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NEWS FLASH Mundine rules out Kessler bout! By Ray Wheatley -- World of Boxing Anthony Mundine has decided to give up his WBA super middleweight belt after he defends against Sam Soliman on May 28. This means he will not have to face former conqueror Mikkel Kessler who is the mandatory contender for the championship. Mundine was ordered by the WBA to fight Kessler after Sam Soliman defense. Mundine stated he wanted to become a world champion in three weight divisions and will go after the world's best middleweights Arthur Abraham, Kelly Pavlik and Felix Sturm. "I want to become middleweight champion and then eventually the light heavyweight champion," Mundine said. "I can be a six-time world champion in three different weight divisions. I will definitely finish a great fighter. I won't put myself up there with [Muhammad] Ali and [Sugar] Ray Robinson, but I will be the best athlete ever overall. I didn't come to boxing till I was 25. In my previous sport, I was the best and I will be the best in boxing. I'll be the best combined athlete ever, a six-time world champ, because that's my favorite number. The [WBA] title means a lot but it wasn't a very viable decision [to fight Kessler]." It has already been announced that Kessler will face Dimitri Sartison for the vacant WBA title on June 21. Sunday, May 11 2008 RESULT Esquibel wins at Sky City By Chris Cozzone and Ricardo Trujillo Tonight at Sky City Casino in Acoma, N.M.: Weathering a rough knockdown in the fourth, Albuquerque featherweight Matthew "Papitas" Esquivel (8-0, 4 KOs) rose from the canvas, then to the occassion, to defeat the toughest opponent in his career in Luis Cervantes (7-2-3, 2 KOs), of Cathedral City, Calif. Esquivel's ring generalship, and a third round knockdown sealed a majority decision in his favor, with scores of 57-56, 57-55 and 56-56. The Romero Promotions card saw the best action yet this year in N.M. On the undercard: Albuquerque jr. lightweight Archie Ray Marquez (2-0, 2 KOs) took out tough Cesar Holguin-Gutierrez (0-2) with a kayo at :58 of round two; Albuquerque bantam powerhouse David Proa (3-0, 3 KOs) destroyed Beto Perez (2-3) at 1:45 of round one; Albuquerque bantamweight James Piar (2-0, 1 KO) put Socorro's Miguel Armendarez (0-2) to sleep at 2:16 of the first; In a brutal four-round war, Albuquerque's Jose Cruz Garcia (2-2) won a unanimous decision over Albuquerque debuter Alejandro Lopez (0-1) with scores of 39-37 x 3; and, in the show opener, Duke City welter debuter Josh "The Pittbull" Torres (1-0, 1 KO) forced Socorro MMA fighter Richard Montano (0-1) to quit on his stool between the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Stay tuned for a full report and a gallery tomorrow. Sunday, May 11 2008 RESULT  Bradley dethrones Witter! Photo: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
 #1 rated challenger Timothy Bradley (22-0, 11 KOs) seized the WBC super lightweight championship with a split decision over defending champion Junior Witter (36-2-1, 21 KOs) on Saturday night at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England. Witter got off to a good start, but Bradley turned the tide by dropping Witter in round six and outworking Witter over much of the remainder of the fight to prevail by scores of 115-113 and 114-113 on two cards. Witter was ahead 115-112 on the third card. In the co-feature, WBC #1 rated super middleweight Carl Froch (23-0, 19 KOs) battered previously unbeaten late-replacement Albert Rybacki (15-1, 8 KOs), scoring a fourth round TKO. Froch is Joe Calzaghe's mandatory challenger, although Calzaghe is expected to relinquish the title without meeting Froch. (More). Saturday, May 10 2008 RESULT  Kentikian destroys Ortega! The “Killer Queen“ Susi Kentikian successfully defended her WBA and WIBF flyweight belts in the very first round against American Mary Ortega at the Brandberge Arena in Halle an der Saale. After a slow start, which saw both fighters trying to get into their rhythm, it was Kentikian who got off first. A quick combination