Q&A with “Dangerous” Dorin Spivey

Story & photos by Chris Perry

In what is sure to be a thrilling brawl, “Dangerous” Dorin Spivey will battle Victor Vasquez in the featured bout of “Super Brawl I” promoted by Diane Fischer’s Dee Lee Promotions, LLC in association with the Tropicana Casino and Resort on Feb. 4 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The vacant NABA Lightweight Championship will be on the line when Spivey (40-6-0, 29 KOs) and Vasquez (14-5-1, 7 KOs) collide in the Tropicana Showroom.

Staying busy, this will be Spivey’s third fight in six months. The former NABA lightweight title holder, 38, won two unanimous decision victories in 2011. Fightnews spoke with Spivey on January 25 at the Bushido Mixed Martial Arts Academy in his hometown Portsmouth, Virginia after a training session. . . Click here for more

Omar Estrella Interview

Photos and report by Felipe Leon

You would think getting into the ring with one of the biggest knock out kings in boxing today might be the toughest thing a fighter might have to do but for featherweight Omar “Dinamita” Estrella (15-3-2, 10 KOs), it might be the second. This Saturday night, the twenty-four year old Estrella will face hard hitting and former world champion Daniel Ponce de Leon (41-4, 34 KOs) of Chihuahua by way of Huntington Park, CA, for the vacant WBC USNBC title. The title bout will be the main event of Mexico’s “Sabados de Corona” televised live on Televisa. For more details and photos click here…

Q&A Jacques Deschamps

By Robert Coster
Photos courtesy Jacques Deschamps

Countries of the Caribbean and Central America have produced great boxers in the past and continue to do so in the present. The region is a constant source of new blood and talent for the game of boxing. A question arises at this end of the year: what are the new figures in boxing in the region, what are the problems that confront local promotors and what was the boxing activity in the area in 2011? To answer these queries, Fightnews talked to a knowledgeable source, promoter and manager Jacques Deschamps, a man who has put up boxing shows in Jamaica, Haiti and Panama and has followed the evolution of boxing in the region for more than 35 years. (more…)

Q&A Mickey Vann

By Ray Wheatley–World of Boxing

Leading English referee Mickey Vann talks to Fightnews about his life growing up in England during the 1940s and how his father became friends with several celebrities including Elvis Presley. Mickey rates Lennox Lewis as one of the greatest heavyweight champions but Ricky Hatton is down the list of 140 pound world champion. His favorite is Chris Eubank who was a great showman. (more…)

Q&A Matthew Podgorski

By Ray Wheatley–World of Boxing
Photo: Pete Podgorski

Former Chicago Golden Gloves champion Matthew Podgorski, who at 31-years of age is one of the youngest boxing officials in the world. Matthew talks to Fightnews about his boxing career and also officiating in amateur and professional boxing.

You are one of the younger world championship officials in boxing at 31-years of age. What age did you begin working as a judge and referee

I got started in boxing very young, the last year that I fought I was a 17-year-old senior in High School, competing as an Open division boxer. I got started out as an official when I helped out as a judge and referee for some Chicago Park District amateur shows. These shows had junior division bouts for boxers ages 8-15. Soon after I turned 18 and had my last amateur bout as a boxer, I immediately worked some USA amateur boxing shows officiating as a timekeeper, judge and, referee.

When I was in college I had the opportunity to work as a timekeeper for a few Indiana professional shows that my father Pete Podorski was officiating as a referee. I was told I did a good job and was later assigned to a couple of shows as a professional judge at the end of 1998 and early 1999. (more…)

Q&A: Amanda Serrano

By Robert Coster
Photo: Rafael Horta

“She’s a tigress”, that is how Amanda Serrano’s New York fans like to describe her. Amanda is the unbeaten (13-0-1, 9 KOs) reigning IBF super featherweight champion, a 5’5 dynamo whose fury in the ring belies her sweet smile outside of it. Recently, the 23 year-old New Yorker traveled to the Dominican Republic for a fight (which she won by TKO in 5). Fightnews caught up with Amanda and trainer Jordan Maldonado to discuss the problems that female boxing faces and what lies ahead for Amanda. (more…)

Trout defends on home turf

Interview by Gerardo Martinez
Photos: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

Undefeated WBA junior middleweight champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout (23-0, 13 KOs) will get his chance to defend his title on home turf for the the first time since becoming a champion. On Showtime’s ShoBox, Trout will take on challenger Frank LoPorto (15-4, 7 KOs) of Victoria, Australia from Cohen Stadium in El Paso, Texas.

