Kennedy ready for Beranza

By Rick Scharmberg

Rick Scharmberg

When USBA super bantamweight champion Teon “The Technician” Kennedy made his pro debut on January 11, 2007, the knowledgeable fight crowd at the former New Alhambra in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were quick to compare him with the great hall-of-fame bantamweight champion, “Joltin’” Jeff Chandler. While such praise is premature, one can easily envision the unbeaten Kennedy (14-0-1, 6 KOs) as a future world champion. “Hopefully, I am one-and-a-half years away from a big title shot,” stated Teon, who hopes to move one step closer on Saturday night, when he faces Jose Angel Beranza (32-17-2, 25 KOs), of Mexico City at Bally’s in Atlantic City. (more…)

Faragon looks to impress in NYC

By Matt Thompson

Undefeated Schenectady, New York lightweight Michael “Baby Face” Faragon (10-0, 4 KOs) will have his first fight for his new promoters, The Empire Sports and Entertainment, on their debut show, Capitale Punishment this Friday (May 21) at Capitale in Manhattan. Faragon will fight his first eight rounder as one of the main supporting bouts to former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs main event against Dominique Alexander. (more…)

Rising StarsAthletics inks Nwodo

By Rick Scharmberg

Jim Bores, of Rising Stars Athletics informed Fightnews.com that his company has signed former USBA cruiserweight champion Emmanuel Nwodo (23-5, 19 KOs) to a promotional contract. Nwodo, of Baltimore, MD via Enugu, Nigeria won the vacant USBA crown with a third round TKO over Chris Thomas on July 1, 2006, but lost it to Darnell “Ding-a-Ling-Man” Wilson by highlight-reel knockout in his very next bout. “He is thirty-six years old, and we realize time is not on our side,” stated Bores. “But Emmanuel is rejuvenated. He is ready, willing, and able to fight anyone worldwide. We hope to get him a shot at a regional belt this summer against someone in the top-15.”

Don King in Germany

Eroll Popova

Legendary boxing promoter Don King enjoys a German beer and a traditional German eisbein (pickled ham hock) today in Rostock, Germany. King is town in support of his fighter Kali Meehan, who faces former heavyweight world champion Ruslan Chagaev on Saturday in a WBA eliminator. Click here for more photos…

Injury KOs McCullough

A hand injury has forced Wayne McCullough to withdraw from Prizefighter Super-Bantamweights at York Hall, Bethnal Green on Saturday May 29. Former WBC world champion McCullough had been training hard to make his comeback in Barry Hearn’s latest eight-man, one night tournament but the 39 year-old has been advised that he will be unable to fight for at least two months. “I am really devastated to be missing out on Prizefighter but the hand injury is pretty bad,” said McCullough. “My Doctor has advised me not to use the hand at all for training or fighting for the next 6-8 weeks. We are all packed and ready to go and we really wanted to be there but this is boxing and these things happen.” McCullough’s misfortune has thrown a golden opportunity to young Irish fighter Willie “Big Bang” Casey (5-0, 4 KOs) who will now take his place.

Darchinyan defeats Barcelona

WBC/WBA super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan (35-2-1, 27 KOs) stepped up to bantamweight to take the vacant IBO bantamweight belt against Eric Barcelona (51-18-4, 19 KOs) on Thursday night at the Leagues Club in Parramatta, NSW, Australia. Darchinyan dropped Barcelona three times en route to a 120-103, 118-105 and 116-108 win. Barcelona was also deducted two points from low blows. More to come from Ray Wheatley…

Poonsawat retains title

WBA super bantamweight champion Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (41-1, 29 KOs) scored a fourth round KO over challenger Shoji Kimura (23-4-2, 9 KOs) on Thursday in Maha Sarakham, Thailand. It was the second defense for Poonsawat following his crushing second round KO over Bernard Dunne last September.

