Crossroads fight for Williams and Molina

Photo by Bob Barton
Christmas came early for lightweight power-broker “Dangerous” Dannie Williams in the form of an ESPN2 Friday Nights Fight main event showdown on January 11th against John “The Hammer” Molina Jr. (24-2, 19 KOs) at the Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

“I’ve been waiting to get back into a meaningful fight so I can get back in the lightweight picture,” Williams said from training camp in Youngstown, Ohio.  “That’s what this fight is all about. I look at this fight like all of my fights as the biggest of my life.” (more…)

Ring 8 2012 Fighter of the Year is Peter Quillin

The 26th annual RING 8 Holiday Event and Awards Ceremony will be held Sunday afternoon (Noon-5p ET), February 10th at Russo’s On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York.

Damage from Hurricane Sandy to Russo’s On The Bay forced the event’s postponement from December 9th to February 10th. (more…)

Charr-Airich WBC live stream

WBCBoxing.tv will present Friday’s heavyweight clash between Manuel “Diamond Boy” Charr, 21-1 with 11 knockouts, of Cologne, will battle Konstantin “Sandman” Airich, 24-8-2 with 18 knockouts, of Hamburg, Germany, for the vacant WBC Baltic and WBC Mediterranean heavyweight titles. The fight scheduled for 12 rounds at the Maritim Hotel in Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany can be seen live free of charge at 12:45PM ET/9:45AM PT. (more…)

Bellais poised for Mohoumadi rematch

Report and photos by Big Joe Miranda

Tahitian super middleweight Cedric Bellais (13-4-2, 6 KOs) made a three-day stop in Los Angeles on his way to France for a few pointers and tips from famed Jack Mosley, trainer and father of former world champion Shane Mosley at the La Habra Boxing Club. Cedric Bellais from Papeete, Tahiti (French Polynesia) is fighting for the French super middleweight title on January 19 in Oise, France.

This is his second fight against champion Hadillah Mohoumadi (13-3-1, 9 KOs). Bellais’ father/trainer Hokini said he stopped the first fight in the sixth round due to a pulled groin suffered by his son. (more…)

Sturm-Soliman date changed

The IBF world middleweight title eliminator between Felix Sturm and Sam Soliman titled “Hard Way Back” and originally scheduled for February 2nd 2013 will instead happen one day earlier, on Friday, February 1st 2013, at the ISS Dome in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Morelia Public Workout

By Gabriel F. Cordero

On Wednesday at the Plaza Morelos in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, WBF super middleweight beltholder Marco Antonio “Veneno” Rubio and his challenger Michel “Bravo” Rosales did a public workout before Saturday’s showdown in the modern Morelia Bicentennial Auditorium. “I come very motivated to Michoacán and the affection that the fans have shown me drives me to do my best. I have no doubt that this Saturday will be a big win,” said Rubio.

Former world champions Samuel “Sammy Guty” Gutierrez and Raul “Rayito” Garcia hope their fourth fight will be just as intense and emotional as their previous clashes. This one is for the WBO Latino flyweight title. “Not me, the fans saw that I won the earlier bouts, not to mention the way things are in boxing, but I will take revenge on Saturday night and make it clear that I am better,” said Gutierrez. (more…)

Dulorme back in February at 143 pounds

By Rey Colón -The Sport Press

Thomas Dulorme (16-1, 12 KOs), who in his latest bout in October lost his undefeated record via TKO7 against Argentinian Luis Carlos Abregu, will return to action in February at a weight of 143 pounds order to try to campaign in 2013 in the junior welterweight division, according to his trainer Jose Bonilla. “After that painful defeat at welterweight, Dulorme do a fight at 143 pounds, then another at 142 and then we’ll see how he feels at that weight. If he’s not too weak, we’ll go to 140 pounds,” he said. In September, Delorme was rated WBC #3 at welterweight, but now he is no longer rated in that division.

Boxing back in San Antonio

Leija–Battah Promotions presents “River City Rumble” on Friday at La Villita Assembly Hall in San Antonio, Texas. The event will feature nine bouts, headlined by current WBC USNBC flyweight beltholder Joseph Rios (12-7-2, 4 KOs) from San Antonio against Juan Leija (5-0, 2 KOs) from Houston in an eight round clash. The undercard features eight four-rounders showcasing local talent. Tickets start as low as $20, call 210-979-3302.

Juanma returns on February 2

By Rey Colón -The Sport Press

Two-time world champion Juan Manuel Lopez will return to action on February 2 headlining a PR Best Boxing Promotions card at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Also in action that night will be Jose ‘Chelo’ González, the Arroyo twins McJoe and McWilliams plus Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez. It is rumored that Juanma’s opponent could be a Brazilian. Lopez had been suspended for one year ending in March 2013 by the Professional Boxing Commission following his remarks against referee Roberto Ramirez after losing by technical knockout for the second time against Orlando Salido, but Henry Neumann, Secretary of the Department of Recreation and Sports, pardoned him. Later today there will be a press conference at the Sports Museum of Guaynabo to make the announcement.