“I came in 154 even,” says Trout. “I’ve been training in Las Cruces at the PAL boxing gym, and sparring with Hector Munoz and Abie Han have been sparring with me. (more…)

Q&A: Gabriel Bracero

Story by Mariano A. Agmi

Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (17-0, 3 KOs) returns to ShoBox on Friday, October 21st to face Daniel Sostre (11-4-1, 4 KOs) in an all-Puerto Rican showdown at Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket Connecticut, in a 10 round bout for the vacant NABF light welterweight title.

Bracero, 30, was a stellar amateur boxer whose professional career was almost derailed by a 6 year stint in prison. Since resuming his career in 2009, Tito won 12 straight bout and has knocked out his last two opponents. The Brooklyn-based fighter eagerly anticipates winning a regional title and being ranked in the top 10 by the world sanctioning bodies . . . Click here for more

Q&A: Sharif Bogere

Already a star in his native land of Uganda, current NABO lightweight champion Sharif “The Lion” Bogere is ready to make a name for himself in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas. The 22-year-old Bogere (20-0, 12 KOs), who beat Ray Beltran on ShoBox last May 13, takes on young prospect Francisco Contreras (16-0, 13 KOs) of the Dominican Republic in defense of his belt in a 10-round affair at the Dallas Events Center at Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas on ShoBox: The New Generation, Friday, Oct. 7, LIVE on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). Click here for more…

Q&A Billy Dib

By Ray Wheatley–World of Boxing
Photo: Peter McDermont

IBF featherweight champion Billy Dib talks to Fightnews and says that Mexican Jorge Lacierva is one of his toughest opponents and thinks that his November 18 defense against Alberto Servedei will be another hard fight, but the Italian’s southpaw stance will not be a problem. Also WBA champions Chris John and Yukoris Gamboa are on his radar, but he plans to be world champion for a long time. For more details and photos click here…

Spivey returns to the ring

Interview & photos by Chris Perry

After almost a year away from the ring, “Dangerous” Dorin Spivey will be back in action August 20 in front of his hometown fans in the featured bout of the “Beach Brawl II” event promoted by Diane Fischer’s Dee Lee Promotions, LLC at the Virginia Beach Fieldhouse in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Spivey (38-6-0, 29 KOs) will challenge Akron, Ohio based fighter Damon Antoine (9-31-2, 4 KOs) in the eight-round main event . . . Click here for more

Q&A: Michael Lozada

Mexico’s Michael Lozada will be stepping into the “lions den” when he comes to Australia to take on former two time WBO world champion Michael Katsidis on August 13th at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition centre. Lozada spoke for the first time today when he was asked questions on his upcoming fight with the HBO fight of the year winner. (more…)

Cunningham’s time to shine

Story and photos by Bob Ryder

Fightnews caught up with Detroit’s Darryl Cunningham as he finished a training session in preparation for his August 6 fight with Kelly Pavlik (37-2, 32 KOs) in Youngstown, Ohio.

The fight is being promoted by Top Rank and will air on Showtime’s ShoBox:The New Generation at 10:30 PM ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast) . . . Click here for more

Q&A: Kelly Pavlik

Photos: Chris Farina/Top Rank

Former World Middleweight Champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik, his trainer Jack Loew and Top Rank president Todd Duboef participated in an international media conference call to discuss Pavlik’s upcoming homecoming fight on ShoBox: The New Generation on Saturday, Aug. 6, LIVE on SHOWTIME®. Pavlik (37-2, 32 KOs), of Youngstown, OH, will headline a hometown fight card for the first time in nearly two years when he takes on Darryl Cunningham (23-2, 10 KOs), of Detroit, at the Covelli Center in Youngstown, Ohio, in a 10-round super middleweight bout. Cunningham is riding a three-year, 16-bout winning streak. The special Saturday edition of ShoBox: The New Generation is promoted by Top Rank and will begin at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). What the participants had to say on Wednesday: For more details and photos click here….

Q&A: Rogelio Espino

By Robert Coster
Photo: Promociones y Eventos Del Istmo

Rogelio Espino has been, for the past decade, Panama’s top promoter and manager. His company, Promociones y Eventos del Istmo, has guided the career of six world champions and promoted 40 title bouts. Espino accompanied his boxer Celestino “Pelenchin” Caballero to Argentina to challenge WBA featherweight champion Jonathan Victor Barros on July 2nd, in Barros’ hometown of Mendoza. Barros retained his title via a very controversial split decision even though he was knocked down twice (in the first and ninth round) in spectacular fashion. “The verdict against Pelenchin was simply incomprehensible and bad judging is one of the biggest problems of boxing today,” says the measured and always courteous Espino. Fightnews sat down with Rogelio Espino to discuss the Caballero-Barros controversial fight and its aftermath. (more…)