Chagaev-Meehan Workout Video

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Vitali Klitschko Speaks

Pavel Terekhov

Vitali Klitschko (41-2, 37 KOs), of Kiev (Ukraine) and Hamburg (Germany), participated yesterday in a media work out in his training camp in Austria. He discussed his upcoming WBC heavyweight title defense against former European Champion Albert Sosnowski (45-2-1, 27 KOs), of Warsaw (Poland) and Brentwood (UK). The eagerly anticipated heavyweight championship will take place on Saturday, May 29, at VELTINS-Arena Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

About Albert Sosnowski

“I expect Albert Sosnowski to be in the best shape of his life. I am sure that he will not run and hide like my last opponent Kevin Johnson. He said that he will give his all to get my belt, but I am well prepared and will not underestimate him. Albert Sosnwoski is not a big name and not so famous in boxing so far. But that does not count at all. He will be very powerful and will always go forward. He will do anything to get my title.” (more…)

Once And Four All Presser

Big Joe Miranda

By Rocco Morales

Wednesday afternoon, the Conga Room in Downtown L.A. was host to the final press conference for “Once and Four All” the appropriate name given to the highly anticipated fourth fight between Israel Vasquez (44-4-0) and Rafael Marquez (38-5-0). Of their three prior fights, Marquez was victorious in the first fight while Vasquez has won the prior two meetings. Their last fight was the only one to go to the scorecards and Vasquez was the split decision winner.

Their last two fights were all out wars that earned the accolade of “Fight Of The Year” for each 2007 and 2008. (more…)

Zamora/Bundu/Marasco in action

By Enrico “Erik” Crociati

The Italian boxing organisation of promoter Mario Loreni and local stable Mariani Boxe will stage a terrific show on May 21 in Brescia, Italy, with a six-fight card. In the main event of the night, Brunet Zamora (19-0, 8 KOs) will make the fourth defense of his WBA Inter-Continental light welterweight title. The always exciting Zamora won the belt in 2008 and will now take on dangerous contender Eduardo Daniel ‘Pamperito’ Roman (41-4, 8 KOs) of Argentina over twelve rounds. (more…)

Poonsawat-Kimura Preview

Carlos Costa

By Carlos Costa

Far from the deadly violence of the streets of the capital Bangkok, this silent, dazzling green town of Maha Sarakham in the northeastern Isan region of Thailand will be scenario of today’s WBA super bantamweight world title fight between 29-year-old world champion Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (40-1, 28KOs) of Thailand and Japanese challenger Shoji Kimura (23-3-2, 9KOs).

Both fighters tipped the official scale at exactly 122 lbs during the weight-in ceremony at the Taksila Hotel in downtown Maha Sarakham. Then, fighters posed for the cameras and rules of the combat were read by WBA officials judges Francisco Martinez of New Zealand, Wan-Soo Yuh of South Korea and Sergio Caiz from California, USA. The referee in charge of the action will be New Zealand’s Ferlin Marsh. (more…)

Vazquez-Marquez Undercard

Hot prospects Carlos Molina, Ronny Rios and Freddy Hernandez will see action in separate bouts on the “Once and Four All” Vazquez vs. Marquez IV undercard on Saturday at Staples Arena in Los Angeles. In an eight round junior welterweight bout, Molina (11-0, 6 KOs) will face Humberto Tapia (15-12-1, 8 KOs), in a six-round junior lightweight bout Rios (10-0, 5 KOs) meets Guadalupe De Leon (8-10, 4 KOs), and WBC #11 welterweight Hernandez (28-1, 18 KOs) is set to take on Oscar Leon (28-12, 18 KOs) in a ten rounder.

WBC to honor Pacman, Vitali

This photo is a model taken from the fist of Mike Tyson, which in the future will be presented by the WBC to the boxer of the year and champion of the year. This year the ceremony will be held on June 5th in Acapulco, Mexico. The Boxer of the Year as elected by the WBC is Manny Pacquiao. The Champion of the Year as elected by the WBC is Vitali Klitschko. Other winners will be announced.