punctuated by a short right hand to the jaw sent Ortega down for the first time in the fight. The challenger was able to get up but was unable to defend herself against the overwhelming Kentikian. Seconds later, she went down again. Another barrage of punches forced the referee to call a halt to the action at 1:53 minutes of the round. Kentikian won in a stunning fashion, although unexpected, she run over her foe. Most experts expected a close, hard-fought battle but the “Killer Queen” provided a quick and brutal beatdown. She stays unbeaten and is now 21-0 with 16 KOs. Ortega falls to 29-5-2. Welterweight veteran Christian Bladt (33-10-1, 9 KOs) scored a sixth round TKO over local favorite Norman Schuster (14-1, 6 KOs) in a bout for the WBO Intercontinental 147lb belt. Bladt floored Schuster in the sixth then battered him on the ropes to get the stop at the 1:17 mark. Unbeaten heavyweight Sebastian Köber (15-0, 11 KOs) dropped Edgar Kalnars (16-13, 9 KOs) in round three and swept to a one-sided 80-69, 80-69, 80-68 win. Kalnars was also deducted points for elbowing and headbutting. Unbeaten super middleweight Lukas Wilaschek (21-0, 7 KOs) floored Roman Vanicky (8-17-1, 5 KOs) in round three, en route to a 80-71, 80-71, 80-71 shutout. Unbeaten and highly regarded middleweight Gennady Golovkin (12-0, 10 KOs) broke down Ibrahim Sid (9-5-2, 2 KOs), dropping him late in round seven and finishing Sid 26 second into the eighth. Unbeaten heavyweight Gbenga "Bang Bang" Oloukun (16-0, 10 KOs) made quick work of Petr Sedlak (16-4, 13 KOs), knocking down Sedlak twice before the bout was halted at 2:46 of round two. Unbeaten light heavyweight Aleksy Kuziemski 15-0, 2 KOs) not surprisingly outclassed Jevgenijs Andrejevs (8-21, 2 KOs) over eight by scores of 80-72 across the board. Unbeaten Spotlight light heavyweight Patrick Dobroschi (6-0, 2 KOs) outpointed Titusz Szabo (3-25, 3 KOs) by scores of 39-38, 40-36, 40-36. Female GBU flyweight titleholder Viktoria Milo (19-6, 5 KOs) won an eight rounder over Svetla Taskova (4-21-1, 1 KO) by scores of 78-74, 78-76, 78-74. Saturday, May 10 2008 RESULT Demchenko stops Janusevic! By Enrico "Erik" Crociati Ukranian big puncher Sergey Demchenko (11-2, 10 KOs) won the first title of his pro career just minutes ago in Belgrade, Serbia, stopping local hero Drago Janusevic (14-1, 7 KOs) in four rounds. Janusevic got off to a good start over the first three rounds, but ‘Tiger’ Demchenko turned the tide in the four and dropped Janusevic for the full count with a devasting right hand. With the win Demchenko earns the Ibf I/C title at 175lbs. The 28-year-old Ukranian KO artist is currently living in Rome, Italy and is under a promotional contract with BBT Boxing Team headed by Davide Buccioni. (Special thank’s to Alessandro Ferrarini at ringside) Saturday, May 10 2008 NEWS FLASH Mundine disses 'Christian' Soliman! By Ray Wheatley -- World of Boxing WBA super middleweight champion Anthony Mundine, who will defend the title against Sam Soliman on May 28 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, has stated he is a Muslim and will not allow himself to be defeated by a Christian. Mundine said "I'm just giving Soliman a chance because every fighter has an ego and pride. But he will need a miracle to beat me. It was stopped in nine rounds last year and he'll be lucky to last that long again. He said he had problems before fighting me then - the biggest problem was having me in the other corner. I'm a Muslim and I can't allow myself to lose to a Christian. My people are persecuted all over the world and they need inspirational figures like myself, Zinedine Zidane in soccer and also fellow fighters like Sugar Shane Mosley to look up to." Soliman is with his trainer Dave Hedgecock in Los Angeles and is confident of turning the tables on May 28 against Mundine. Mundine has been ordered by the WBA to defend against Mikkel Kessler if he is successful against Soliman. There is speculation, however, that Mundine will move down to 160 pounds to avoid a rematch with Kessler who has previously defeated him in a WBA