Q&A: Gordon Hall

Photo: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

When Gordon Hall was selected 10 years ago to be the executive producer of a new boxing series on SHOWTIME dedicated to giving young prospects a place to display their skills and start what would ultimately become the first steps to winning a world title, there was no way he could envision the success the series would attain. This week, the popular ShoBox: The New Generation celebrates its 10th anniversary on Friday, July 15, at 11:05 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from Texas Station Gambling Hall & Casino in Las Vegas. Hall said he is excited for the fight-week festivities and the Top Rank-promoted doubleheader which will feature a night of junior lightweight action with undefeated Diego Magdaleno (19-0, 7 KOs) squaring off against Alejandro Perez (15-2-1, 10 KOs) and Casey Ramos (13-0, 4 KOs) taking on Georgi Kevlishvili (8-2, 3 KOs). (more…)

Q&A: Kali Meehan

Photo and report by Ray Wheatley–World of Boxing

IBF #7 and WBA #9 heavyweight Kali Meehan talks to Fightnews about the impressive KO over Aussie heavyweight Michael Kirby recently and offers to fight WBO #15 Alex Leapai and DKP heavyweight Mark de Mori. Kali talks about possible fights for him against David Tua and Oliver McCall who he has in his sights. Meehan says he does not think he will get a shot at any major body crown and feels they are the best fight for him. (more…)

Q&A: Steve Cunningham

By Przemyslaw Garczarczyk
Photo: K2

For almost three weeks, IBF cruiserweight world champion Steve “USS” Cunningham (24-2, 12 KOs), did his best to prepare Wladimir Klitschko (55-3, 49 KOs), IBF/WBO/IBO titleholder for upcoming heavyweight unification showdown with WBA champion David Haye (25-1, 23 KOs). “If I move to heavyweight division it will be not because I’m chasing my former fellow cruiserweight rivals Tomasz Adamek or David Haye – it will be to test what I can do there. It will be good for me, good for the sport. Both of them are fighting for the heavyweight titles, they did a great job, both landed mega fights. They put themselves in the great position for their future, their lives. Every fighter wants to do that,” said Cunningham. (more…)

Q&A: Luis Ortiz

By Phil Doherty
Photo: Rey Sanchez

What do you do when you acquire a brand new “Mercedes? ” The obvious answer according to Dream Team Boxing Promotions–You take it on the road and bring it up to highway speed. That’s because the “Mercedes” in question is the 6-ft 4-in undefeated southpaw Cuban heavyweight Luis “El Mercedes” Ortiz (10-0, 8 KOs). The Miami-based promotional company formed by Henry Rivalta and Carlos Rodriquez mapped out big plans for their big man this year. (more…)

Q&A: Dat Nguyen

Photo: Rich J. Hundley III/SHOWTIME

World-renowned trainer Buddy McGirt did a double take the moment he first laid eyes on Dat “Be Dat” Nguyen during a sparring session with Arturo Gatti before Gatti’s second fight with Micky Ward in late 2002. “I saw this guy who could really hit and said he should be knocking everyone out,” McGirt said. “He was in there doing his thing and I liked him. Someone said they were looking for a fighter so I gave them Dat’s number. And that’s how we met.” For the past five years, McGirt has trained Nguyen of Vietnam, who will headline on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME® this Saturday LIVE at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). (more…)

Q&A: Stephen Jones

By Robert Coster

Stephen Jones is the newly elected President of the Jamaican Boxing Board of Control. His election comes as the island nation is getting set to celebrate it’s first international boxing card in over 15 years. Unbeaten featherweight contender Nicholas Walters will be defending his WBA Fedelatin title against Argel Salinas of Mexico. This card comes in the wake of a very successful three month contender-type TV boxing reality show in Jamaica. So, one wonders whether pro-boxing is actually returning to Jamaica? Fightnews put the question to Stephen Jones who speaks about the state of the game on the island. (more…)

Q&A: Felix Diaz

By Robert Coster
Photo: Diario Libre

In 2008, Felix Diaz won the gold medal in the 139 lb class at the Olympic Games in Beijing. He thus became a national hero in his native Dominican Republic. In the pro ranks, however, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the 27-year-old welterweight who spots (9-0, 6 KOs) record. “I consider that, as a former Olympic champion, I should be way more advanced in my career. I have only fought once in the last six months.” Last week, Diaz announced that he was parting ways with German Titov Promotions and would not renew his contact with the Russian promotional company. Fightnews sat down with Felix to talk about his present situation and plans for the future. (more…)

Q&A: Christina Hammer

Photo: Eroll Popova

20-year-old double world champion Christina Hammer (9-0, 7 KOs) of Germany defends her WBO and WBF female middleweight titles against unbeaten Swedish opponent Maria Lindberg (5-0-2, 1 KO) on Friday night in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. Here’s what she had to say. (more…)