Senchenko to defend August 30

WBA welterweight champion Vyacheslav Senchenko (30-0, 20 KOs) will defend his belt for the second time against WBA #14 rated Charlie José Navarro (18-3, 13 KOs) on August 30 in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk. The card will be promoted by Union Boxing Promotion and feature a total of seven title bouts including fights involving European featherweight champion Oleg Yefimovych (18-1, 11 KOs), EBU-EE light welterweight titlist Vladimir Kravets (22-0, 14 KOs), WBC Youth I/C cruiserweight beltholder Iago Kiladze (14-0, 10 KOs), EBA supermiddle beltholder Server Emurlayev (17-0, 5 KOs) and jr middleweight Artem Karpets (10-0, 5 KOs).

Jubatha to defend SA feather title

By Ron Jackson

Sabelo Jubatha makes the first defense of his South African feather weight title when he meets number one contender Marcel Japhta at the Nangoza Jebe Hall in Port Elizabeth on Friday night. Jubatha (10-1, 7 KOs) who fights out of the Enothole gym in Mdantsane, won the title on December 18 last year with a tenth round technical knockout over Luthando Vukuza. (more…)

Escobedo to face Cordero

Featherweight Eduardo “Canilla” Escobedo (27-3, 19 KOs) will have another opportunity to win a world title when he takes on Colombian Francisco Cordero (22-0, 14 KOs) for the WBA interim belt on June 26 at a site to be named. The 26-year-old Escobedo, who is coached by Nacho Beristain, previously challenged for the WBO super bantamweight title against Daniel Ponce de Leon in December 2008, losing a unanimous decision. Cordero’s biggest win was a decision over Koseki Nakama in Okinawa. Former two-time WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo (60-10-1, 52 KOs) will also be featured. The card will be presented by Arce Promotions and televised by the Televisa network.

Chagaev-Meehan workout

Photos by Eroll Papova

Big crowd today at Universum’s public training session in Rostock, Germany’s Ostsee Park Mall. Hundreds of spectators marveled at the skills of the fighters headlining the “Universum Champions Night” on Saturday at the Rostock StadtHalle. The highlight was a long intense, face-to-face staredown between former WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev and and top contender Kali Meehan, who meet in an important WBA elimination bout. More plus photos…

Cotto at Yankee Stadium

Tom Briglia/PhotoGraphics Photography

Two-time world champion Miguel Cotto hung out at the Yankees batting cage, took pictures with Arod, spoke to captain Derek Jeter and said he plans to win on Top Rank’s big Stadium Slugfest at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, June 5. Cotto broke camp in Tampa, Fla and came to Yankee Stadium for a press function which included on the field activities. “I feel great, I am working hard, weight is no problem and I’m ready to fight,” Cotto said at a press conference before the Yankees took on the Tampa Bay Rays. For more photos click here…

Cotto NYC Workout

Photos by Tom Briglia/Top Rank

Before his Yankee Stadium press conference, Miguel Cotto worked out with his new trainer Manny Steward at the Trinity Boxing Gym in New York. There Cotto fired hard punches while doing mitts with Steward. “Cotto has better balance now,” Steward said. “That’s the first thing I noticed about him in recent fights. I worked with him on balance, sharper and more accurate punching. His conditioning is outstanding. He’s ready to fight on June 5.” (more…)

Vazquez-Marquez Presser Quotes

By Rocco Morales
Photos by Big Joe Miranda

Quotes from this afternoon’s press event in Los Angeles:

Rafael Marquez - “There’s no need for words of introduction for Vasquez and I. Everyone knows us from our trilogy of fights. You’re going to see a great show and who Rafael Marquez is in the ring this Saturday night.”

Israel “El Magnifico” Vasquez - “On May 22nd, Rafael and I are going to again fight the best fight of the year.” For more details and photos click here…

Rahman charms Niagara media

Mark Anthony

Former heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman (46-7-2, 37 KOs) kept a big group of assembled local media captivated today, during a press conference at the Niagara Falls Conference Center to announce Rahman’s main event against Troy New York’s Shannon Miller (16-4, 9 KOs) on June 19. Never short of wit, when informed Miller couldn’t attend because of his job as head of a security firm, Rahman quipped “That’s ok. He’s going to need security when I get through with him.” (more…)

Get in gear for summer!