Bernard Hopkins Philly Workout Quotes

Photos: Jeff Fusco – Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions

Future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins held a Philadelphia media workout Tuesday as he prepares for his March 9 world championship bout against undefeated IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud at Barclays Center in Brooklyn which will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing. Here’s what he had to say…

“Tavoris Cloud is an aggressive young fighter. I heard him at the press conference in New York City. He described himself as the Mike Tyson of this era.

“I have been on a path that I keep my body on the right track and duck more punches than I take. I can fight until I am 50 years old. The less you get hit, the more you can speak and count your money.

“I am going to be glad and excited to be at Barclays Center. It is the new Mecca of Boxing in New York. It used to be the hood. Now it is known as ‘Hello Brooklyn.’ (more…)

Mares official WBC Challenger of Ponce De Leon?

By Gabriel F. Cordero

On Tuesday at the weekly WBC press meeting, WBC president Jose Sulaiman said that according to the regulations former WBC champion Abner Mares becomes the official challenger of the current WBC world featherweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon. Sulaiman insisted that when a world champion vacates a belt to move up in weight he immediately becomes mandatory challenger. It’s also known that Golden Boy Promotions is interested in a Ponce De Leon-Mares matchup with a possible date in May.

Dulorme returns to the ring this Thursday

By Mariano A. Agmi; photos by DiBella Entertainment/Ed Diller

Puerto Rican prospect Thomas Dulorme (16-1, 12 KOs) returns to the ring Thursday after suffering his first defeat as a professional. The 23-year old will headline the DiBella Entertainment “Broadway Boxing” event from the Roseland Ballroom in New York City against Eddie Brooks (9-3, 3 KOs) Phoenix, AZ.

Only a few months ago, Dulorme was considered a sure-shot prospect and Puerto Rico’s fastest rising star. Despite only 16 pro bouts, Dulorme showed the power, speed and poise that reminded some of his countryman the great Felix “Tito” Trinidad. Unfortunately, the title of heir apparent was emphatically shattered on October 27, 2012, when Dulorme stepped up against Argentinean strongman Carlos “El Potro” Abregu for the vacant WBC International welterweight title. (more…)

Christopher Martin gets rid of olds ghosts

By Felipe Leon
Photo: Paul Gallegos

It has been a long winding road for twenty-six year old Christopher Martin (25-2-3, 8KOs). From first lacing up the gloves as a fourteen year old kid and now a professional for a little over six years, the correctional officer by the day and married father of two has known success but just recently also has tasted defeat. This coming Friday night, Martin has the opportunity to right one of those wrongs when he faces the man that gave him his first loss, veteran Jose Angel Beranza (35-25-2, 27KOs) of Mexico City in a super bantamweight eight rounder presented by Thompson Boxing at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, CA.

Everything was more than fine the morning of October 1st, 2011, Martin was on the verge of experiencing a series of firsts, his first fight for his new promoter Top Rank, his first fight in Las Vegas and his first time on a major fight card since his first match up against the rugged Berranza was on the undercard of Toshiaki Nishioka versus Rafael Marquez. (more…)

Hero’s welcome for new champ Romero in Colombia

Photo: Renzo Novara

Newly crowned IBF super bantamweight champion Jonathan “El Momo” Romero (23-0, 12 KOs) returned to his native Colombia late Monday evening. Romero arrived to Barranquila Colombia Airport late Monday evening and was greeted with a standing ovation by his countrymen and women chanting in Spanish loosely translated to “Long live the champion!” Romero stated that he hoped his first defense could be held in Barranquila, Colombia where he is well known. In terms of now, however, their is still a big party to come for Romero in his native city of Cali where they have been celebrating since his victory Saturday night. Romero, is scheduled to arrive there shortly. (more…)

Sulaiman: Drugs are not a major problem in WBC boxing

The following is one of WBC President Jose Sulaiman’s weekly “Hook to the Liver” columns that are published in El Universal every Sunday. From February 17, translated from Spanish:

The world did not end in December last, as some people interpreted the Mayan predictions, but our planet Earth is sending human beings serious messages. A devastating hurricane came over New York. There are constant earthquakes in many countries. A snow storm fell on Boston and New England as never before in known history. The pope resigns and a lightening falls on the Vatican. Two days later a meteorite falls on Russia, leaving 1,000 injured, while one other, 100-times larger, passes close to Earth at 10% distance compared to the moon.