title bout. Saturday, May 10 2008 RESULT Samuels smokes Logan! Junior welterweight Derrick Samuels (15-3-1) stopped Donnell Logan (10-16) in the first round on Friday night at the A la Carte Pavillion in Tampa, Florida. Samuels hurt Logan with a body shot and Logan was not able to recover. In the co-feature, jr middleweight Keith Thurman moved to 5-0 with five first round knockouts by destroying Jessie Davis 9-10 in 2:45 seconds of the first stanza. (More) Saturday, May 10 2008 RESULT Kani stops Palmer! By Ray Wheatley -- World of Boxing Queensland super middleweight Israel Kani (9-2-1) captured the vacant national title when he forced a fifth round stoppage over Kerey Palmer (7-2) at the Lake Kawana Community Centre, Kawana Waters, Queensland, Australia on Friday. The 35-year-old Kani met solid resistance from Palmer, 25, and the fight was boxed on even terms throughout the first four rounds. Referee Brad Vocale crowned Kani the winner at 2:42 of round five. Kani was in very good shape for this contest having had former two-time world challenger Shannan Taylor as a sparring partner. Kani said, " Taylor has a better jab than Mundine." Kani was coming off a loss on points to Robert Toomey in March but previously had defeated William Hadlow in November 2007. There is a rematch scheduled for Israel Kani to meet Palmer again on July 19 in Docklands, Melbourne, Victoria. In the main supporting bout, light middleweight James Giltrow (3-0) scored a second round stoppage over Mhelvin Hernandez (1-4). Referee Steve Marshall crowned Giltrow at :47 of round two. Hernandez was down twice in round one. In a four round light middleweight bout, Chris Stewart (2-1) outscored Micah Rivetti (3-9). scores 39-37, 39-37 and 39-37. Promoter Jamie Myer. Saturday, May 10 2008 REPORT Denver's bronco! Alvarado bucks Rosales! Report by Chris Cozzone & Ricardo Trujillo; Photos by Cozzone What was a pick-‘em fight on paper, turned into a pick-‘em-apart fight for Denver hopeful Mike Alvarado, dispatching proven Mexican Michele Rosales in less than seven rounds. With his pop, power and promise, the undefeated Alvarado made a bold statement to all top ten super lightweights, on last night’s Top Rank-promoted, Telefutura-televised card, held before a near sold-out crowd of 2,400, at the Isleta Casino & Resort, south of Albuquerque, N.M. . . . Click here for report and gallery Saturday, May 10 2008 RESULT Findley hammers Hernandez! By Jacob Chavez at ringside Super middleweight Derrick "Superman" Findley (11-2-0, 6 KOs) won an eight round unanimous decision over "The Contender's" Miguel "Macho" Hernandez (20-8-0, 10 KOs) in a cross-town battle on Friday night at Cicero Stadium in Cicero, IL. Findley battered the game Hernandez throughout their eight round slugfest. The judges scored it 79-73 and 80-72 twice. In the co-feature, bantamweight Francisco Rodriguez (12-2, 7 KOs) got back in the winning column by scoring a very impressive TKO win against hard-hitting veteran Angel Priolo (30-6, 20 KOs). Priolo was down in rounds one, two and three before referee Gerald Scott stopped the fight at 2:23 of round three. More to come... Saturday, May 10 2008 RESULT Jones still unbeaten! By Kurt Wolfheimer at ringside Unbeaten welterweight KO artist Mike Jones (14-0, 12 KOs) went the distance for the second consecutive time on Friday night at the New Alhambra in South Philadelphia. Jones hammered out a one-sided eight round unanimous decision over Gilbert Venegas (10-6-3, 7 KOs). Scores were 80-72 across the board. (More) Saturday, May 10 2008 NEWS FLASH Kameda a free agent! Kyoei Gym frees undefeated ex-champ By Joe Koizumi