Q&A: Christopher Martin

Photos: Felipe Leon

A year ago, San Diego, CA’s Christopher Martin (21-0-2, 6 KOs) found himself in Hinckley, Minnesota, ready to perform on the biggest stage of his career. Martin was tapped to be the latest fodder for hard hitting Chris Avalos on Showtime’s “ShoBox: The Next Generation”; just another opponent for Avalos to stream over, but Martin had other plans. After surviving Avalos’ early frenzied attack, Martin settled in out-boxing the highly touted prospect and upsetting the apple cart via a ten round split decision. After the win, Martin was expected to jump onto the boxing consciousness but instead found himself back at his usual haunt of Spanish language Telefutura. For more details and photos click here…

Q&A: John David Jackson

By Phil Doherty
Photo: Reynaldo Sanchez

The relationship between boxer and trainer is unique within the pantheon of sport. When a fighter steps into the ring to do battle, he literally places his life in his trainer’s hands. The trainer must possess the necessary skills to know when his man is hurt or about to be hurt and make split-second decisions during the heat of action. Sometimes that man is the fighter’s father, as we’ve seen with Tito and Papa Trinidad, Shane and Jack Mosley and most recently Wilfredo Vazquez Sr. and Jr. Other times, that man is a non-related former fighter himself. However, although these trainers are commonplace in boxing gyms throughout the country, they rarely achieve the Hall of Fame results of training luminaries like Angelo Dundee, Eddie Futch or Cus D’Amato. (more…)

Q&A: Carlos Oliveira

By Robert Coster
Photo: MO Productions

Carlos Oliveira is a wealthy Brazilian textile industrialist. He is also a boxing promoter and manager who promotes and manages only one boxer, his son Michael Oliveira (14-0, 11 KOs), a 21-year-old middleweight, raised in Miami and Brazil’s top boxing prospect of the moment. Together, Carlos and Michael form a most unusual father-son duo in a most unusual story. Fightnews sat down with Carlos Oliveira to speak about him and his son’s unlikely foray into the world of boxing. (more…)

Q&A: Seth Mitchell

Photos by Tom Hogan/Golden Boy Promotions

He’s relatively new to the boxing game having picked up the sport just three years ago at the age of 25, but former college football star Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell (21-0-1, 15 KOs) says to expect quite a show this Friday, May 13, as he takes on tough Nicaraguan Evans “The Sandman” Quinn (20-5-1, 18 KOs) in a 10-round heavyweight battle LIVE on ShoBox: the New Generation on SHOWTIME (11:05 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West coast). SHOWTIME fight fans will “see a heavyweight who comes out and applies a lot of pressure,” said Mitchell, a former linebacker at Michigan State University. “Not one that provides a boring fight. They can expect someone who is aggressive and who is coming to win and ready to put on an exciting fight.” For more details and photos click here…

Q&A: Lucas Matthysse

Photo and report by Ricardo Conde

Fightnews caught up with WBO Inter-Continental junior welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse (28-1, 26 KOs) at the World Crown Sports Training Center in Oxnard, California to talk to him about his upcoming fight with former WBC/IBF junior welterweight champion Devon Alexander ‘The Great’ (21-1, 13 KOs) of Saint Louis, Missouri that takes place June 25th at The Family Arena in Saint Louis, Missouri, which will be shown live on HBO’s ‘Boxing After Dark’, his fight with current IBF junior welterweight champion Zab ‘Super’ Judah, and a lot more, here’s what he had to say… (more…)

Alvarado ready for big stage

By Bill Green
Photo: Chris Farina/Top Rank

Unbeaten boxing prospect Mike Alvarado (29-0, 21 KOs) will break from training camp and arrive in Las Vegas on Wednesday as he makes final preparations for this Saturday’s May 7th bout against “Sugar Ray Nahr (25-1, 21 KOs). Alvarado and Nahr will open the televised part of the Pacquiao-Mosley pay-per-view. The junior welterweight fight will be for the vacant WBC Continental Americas light welterweight title. Alvarado is coming off an easy TKO win over England’s Dean Harrison back on Feb 19th. The 30-year-old Colorado native boasts an impressive undefeated record of 29-0 with 21 KOs. Alvarado holds wins over former WBC lightweight champ Cezar Bazan (KO4) and former NABF champ Michael Clark (TKO1). (more…)

Q&A: Salvador Sanchez II

By Gabriel F. Cordero

The name of Salvador Sanchez needs no introduction if you are a fan of Mexican boxing. Now his nephew Salvador Sanchez II is trying to follow in his footsteps. Sanchez II (22-4-3, 11 KOs), who fought last Saturday in Mexico City and won a split decision over Jose Carmona, speaks about his career and more. (more…)