Rosinsky defeats Griffin

By Mariano A. Agmi
Photo: DiBella Entertainment/Ed Diller

In a hard fought ten round contest, Will “Power” Rosinsky (17-2, 9 KOs) picked up the New York State light heavyweight title with a ten round unanimous decision over Otis “Triple OG” Griffin (24-11-2, 10 KOs).  Rosinsky had trouble with Griffin in round two, when Triple OG landed a big right hand that had the Queens native reeling.  Rosinsky was able to weather the storm and recover, winning the bout with constant pressure and heavy counter shots. 
 
In the co-feature, Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (21-1, 4 KOs) showed some unexpected pop, dropping Johnnie Edwards (15-6-1, 8 KOs) in rounds one and four for a rare technical knockout win in a scheduled junior welterweight eight round bout.  Bleeding from his left eye, Bracero first dropped Edwards with a left hook in round one, and dropping the Jacksonville native to a knee with a left hook in round four.  Edwards beat the count, but he indicated to referee Eddie Cotton that he could not continue, pointing to his right eye.  Cotton waived the fight off at 2:48 of the round.  
 
Red-hot DiBella Entertainment prospect Ivan Redkach improved to 13-0 (12), winning a dominant eight round unanimous decision over Edward Valdez (11-9-2, 8 KOs) in a lightweight bout.  Despite winning many of the rounds with pure aggression, Redkach did end up on the receiving end of a few big right hands from Valdez, who was undersized but never stopped trying.  Scores were 79-73 and 78-74 (2x).
 
It took a few rounds, but junior middleweight Ionut “Jo Jo” Dan (30-2, 17 KOs) made a successful American debut under the DiBella Entertainment banner, knocking out Dominican Franklin Gonzalez (15-12, 11 KOs) in round five with a left hand to the liver.  Before the knockout, the Canada based Romanian dominated the bout behind a steady right jab.  By round three, Dan was landing well placed left hooks that hurt Gonzalez repeatedly.  As soon as round five began, Dan landed a punishing left hand to the liver that dropped Gonzalez for the count at 11 seconds of the round.

Recent signings in pro boxing

Unbeaten Cuban super bantamweight Alexei Collado (15-0, 14 KOs) has joined the Acquinity Sports team headed by CEO Gary Jonas and promoter Henry Rivalta. To date Collado has been fighting in Ireland and the U.K. He will make his U.S. debut on an Acquinity card in early 2013.

Greg Cohen Promotions has announced the signings of heavyweight Travis Kauffman (23-1, 17 KOs) and undefeated Canadian super middleweight Adam “A-Bomb” Trupish (11-0, 8 KOs) to promotional contracts. Kauffman has won five straight and is trained by his father Marshall Kauffman. Trupish recently relocated to Las Vegas, where he trains with former world champion and elite-level trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad at Muhammad’s Hit Factory gym.

Golden Boy has officially announced the signing of 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. who won his pro debut last Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. A date and opponent for Diaz Jr.’s next fight will be announced shortly.

Team Sauerland has signed British amateur cruiserweight star Deion Jumah. Jumah is set to make his professional debut on February 9 as part of Team Sauerland’s Nordic Fight Night series at Blue Water Dokken in Esbjerg, Denmark.

2012 Puerto Rico Olympian middleweight Enrique “Kikin” Collazo has just signed a promotional deal with Gary Shaw Productions and Universal Promotions. His pro debut is scheduled for Friday, January 25th at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY.

de Mori and Reed collide Friday

By Brett Bonetti

Australian Heavyweight Mark “The Dominator” de Mori (19-1-2, 17 KOs) will face American veteran “Dangerous” Damon Reed (46-16, 32 KOs) at the Jupiters Hotel & Casino, Queensland, Australia this Friday. De Mori is aiming for another strong win to raise his prospects of a world title fight in 2013. After a fight with former WBC world heavyweight champion Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter fell through, Damon Reed stepped up to take the fight with de Mori.

This will be de Mori’s third fight for 2012 and “The Dominator” is pleased to be more active following combination of bad luck and cancellations the previous two years. “I can’t just win this fight with Reed, I have to dominate and look really good, otherwise any chance of getting a title fight is off the cards,” de Mori said. (more…)

Cotto-Perez Caguas Presser

Photos: Promociones Miguel Cotto

Unbeaten Lightweight top prospect Abner “Pin” Cotto (15-0, 6 KOs) claims to be ready and fit for his upcoming bout against Sergio “El Serenito” Perez (27-13, 18 KOs) on Saturday as part of the Christmas X-Plosion: Boxeo Boricua in Caguas series at the Roger Mendoza Coliseum. “I know the challenge that I will have in Sergio Perez, but I am ready to fight him toe to toe and get the win,” Abner said.