Keiichiro Kanehira of Kyoei Promotions officially made unbeaten WBA#1/WBC#3 flyweight Koki Kameda a free agent after prolonged managerial and promotional problems on Friday in Tokyo, Japan. No boxers, in Japan, will be allowed to fight here without belonging to some boxing gym under the traditional club system. Kameda made up his mind to go and train in Mexico until he contracts with some other club than Kyoei. Until that time his managerial right will be temporarily held by the East Japan Pro Boxing Association, presided by ex-WBC/WBA minium champ Hideyuki Ohashi. Or, he may establish his own Kameda Gym with some representative in the future. Now that Kameda has left Kyoei Gym, to which WBA 112-pound champ Takefumi Sakata belongs, there may be a possibility that Sakata will make a mandatory defense against his ex-stablemate Kameda. Kanehira says, "I wish Kameda good luck after this amicable settlement." Kameda also says, "I really appreciate Kyoei Gym having made me world champ, and hope to win world belts in three different classes." Kameda will depart for Mexico on Monday to start his new training life there. Saturday, May 10 2008 NEWS FLASH  Witter-Bradley: Final Words! TONIGHT ON SHOWTIME 10:45PM ET/PT On a special Saturday night edition of ShoBox, WBC super lightweight champion Junior Witter will defend his crown for the third time when he takes on #1 contender Timothy Bradley at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England (same day tape delay at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME). In the co-feature, hard-hitting super middleweight Carl Froch will be facing late-replacement Albert Rybacki of Poland (15-0, 8 KOs). Here's what they had to say at the weigh-in: Junior Witter: Timothy Bradley has had some success already. He’s a young, talented fighter. He's done quite well for himself, but on Saturday night he’s going to understand what it feels like to be in the ring with a world champion. I've seen Bradley box. He’s aggressive and active. He's got quick hands. We have a plan in place that will take him out of his comfort zones. Lets be honest, the champion will remain the champion. I'm going out there to deliver some pain. Timothy Bradley: I can’t wait for the bell to ring. I’m very anxious for my first title fight. People ask me if I’m nervous. It’s a world title fight; I’m itching to get inside the ring. It’s like when you run around in fresh, cut grass. You get that itch. During the face off, I didn’t like the way he was looking at me. Saturday, on SHOWTIME, I’ll unleash all of my energy on Junior Witter. I’m going to fight a smart fight. We have an elaborate game plan in place. I’m a versatile fighter so we’ve prepared for a lot of things. I’ll know how and when to attack Witter. Also see: Bradley ready for title shot by Francisco Salazar Saturday, May 10 2008 RESULT Nongqayi defeats Ler! By Ron Jackson Simphiwo Nongqayi had to come back from a knockdown to retain his WBF super flyweight belt on a unanimous 12 round points decision over the rugged Julio Ler from the Argentine at the Nasrec Indoor Arena near Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday night. Judge Rassie Erasmus scored it 118-110 and judges Alfred Buqwana and Wally Snowball had it 116-111 and 116-112 all in favour of the champion. Nongqayi to 15-0, 6 KOs and Ler drops to 25-5, 11 KOs. (More) Saturday, May 10 2008 RESULT Raika edges Brown! By Joe Koizumi It was a historical first night featuring all female boxers after the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) duly recognized the female boxing this year. WBA#1/WBC#2 lightweight Fujin Raika (18-3-1, 6 KOs), 136, eked out a majority but well-received decision (58-57, 58-56 and 58-58) over WBC#14 super-light Nathalie Brown (5-1, 3 KOs), 136.25, over six heats on Friday in Tokyo, Japan. Raika, a stout-built puncher, had a tough time coping with the fast and sharp Brown, whose flicker jab and footwork kept the Japanese from coming close to her in the first two rounds. Raika, however, kept boring in and connected with left hooks and right crosses as Brown began to run out of gas. Raika looked to dominate the third through fifth sessions, though they fought on even terms in the last round. It was a good fight. (More) Saturday, May 10 2008 ANNOUNCEMENT “El Gato” resigns with Seeno Figueroa featured in May 14th ESPN2 Wednesday Night Fights NABF jr welterweight champion Francisco “El Gato” Figueroa has resigned with the Seeno Boxing Group. “I initially signed Frankie in 2006 because I believed