Several countries are in a permanent war while one other provokes an earthquake with an atom bomb testing. Human beings continue creating more and more controversy. Boxing is no exception. The alleged punishment by USADA of Erik Morales for analysis of minimal doses of clembuterol, even when the USADA lab tests were clean, raises a big controversy and confusion in Mexico. Anybody in this country could have clembuterol, as it is natural for those eating meat. Such a sanction has no acceptance in title bouts of the WBC, as the only ones to make the antidoping tests are the WBC itself and the local boxing commissions, whose tests were clean. (more…)

Boxing Buzz

“It can’t be hard to get me fights there must be some welters who want a shot at my belt y there not happening I don’t know . . .” So goes British champ Frankie Gavin’s tweets on the politics of boxing. The Sun has more.

Former champ Jorge Arce is hitting up the media his thoughts on whether Manny Pacquiao is taking PEDs.  ”For sure,” is what he’s saying.

The Nevada Athletic Commission reports that undefeated Mickey Bey Jr. has tested positive for high levels of testosterone. Bey’s testosterone-to-epitestesterone level was tested at 30-1 – Nevada allows a level of 6-1.

MLive.com has an interesting story on the fast-rising, faster-falling career of former boxer Arnie Wells Jr., now 50 and working as a security guard in Flint, Mich. More

Timothy Bradley workout

Photos: Chris Farina / Top Rank

Undefeated WBO World Welterweight champion Timothy “The Desert Storm” Bradley Jr. trains with trainer Joel Diaz during training for his upcoming World Welterweight Championship against top-rated contender Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Banner Promotions, Tecate, Bradley-Provodnikov will take place, Saturday, March 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing.

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Ready for the action: Sasso vs Vazquez 2

Photos: Promociones Miguel Cotto

Certified Public Accountant and law student, the undefeated sensation Edgardo “Sasso” López (6-0-1, 4KOs) is ready to prove that he won the first fight against Orlando Vázquez (5-1-1,1KO), which ended on a majority draw this past November. “I am in great shape and ready for Vázquez. On Saturday, I will not leave any doubts that I will beat him in the middle of the ring,” Sasso stated. Meanwhile, Orlando Vázquez is confident as well to defeat Sasso clearly: “I know what to do; my speed and jab will be the key to win. This time I had a better training and feel ready to go 8 rounds toe to toe with him,” Vázquez stated. (more…)

Unbeaten Johnson in television spotlight

Unbeaten middleweight Tureano “Reno” Johnson (13-0, 10 KOs) will lock horns with Willie Fortune (15-0, 7 KOs) in the eight-round co-main event of ShoBox on Friday night from the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California. Johnson is from Nassau, Bahamas, although he is currently training in Annapolis, Md., with his trainer Tyrone Jones. As a decorated amateur, Johnson was part of the 2008 Bahamas Olympic Team and was a standout, catching the eye of many boxing insiders for his performances in the Beijing Olympics. He is a connoisseur when it comes to training, obtaining world experience by working alongside the Cuban National Team for the eight years while he lived in Cuba before his own venture into the Olympic ranks. (more…)

Donaire-Rigondeaux set for April 13

The April 13 world title unification bout between WBO junior featherweight champion Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire and undefeated WBA super bantamweight champion and former two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux will be officially announced on Thursday in New York City. The fight will take place on New York’s biggest stage — Radio City Music Hall — and will be televised on HBO. This marks only the second time Radio City Music Hall has ever hosted professional boxing in its 82-year history. The first fight was the Roy Jones Jr. vs. David Telesco light heavyweight world championship on January 15, 2000.

Bute ready anytime

By Dave Spencer

After being on the backburner for the better part of their careers, the wheels of a potential clash between local rivals and former champions Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute have been suitably greased to the point where the mega-fight will take place sooner rather than later. “We’ve not signed any contracts yet, I haven’t seen any numbers. How close is it? This is between the promoters right now.”

The former IBF super-middleweight champion and his Interbox promoters tried to put the brakes on and slow down what has become a runaway train with a May 25th bout between the Romanian born Bute and former WBC light-heavyweight champion Jean Pascal. “Right now we’re just hearing numbers, (Pascal’s promoter) Yvon (Michel) is mentioning numbers, 2 million, 3 million, but on our side we haven’t heard anything as of yet,” said Bute’s trainer Stephan Larouche.