Top bantamweight title contender Cesar Seda Jr. will make his hometown fight comeback in a 8 round bout. “I am happy to be back fighting in Puerto Rico. I want to thank my promoters Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions for this opportunity. I just want to be back in the ring and get a title shot next year,” Seda said. (more…)

Adamek-Cunningham undercard

Before Tomasz Adamek and Steve Cunningham lock horns in the nationally televised main event at the Sands Events Center in Bethlehem, PA on Saturday afternoon, a full slate of “pick-em” preliminary bouts are scheduled for the live ringside audience. (more…)

New ESPN2 studio host for 2013

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights Returns January 4 with a new studio host. Sportscenter anchor Todd Grisham will take over in the studio, while Bernardo Osuna will become the series’ first-ever on-site reporter, contributing to ESPN’s Friday Night Fights in English, and ESPN Deportes’ Viernes De Combates in Spanish. Blow-by-blow commentator Joe Tessitore and ringside analyst Teddy Atlas will return to describe the action.

Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame inductees named

Rich Marotta, founder and CEO of the newly-established Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame (NVBHOF), announced the NVBHOF’s historic inaugural class of inductees at a news conference today at the Richard Steele Boxing Club in North Las Vegas. Induction will take place in 2013.

The inductees are Mike Tyson, Mike McCallum, Diego Corrales, Julio César Chávez, Larry Holmes, Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard, Eddie Futch, Freddie Roach, Mills Lane, Joe Cortez, Al Bernstein, Royce Feour, Bob Arum, Don King, Marc Ratner, James Nave, Sig Rogich and Kirk Kerkorian.

‘Kid Blast’ Ready for Takeoff

“He’s ready” says Richard Dobal, President of Bad Dog Productions and co-promoter of IBF #6 super featherweight Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (17-0, 11 KOs). Miami-based Dobal has been with the 26-year-old Cuban Barthelemy from the beginning of his career and is hoping to watch him join the elite ranks of the 130-lb division when he faces #14-rated contender Arash Usmanee (20-0, 10 KOs) on January 4 in a 12-round elimination bout for the IBF’s #2 position. Barthelemy and Usmanee will headline the 2013 debut broadcast of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights live from Stage 305 in the Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida. (more…)

Warren wins Cleverly-Krasniqi purse bid

A purse bid was held today in Budapest, Hungry for the mandatory defense of WBO light heavyweight Nathan Cleverly against Robin Krasniqi. The winning bid was $500,000 presented by Dean Powell from Frank Warren Promotions (Cleverly’s promoter). Ulf Steinforth of SES Boxing (Krasniqi’s promoter) submitted a bid of $431,650. The bout will take place March 16 in either London, Liverpool or Cardiff. Istvan “Koko” Kovacs. WBO Executive Committee Vice President for Europe, presided.

WBA orders Klitschko-Povetkin

The WBA has instructed the promotional companies Sauerland Event (SE) and Klitschko Management Group (KMG) to conduct immediate negotiations for the fight between the current heavyweight “super” champion Wladimir Klitschko and “regular” world champion Alexander Povetkin. The WBA has followed the rules of their writing originally sent to all parties prior to the fight between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye. The letter stated that the winner of the bout would be declared as super champion and has to face the winner out of Ruslan Chagaev vs. Alexander Povetkin within in a time period of 18 months after the fight which took place on August 27, 2011. Klitschko vs. Povetkin is scheduled to take place before February 26, 2013.

Chris Meyer, Managing Director of Sauerland Event, stated: “We have a four week period to negotiate terms on the fight and will be in contact with the Klitschko management later on today. We worked together for many fights as co-promoters of the Klitschkos. Therefore I am convinced that we will have a professional dialogue. However, if we should not be able to reach a voluntary agreement we are prepared to enter a purse bid.”

Cunningham ready for rematch

Story and photos by John DiSanto – Philly Boxing History (.com)

This Saturday we will finally get the long-awaited rematch between Tomasz Adamek and Steve Cunningham. Added to this excitement is that the fight (along with one preliminary bout) will be televised on network television – not PPV, not pay cable, not basic cable. This one will be televised by NBC on a throwback Saturday afternoon TV broadcast. Besides being on regular “free” TV, the fight is special for a number of reasons.