then that he would become a world champion and I continue to feel the same way now,” stated Yaseen Malnik, president of Seeno Group Boxing. “We will work hard together to continue moving him up the rankings and towards a world title!” The Spanish Harlem-born, Bronx-raised Figueroa (18-2, 13 KOs) captured his NABF title belt on July 28, 2007 stopping hardcore veteran Ubaldo Hernandez in the 12th round. “El Gato” has not lost a fight since 2004 and is on a ten-fight winning streak. Figueroa is the #10 WBC, #13 IBF and #14 WBA ranked jr welterweight contender. He trains with James “Buddy” McGirt, Sr. in Vero Beach, Florida. Figueroa fights Luis Rodriguez (22-1, 13 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico in the main event of the May 14th ESPN2 Wednesday Night Fights. “The 140-pound division is the hottest division in boxing today and I know Frankie will be one of superstars at junior welterweight within a year,” proclaimed Malnick. Saturday, May 10 2008 SPECIAL Saturday morning's Boxing Show! Guest: former heavywt champ Chris Byrd! FightNews feature writer Antonio Castro is the host of the “KNR2 BOXING SHOW” which airs each SATURDAY from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. EST on Cleveland's AM 1540 KNR2 in the Cleveland and Northern Ohio area (plus available online at www.ESPNCLEVELAND.com). This Saturday morning Antonio will talk with former heavyweight champion Chris Byrd! You can e-mail your questions for Antonio and his guest at boxing@espncleveland.com Saturday, May 10 2008 NEWS FLASH  Schorle gets Mijares-Munoz plum! Officials have been named for the PPV WBC/WBA unification super flyweight super fight between Cristian Mijares and Alexander Munoz on May 17th in Gómez Palacio, Durango, Mexico. The referee will be John Schorle. Judging the bout will be Marty Sammon (USA), Burt Clemens (USA) and Gustavo Padilla (Panama). Saturday, May 10 2008 RESULT Arnaoutis defeats Tyner! By Matt Richardson at ringside / Photo: Ed Mulholland
 Junior welterweight contender "Mighty" Mike Arnaoutis (19-2-2, 9 KOs) pounded out a twelve round unanimous decison over previously unbeaten Lanardo Tyner (19-1, 11 KOs) on Friday night at Bally's Atlantic City. Arnaoutis was cut over his right eye, but outworked Tyner to win by scores of 116-112, 118-110, 118-110, thus retaining his USBA title.
2004 US Olympic Team captain Devin Vargas (16-0, 7 KOs), wearing red trunks, knocks out Dave Brunelli (8-3, 3 KOs) with a right hand in the first round of their heavyweight bout at Bally's Ballroom in Atlantic City, NJ. Other Results: Unbeaten welterweight Raymond Serrano Jr (6-0, 4 KOs) needed just 1:46 to smoke Charles Wade (4-6, 1 KO). Local middleweight Patrick Majewski (8-0, 5 KOs) was down in round two, but prevailed over Ariel Espinal (6-3-1, 2 KOs) by 38-37 on all cards. Lightweight Clinton Douglas (3-1-2) took a majority four round nod over Francisco Palacios (2-5-4) by scores of 38-38, 39-37, 39-37. Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH Alvarado stops Rosales! By Chris Cozzone at ringside / Photo: Chris Cozzone
 In his toughest bout to date, unbeaten super lightweight Mike Alvarado (21-0, 13 KOs) scored a seventh round TKO over Michel Rosales (20-2, 18 KOs) on Friday night at the Isleta Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was a hard fought battle from the opening ball with both fighters landing bombs throughout. The end came at 1:28 of round seven when an Alvarado barrage prompted referee Rocky Burke to surprisingly halt the bout. The stoppage seemed premature, not to take away from an excellent performance by Alvarado. In his return after facing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in December, hometown super welterweight favorite Ray Sanchez III (21-2, 15 KOs) won a majority decision over Patrick Thompson (15-12-1, 5 KOs). Scores were 97-93, 96-94, 95-95. Friday, May 9 2008 BREAKING NEWS Campbell-Casamayor to bid? Campbell willing to accept 50-50 split The anticipated lightweight matchup between IBF/ WBO / WBA champion Nate Campbell vs. WBO interim champion Joel Casamayor