“We know our rematch with Carl Frosch has been postponed,” Bute told Fightnews, “I felt it was the right time to do a rematch in the fall was better timing. I made it known that if that didn’t I would like to fight Jean Pascal in the fall.” click to read more

Mayweather-Guerrero on Showtime PPV

Undefeated eight-time world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather, boxing’s pound-for-pound king and the highest paid athlete in the world (Forbes, 2012), has entered into a groundbreaking pay-per-view deal with Showtime Networks Inc. and its parent company, CBS Corporation. Under the new deal, SHOWTIME PPV will collaborate with CBS Corporation to comprehensively promote Mayweather’s events on the CBS Television Network and via the corporation’s expansive media platforms.

The deal-a unique revenue-sharing arrangement between SHOWTIME PPV and Mayweather-will enable him to fight up to six times over a period of 30 months, with the first mega-event taking place on May 4, 2013, when Mayweather will fight Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. More details of this upcoming event will be announced shortly.

Mayweather’s new deal is by far the biggest in the sport of boxing (specific financial details are contractually confidential). Mayweather is the PPV king and averages over 1 million PPV buys per event, which is the highest PPV buy average of any boxer in history. At this record-setting PPV performance level, if all six fights contemplated by this deal occur, it will be the richest individual athlete deal in all of sports.

Unbeatens Gonzalez, Verdejo, Tapia showcased March 12

The undefeated Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez, Felix “Diamante” Verdejo and Glen Tapia will headline the first 2013 show of Solo Boxeo Tecate in Puerto Rico to be broadcast on UniMas (formerly Telefutura) on March 23 at the Ruben Zayas Montañez Coliseum in Trujillo Alto, in a PR Best Boxing Promotions (PRBBP) presentation in association with Top Rank.

“We have a venue for this show. It will be the Ruben Zayas Montañez Coliseum, where we were in September 2012 in a successful show. Trujillo Alto is a city with great boxing fans and we have Felix Verdejo, who trains in this town, as one of the co-main bouts,” PRBBP President Ivan Rivera said. “Besides Bomba Gonzalez, Verdejo and Tapia, we will have in action a good group of Puerto Rican prospects.” (more…)

World title twinbill in Panama on March 16

By Gabriel F. Cordero

Two world title fights on the same night March 16 in Panama City, featuring former two-division world champion Roberto “La Araña” Vasquez and IBF light flyweight official challenger Luis “Pan Blanco” Rios seek crowned champions in an event held at the luxurious Panama Hard Rock Hotel Megapolis in an event organized by Sampson Boxing LLC and Best Box. It is the first time in Panama boxing history that two local challengers seeking world titles on the same night.

Vasquez (32-5-1, 22 KOs) will face Filipino John Mark “Iceman” Apolinario (17-2-2, 4 KOs) in a rematch for the vacant WBA interim bantamweight title, while Rios (18-1-1, 13 KOs) will challenge IBF light flyweight champ John Riel Casimero (17-2, 10 KOs).

Boxing Buzz

A Canadian super fight between former world champions Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute is reportedly in the works to take place at the Bell Centre in Montreal on a date to be determined. InterBox (representing Bute) and GYM (representing Pascal) are hoping to finalize the deal in the coming days. Pascal had been expected to face Chad Dawson next

Iconic Los Angeles sports figure Dr. Jerry Buss died Monday at the age of 80. Buss was best known as the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings, but he was also involved in the sweet science with his long-running Forum Boxing series.

Castellanos-Caballero WBC final eliminator

By Gabriel F. Cordero

Mexican Robinson Castellanos (17-9, 11 KOs) will defend his WBC silver world featherweight crown against Panamanian former two division world champion Celestino “Pelenchin” Caballero (36-4, 23 KOs) on April 20 in Panamá. Castellanos was waiting for a fight againts WBC featherweight world champion his compatriot Daniel Ponce De Leon, but sine that fight couldn’t be made he’ll face Caballero in a fight will also be a WBC featherweight final eliminator to become official challenger to Daniel Ponce De Leon

Frank Warren Statement

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit last Friday (15 February 2013) dismissed the appeal by Straight-Out Promotions LLC and Chris Webb against the previous dismissal of their claims against Frank Warren and others over the sale of the foreign TV rights to the fight between Mike Tyson and Danny Williams. The US District Court for the Southern District of New York had previously also dismissed a claim by Mike Tyson’s estate in bankruptcy against Mr Warren and others over the sale of such rights. Warren said today that he was ‘delighted’ to receive confirmation (i) that neither Mike Tyson nor Straight-Out Promotions LLC and Chris Webb had any claim against him and (ii) that the US Courts had accepted that he had no liability to any of them. Warren added that he would like to thank his attorney in the appeal Howard Karasik, Esq.