Recently Philly Boxing History spoke to Team Cunningham about these key factors of the bout, and got their opinion on how they might impact things. (more…)

Video: Adamek finishes training camp

Video and photos by Przemek Garczarczyk

“I finished my training camp today, and from now on it’s just relaxation and keeping myself hungry for the fighting game. It won’t be a problem. I did change a lot of small, but important things. Stuff you will know when you will be with me in the ring. But then it will be too late to do anything about it,” said Tomasz Adamek (47-2, 29 KOs) who this Saturday will fight Steve Cunningham (25-4, 12 KOs).

“We all know the strengths of both fighters and for me it means absolutely nothing that Tomek is the favorite,” added trainer Roger Bloodworth. “It just doesn’t matter in boxing. And it doesn’t matter for Tomek. Not sure he knows the meaning of the word ‘pressure.’ He just fights the best he can.” (more…)

Lozada Jr. headlines Friday

By Felipe Leon

This Friday night Baja Boxing in association with Promociones Del Pueblo will present one of the last fight cards of the year when in the Cadena Tres broadcast main event, up and coming junior welterweight Antonio “Cañitas” Lozada Jr. (29-1, 25KOs) faces David Cavita (7-1-2, 6KOs) for a scheduled ten rounds. The fight card will be held in Lozada Jr.’s hometown of Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico, a beach town ten minutes south of Tijuana. (more…)

Cleverly must face Krasniqi

A purse bid will be held today in Budapest, Hungry for the mandatory defense of WBO light heavyweight Nathan Cleverly against Robin Krasniqi. Minimum bid is $300,000. The Cleverly camp had been hoping to line up a better known opponent, but that idea was scotched by WBO President Francisco Valcarcel who tweeted “We want to make clear that Cleverly must face Krasniqi or he will be stripped from the title. That mandatory was stated by the WBO Executive Committee on the last WBO Convention.”

Dimitrenko back in action

By Skoda Stanislav

Heavyweight contender Alexander Dimitrenko (32-2, 21 KOs) returns to the ring Friday against Serbian Samir Kurtagic (11-4, 8 KOs) headlining an event billed as “Spolchemie Boxing Night” at the Sportcentrum Sluneta in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. It will be Dimitrenko’s first fight since a KO loss to Kubrat Pulev in May in a bout for the European championship. Also on the card, which is being promoted by former world champion Lukas Konecny ​​and Profiboxing.cz, will be Martin Parlagim (7-0, 4 KOs) against Michal Dufek (9-2-1, 6 KOs) for the vacant Czech lightweight title, heavyweight Ondrej Pala (30-3, 21 KOs) vs. TBA.

“Betillo” Gutierrez in action tonight

By Felipe Leon

Mayen Promotions, the most active club-sized promoter in Tijuana, will close out their year this upcoming Wednesday night at the Las Pulgas night club in the heart of Tijuana’s Revolution Avenue with another chock full night of boxing featuring former world title challenger Humberto “Betillo” Gutierrez (28-4-2, 20KOs) of Tijuana by way of Los Mochis, Mexico, versus Jose Luis Vazquez (3-2, 3KOs) of Tijuana in a eight round welterweight face off. (more…)

Report/gallery: Khan vs. Molina

Ringside by Miguel Maravilla and Felipe Leon
Photos by “Big” Joe Miranda

Amir “King” Khan scored a tenth round stoppage over the previously undefeated Carlos Molina (17-0-1, 7KOs) this past Saturday at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Khan came out jabbing and shooting one-two combinations at a distance. The persistent and sharp jab of Khan inflicted a cut over the left eye of his opponent in the opening round. However Molina’s cut man Miguel Diaz was able to control the bleeding between rounds . . . Click here for more

Weights from New York City

All of the fighters for tomorrow night’s DiBella Entertainment special-edition Hurricane Sandy Benefit Broadway Boxing card weighed in earlier Tuesday at the NYS Athletic Commission’s office in downtown Manhattan. Below is the complete bout sheet for Wednesday night’s show at the Roseland Ballroom.

Will Rosinsky 174 vs. Otis Griffin 174
Gabriel Bracero 141 vs. Johnnie Edwards 142
Ivan Redkach 134 vs. Edward Valdez 134
Ionut Ion 150 vs. Franklin Gonzalez 150
Travis Peterkin 175 vs. Eddie Tigs 169
Mikkel Lespierre 143 vs. Cornelius Whitlock 142
Akima Stocks 154 vs. Marva Dash 156
Jarrell Miller 242 vs. Tyrone Gibson 230
Allan Benitez 136 vs. Danny Calzada 135
Maurice Hooker 141 vs. Cameron Kreal 139

All of the proceeds from the show are being donated to the American Red Cross. A silent auction will be held throughout the evening with DiBella Entertainment’s President Lou DiBella donating items from his own extensive personal collection.

Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000, or at the Roseland Box Office tomorrow evening. Tickets are priced at $125, $85, $65 and $45. Doors open at 6 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.