appears to be headed for a purse bid, according to Campbell's co-promoter Terry J. Trekas of One Punch Productions. "I spoke to Don King about an hour ago, and Don will be requesting that the WBO order this fight to go to purse bid, since the "negotiations" went nowhere. Whether or not that results in Joel actually signing the bout agreement, well, we will have to see what happens with that. My guess is he won't, but this is the process we have to go through" said Trekas. One potential problem appears to already have been resolved. Different sources have indicated that Team Campbell was expecting an 80-20 split in their favor, as the split was when the proposed Diaz-Katsidis matchup went to purse bid. Other sources indicate it would be a 50-50 split. Regarding the projected split, the very outspoken Campbell said the following; "You know what? It SHOULD be 80-20 my way. I took Diaz place, and he took Katsidis. I'm the world champ, and a multiple belt holder, and he is the interim champ. Same situatuion as Diaz-Katsidis. But if the WBO doesn't recognize me as a Super Champion like they did Diaz, then so be it. Even though I should be entitled to an 80-20 split my way, since I have 3 belts on the table and he has none, except of course for the Golden Boy belt, I'll tell you this much. For the opportunity to knock his ass into retirement once and for all, I'll take the 50-50. It's actually almost worth the 30% cut for the opportunity to stomp a mudhole in his a**. So bring on the purse bid. And let's see if his so-called "promoter" will even show up for the bid, since they don't have a tv date. Rest assured that Don will be at that bid, date or no date, envelope in hand." Friday, May 9 2008 RESULT Narvaez retains flyweight title! Longtime WBO flyweight champion Omar Narvaez (27-0-2, 17 KOs) retained his title with an eighth round TKO of Ivan Pozo (28-5-1, 18 KOs) at the Pabellón Central in Vigo, Spain. It was the 13th consecutive successful defense for Narvaez, who schooled his challenger from the second round on. The bout ended when Pozo failed to come out for the eighth round. Narvaez will now take aim at equalling Angentinean legend Carlos Monzon's record of 14 defenses. Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH  Witter, Bradley make weight! Photo: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
 WBC super lightweight world titlist Junior "The Hitter" Witter (36-1-2, 21 KOs) and unbeaten challenger Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley (21-0, 11 KOs), bot made weight for Saturday night's showdown at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England. Witter weighed 139.7, while Bradley scaled in at 139.5. The fight can be seen on SHOWTIME at 10:45 ET/PT. Also, unbeaten WBC #1 rated supermiddle Carl Froch weighed 168.6 for his clash with unbeaten Albert Rybacki, who weighed 168.8. Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH Gonzalez-Pastrana undercard! The undercard has been announced for the previously reported Telefutura-televised clash of former champions between Jhonny Gonzalez and Mauricio Pastrana on May 16 at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California. In the co-feature, super bantamweight Antonio Escalante (17-2, 10 KOs) takes on David Martinez (18-3-1, 3 KOs). Also, featherweight Eduardo Escobedo (20-3, 14 KOs) and jr welter knockout artist Javier Castro (15-2, 13 KOs) will face TBAs. Unbeaten lightweightMichael Franco risks his clean record (10-0, 7 KOs) against Jaime Gutierrez (3-1), undefeated heavyweights Ashanti Jordan (3-0, 3 KOs) and Hildo Silva (4-0, 1 KO) clash, plus flyweight Anthony Villareal (7-2, 4 KOs) will face Cesar Grajeda (4-0). Tickets are $125, $75 and $35. Call 951-755-5391. Friday, May 9 2008 ANNOUNCEMENT  'El Octagano del UFC' premiere! UFC en Espanol launches this Saturday on Galavision! In the upcoming premiere of “El Octágono del UFC” (The UFC’s Octagon), renowned sportscasters and UFC commentators Troy Santiago and Victor Davila will take viewers through some of the most thrilling battles and over-the-top mixed