Salgado, Gonzalez & Juarez in Spartan Race

By Gabriel F. Cordero
Photos: Cesar Ceron

Boxing world champions Jhonny Gonzalez, Juan Carlos Salgado and Mariana Juarez competed on Saturday and Sunday at the famous sporting event called Spartan Race as part of their preparation for their upcoming fights — Gonzalez Feb. 23 in Ixtapa against the Nicaraguan Eusebio Osejo, Salgado on March 2 in Los Angeles risking the crown against the Dominican Argenis Mendez and Juarez who will fight in March or April.

The tour is 7KM with unexpected obstacles in all types of terrain to test the endurance and skill of the competitors. (more…)

Broner-Rees Post-Fight Press Conference Report

Photo: Tom Hogan / Golden Boy Promotions

By Sam Geraci

“I don’t know about you all, but I want to have sex.”

Aside from Adrien Broner’s declaration of his plans immediately following the post-fight press conference, much like his bout with Gavin Rees (37-2-1, 18 KOs) in which Broner (26-0, 22 KOs) was more than a 30-1 favorite by some, nothing addressed in the post-fight press conference should have come as much of a surprise to those who have followed Broner’s career.

“The kid was good. I felt like he would beat a couple of fighters,” said Broner. “I’m just at another level. He was tougher than a steak that was cooked too long.”

Although Rees, who did not attend the post-fight press conference, tried to put up a fight for the first two rounds, like each of Broner’s opponent since his controversial unanimous decision over current WBC 126 pound champion Daniel Ponce De Leon (44-4, 35 KOs) in March of 2011, Broner simply overpowered and outclassed Rees.

“You got a young, fresh, fly, flashy, young African American on top,” said Broner. “[There are] high expectations for me to really take over boxing after Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao hang up their gloves.” (more…)

Rodirguez-Tahdooahnippah Photo Gallery

Photography By Emily Harney

In front of a packed electric crowd, former world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez put the deeply talented junior middleweight division on notice Friday night with a dominating performance over game George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooahnippah culminating in a sixth round stoppage. More…

Zou Shiming starts training camp

Photos: Chris Farina / Top Rank

Zou Shiming, two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time World Amateur Champion trains with trainer Freddie Roach during his first day of training at the historic Wildcard Boxing Club in Hollywood,California. Shiming is scheduled to make his professional Top Rank boxing debut on April 6, at The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in Macau.

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Boxing Buzz

Grand Forks, N.D. amateur boxer J.J. Moen is in critical condition after collapsing after a bout held Saturday night. Moen suffered a brain injury and is currently in a coma. Read more in the Grand Forks Herald

Top Rank’s latest signed star, Zou Shiming, will be sparring with Brian Viloria at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles this week. The amateur star will make his pro debut on April 6 in Macou.

Speaking of Top Rank, WBC boss Jose Sulaiman and trainer Nacho Beristain are advising Juan Manuel Marquez to skip a fifth fight with Manny Pacquiao.

The LAPD have cracked a robbery case that netted the return of three championship belts to pro boxer Jennifer Grooms . . . more

Former pro boxer Graham Brett has been sentenced to seven years for killing a man in a bar with a single punch. More

From UFC 157 to Chris Martin vs. Jose Angel Beranza, boxing is heating up in Southern California . . . more

“Zurdo” Ramirez happy to be with Top Rank

Over the weekend, Top Rank and Zanfer Promotions announced they will partner with Zapari Boxing to promote undefeated middleweight contender Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez. Ramirez (24-0, 19 KOs), from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, México, captured the WBC Youth middleweight title in 2010 and has successfully defended it six time throughout his three-year reign. Currently world-rated #4 by the WBC and #6 by the WBA, Ramiíez, 21, is a former Méxican Junior National Champion and a three-time National Méxican National Amateur Champion in the Elite Division.

“This is a huge signing for Top Rank and Zanfer and words cannot express how excited we are to be promoting him,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “The sky is the limit for Gilberto. I expect him to have a glorious reign as world champion.” (more…)