.5
Lennin Castillo 176.5 vs Alvaro Enriquez 177.5

Venue: Seminole Hard Rock Live, Hollywood FL
Promoter: Acquinity Sports

(more…)

Kiattaweesuk beats Sinyabi in IBF eliminator

By Ron Jackson

South African junior featherweight champion Macbute Siyabi was stopped in the tenth round by Thailand’s Thangthong Kiattaweesuk in the tenth round of an IBF junior featherweight title eliminator in Bangkok on Friday (Thailand time). The South African was down in the second and sixth round before the stoppage in the tenth round. The 25-year-old Sinyabi sees his record drop to 18-2 and the 33-year-old Kiattaweesuk who fights from the southpaw stance improves his record to 24-0, 17 KOs. The winner will now qualify to challenge South Africa’s IBF champion Jeffrey Mathebula.

“Canelo” Alvarez Update

By Gabriel F. Cordero

Fightnews.com has learned that there a strong possibility that WBC super welterweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will defend his world title in a mega event promoted by Golden Boy Promotions at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 15. According to the source, Canelo’s handlers Eddy and Chepo Reynoso met last week with Golden Boy and it looks like James Kirkland could be the challenger as it is not certain that Miguel Cotto can fight on this date. It’s known that Kirkland currently has an injured shoulder but he remains a strong option.

Weights from Mexico City

Mauricio Pintor 139 vs. Ivan Cano 140
(Vacant WBC & WBO Youth jr. welter titles)
Francisco Cardenas 112 vs. Mario Andrade 112
Jorge Urias 131 vs. Luis Alfonso Epazote 132
Luis Alberto Huilot 135 vs. Ulises Moreno 135
Ernesto Nava TBA vs. Uriel Gonzalez TBA
Cesar Aguilar 122 vs. Victor Juarez 122
Carlos Cortes 140 vs. Ernesto Ortiz 140
Venue: Auditorio Plaza Condesa, Mexico DF, Mexico
Promoter: All Star Boxing, Inc., “The New Generation” & Felix “Tuto” Zabala, Jr., Producciones Deportivas-Ricardo Maldonado Jr. and RB Producciones-Eric Reider
TV: Telemundo Main Event Live @ 11:35 PM (ET).

Weights from Albany, NY

Raymond Serrano 139 vs. Karim Mayfield 139
Jason Escalera 160 vs. Nick Brinson 160
Kevin Rooney Jr. 160 vs. Anthony Jones 161
Lekan Byfield 164 vs. Tony Brinson 164
David Telesco 178 vs. Vincent Miranda 180
Bryan Abrahm 142 vs. Kenny Abril 146
Venue: Times Union Center, Albany, NY
Promoter: Star Boxing
TV: ESPN2

No TV for Solis-Airich

Saturday’s Telefutura telecast will not include the highly anticipated comeback of heavyweight contender Odlanier Solis (17-1, 12 KOs). The six-time national Cuban amateur champion and 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist last fought fourteen months ago in a challenge of WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko on March 19, 2011. That bout ended abruptly in the first round when a sudden knee injury forced Solis out of the fight almost before it began in the first round. Solis will face world-rated Konstantin Airich (23-5-2, 17 KOs) in a twelve round bout.

Telefutura’s telecast of Saturday’s card at the Pharr Convention Center in Pharr, Texas, will feature an eight-rounder between lightweights Jerry Belmontes (15-0, 5 KOs) and Remesis Gil (7-3-5, 6 KOs).

Tomlinson, Ruiz make weight

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing
Photos: Werner Kalin

Will “Wild Will” Tomlinson weighed 129.4 pounds and Daniel Ruiz weighed 129.8 pounds for Friday’s IBO world title bout in Melbourne Australia. Tomlinson (18-0, 12 KOs) will challenge for the vacant title against Mexico’s Daniel “Canerito” Ruiz (27-4-1, 19 KOs) over twelve rounds. Ruiz resides in Los Mochis Sinaloa, Mexico and Tomlinson resides in Sydney, Australia. Both boxers stand 5’7 and box from the orthodox stance.

Officials for the IBO title bout are referee Steve Smoger (USA) judges Gary Dean (Australia), Steve Scott (New Zealand), Glenn Feldman (USA) and supervisior Phil Austin (Australia). (more…)

Pacquiao workout gallery

Photos: Chris Farina / Top Rank

Superstar Manny Pacquiao hits the speed bag Thursday at the Wildcard Boxing Club in preparation for his upcoming World Welterweight title mega-fight against undefeated Jr. Welterweight champion Timothy “The Desert Storm” Bradley Jr.. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Tecate, AT&T and MGM Grand, Pacquiao vs Bradley will take place, Saturday, June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, live on HBO Pay Per View.

more photos

Weights from Dover, Delaware

Franklin Lawrence 236 vs. Mike Mollo 230
(NABA Heavyweight Title)
Ronica Jeffrey 126 vs. Jackie Trivilino 126
(NABF Featherweight Title)

Venue: Dover Downs
1st Bell: 7:30
TV: Wealth TV

Golden Boy inks Perez, Ramirez

Golden Boy Promotions’ signing of current WBA interim super lightweight world champion Johan Perez (15-0-1, 12 KOs) and unbeaten former amateur standout Julian Ramirez (2-0, 2 KOs) to multi-year promotional agreements. “This is a big day for us and I’m proud to have these two boxers fighting for us now,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Boxing will never grow if we don’t keep cultivating new talent and in Johan and Julian, we’ve signed two fighters that you’re going to be hearing a lot about in the months and years to come.” Both fighters’ first fights under the Golden Boy Promotions banner will be announced at a later date.

Video: Chavez Jr. Training + Interviews

Footage of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, training plus interviews with both Junior, Senior and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. Chavez, Jr. just started training in Las Vegas in preparation for his upcoming defense of his world middleweight championship vs. Andy Lee on June 16 at the Sun Bowl in El Paso. Video courtesy of Top Rank.

Chavez, Lee on weight; avoid fines

WBC middleweight champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and challenger Andy Lee, made the mandatory weight 30 days prior to their clash scheduled next June 16, marking 175 pounds the champion and 174 the challenger.

The WBC considers the weigh-ins taking place 30 and 7 days prior to the bout and the medical test 30 days before the bout to be of great importance and has decided to crack down on boxers and promoters that do not completely fulfill every mandatory aspect. Effective immediately the WBC will fine $300 to any person who doesn’t follow these rules in WBC regional championship bouts, and $1,000 for any failed act in the run up to a WBC world championship bout. There will be no exceptions.