martial arts action ever seen in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. “El Octágono del UFC”, featuring Santiago and Davila as hosts, launches tomorrow night, Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 8pm ET/PT (7pm CT) on Galavisión . . . . Click here for more The fight game can get very personal and the war of words between UFC Lightweight Champion "THE PRODIGY" BJ PENN and former champ SEAN "THE MUSCLE SHARK" SHERK has taken personal to a whole new level. The talking stops and the real competition begins as these two men step into the Octagon to determine the undisputed king of the 155-lb. division at UFC 84: ILL WILL - Saturday, May 24, live on Pay-Per-View and Yahoo! Sports online from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT. Go to 84.ufc.com for more info. Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH Braekhus returns May 17! Photo: Photo Wende
Cecilia Braekhus is eager to continue her march up the rankings on May 17 when she takes on Adelita Irizarry in Bayreuth. The First Lady (6-0, 2 KOs) is looking for her seventh win in as many fights. “I can´t wait to get back into the ring,” she said. “I have learned so much in practice and now I want to use it in the ring.” Earlier this year, the Scandinavian beauty became the first lady fighter ever to be signed by Sauerland Event. Trained by Ulli Wegner, she has turned into a huge fan and media darling. (More) Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH  Froch telecast confirmed! SHOWTIME has confirmed Fightnews' report that hard-hitting super middleweight Carl Froch (22-0, 18 KOs) has been added as the co-feature to Saturday's special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation, which is taking place from Nottingham, England (10:45PM ET/PT, tape delayed). Froch will risk a guaranteed WBC world title fight by fighting Albert Rybacki (15-0, 8 KOs) in a battle of unbeatens. "Carl Froch is an exciting and talented fighter to watch," said ShoBox Executive Producer Gordon Hall on location in Nottingham. "He's got significant power and a thrilling style. This is a great opportunity to give our viewers a first look at a guy who very well could be the next super middleweight world champion." The undefeated Froch of Nottingham, was originally scheduled to face Denis Inkin in a WBC final eliminator for the super middleweight title, but Inkin pulled out two weeks ago complaining of a back injury sustained in training. As a result, the WBC officially named Froch the mandatory challenger to current 168-pound champion Joe Calzaghe. "Froch is confident enough to put his unbeaten record on the line against anyone," said promoter Mick Hennessy. "We did not want to pass up the opportunity to put on a good performance to the American television audience on SHOWTIME." Saturday's SHOWTIME telecast of ShoBox: The New Generation will open with the world title fight of Witter vs. Bradley at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT. Froch vs. Rybacki will follow as the second fight of the show. Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH Peter eyes optional defense! Golota the frontrunner to face Nigerian Nightmare WBC heavyweight champion Sam Peter is free to take an interim fight before defending his belt against Vitali Klitschko. Part of the agreement hammered out yesterday in Mexico City allows Peter to defend his belt by July, probably against Andrew Golota. Co-promoter Dino Duva is working on that bout "feverishly." As for Peter-Klitschko, all that is certain is that the clash will take place sometime this fall, with date, site and television to be deterimined in the near future. According to Duva, the event will be co-promotion between Duva Boxing and K2 Promotions, with Duva serving as lead promoter. "We're ecstatic," added Duva. "It's the best possible deal for all concerned – the fighters, promoters, and most importantly the fans." Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH  Kentikian, Ortega make weight! Photo: Eroll Popova
 Susi Kentikian 111.9 vs Mary Ortega 110.2 (WBA/WIBF flyweight world championship) Norman Schuster 146.8 vs Christian Bladt 145 Sebastian Köber 224.2 vs Edgar Kalnars 218.9 Lukas Wilaschek 167.7 vs Roman Vanicky 167.9 Gennady Golovkin 159.8 vs Ibrahim Sid 160.9 Gbenga Oloukun 223.5 vs Petr Sedlak 225.9 Aleksy Kuziemski 175 vs Jevgenijs Andrejevs 181.2 Patrick Dobroschi 174.8 vs Titusz Szabo 172.4 Viktoria Milo 111.7 vs Svetla Taskova 109.5 Venue: Sporthalle Brandberge in Halle/Saale, Germany Promoter: Spotlight Boxing TV: PreSieben (Germany) Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH Edwards headlines May 30! Undefeated super middleweight Derek Edwards (23-0, 13 KOs) will headline Walter Johnson Promotions' May 30 card at the Hayes-Taylor YMCA in Greensboro, NC. Edwards will box ten rounds against veteran Raynard Darden, whom he has faced twice previously. The card will also feature jr. middleweight John Butler (19-2, 7 KOs) in an eight-round bout against Josh Hammock (9-6, 4 KOs). Also on tap are welterweight Jeremy Yelton (17-10, 8 KOs), former jr. middleweight prospect Shakir Ashanti (16-9, 5 KOs) who returns to the ring after a three year layoff and takes on 21-fight veteran journeyman Marquise McConnell. Heayweight Jackie Saye will also see action. Tickets are on sale now at the Hayes-Taylor YMCA or by callin 336-254-5952. Tickets are $325 for a VIP table of 8, $45, $25 and $20. Call 336-254-4700. Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH MMA in Tennessee? State ponders new athletic commission By JD Meredith, Memphisboxing.com The state of Tennessee is now one step closer to legalizing mixed martial arts events for the state after bill HB 3836 passed the House on Tuesday (5/6/08) by a 95-2 vote. The legislation still has two crucial votes. One with the Senate finance committee on Monday followed by a Senate floor vote. Not only is this bill vital to MMA in Tennessee, which will greatly impact state and local economies by bringing in projected state-wide revenues nearing one-hundred million dollars, but it will also provide better regulation of other sports including boxing via the establishment of a new athletic commission. You can be a part of bringing revenue to the Volunteer State. Tennessee law markers are standing by to take your calls and e-mails supporting bill SB 3836. If you live out of state but do business in Tennessee your support may be voiced as well. Visit Memphisboxing.com for a list of lawmakers you can contact by phone or e-mail Friday (5/9), Saturday (5/10), Sunday (5/11) and Monday (5/12) to express your interest in SB 3836. Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH  Froch bout on SHOWTIME! Photos: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
 In addition to the attractive WBC super lightweight world title fight between champion Junior Witter and unbeaten Timothy Bradley, Fightnews has learned that SHOWTIME will also televise the clash between WBC #1 super middleweight and Joe Calzaghe mandatory challenger Carl Froch (22-0, 18 KOs) and unbeaten Albert Rybacki (15-0, 8 KOs). The same day ShoBox telecast will commence at 10:45PM ET/PT on SHOWTIME). Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH Sam-Skelton Update! The European heavyweight title fight between Sinan Samil Sam and Matt Skelton, originally scheduled for May 30th in Istanbul, will now most probably take place on July 4th in the same city. Fighters scheduled for the May 30 Arena Box-Promotion undercard have been shifted to a May 30 event in Bilbao, Spain, in cooperation with local promoter Arturo Moral (Stock Eventos). Appearing on the Bilbao card will be light welterweight Sergej Sorokin, middleweight prospect Mahir Oral, Olympic gold medallist Odlanier Solis and the already announced bout between Konstantin Airich and "Brixton Bomber" Danny Williams. Friday, May 9 2008 NEWS FLASH Bonus Shot of the Day! Photo: David Martin Warr/DKP
 WBC president Jose Sulaiman (center) presides at yesterday's purse bid in Mexico City. From left, Dino Duva, Ahmet Öner, Sulaiman, Tom Loefler, Don King. Friday, May 9 2008
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