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All posts by FNU47
Grayson Blake battles Anthony Prescott in Local attraction this Saturday at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia
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UNBEATEN HOMETOWN FAVORITE SAMMY VASQUEZ JR. SEEKS 10th STRAIGHT KNOCKOUT WHEN HE FACES FELLOW SOUTHPAW EMMANUEL LARTEY FRIDAY FEB. 20, LIVE ON SHOWTIME® FROM CONSOL ENERGY CENTER, PITTSBURGH, PA.
World-Ranked Once-Beatens Humberto Savigne & Claudio Marrero Featured in Separate Bouts Of ShoBox: The New Generation Tripleheader at 10 p.m. ET/PT
“I know I’m going to keep my KO streak going…..He’s never been knocked out and I like those kinds of challenges.’’ – Sammy Vasquez
“He’s been knocking a lot of guys, but he hasn’t faced anyone like me” – Emmanuel Lartey
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Jan. 29, 2015) – High-energy hometown favorite and unbeaten welterweight Sammy Vasquez Jr. (17-0, 13 KOs) will return to action seeking his 10th consecutive victory by knockout when he takes on fellow southpaw Emmanuel Lartey (17-2, 8 KOs, 1 NC), of Brooklyn, N.Y. by way of Ghana, in the 10-round main event of a ShoBox: The New Generationtripleheader live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.
In the co-feature of the Goossen Promotions event, former longtime Cuban amateur star and current third-ranked WBC light heavyweight Humberto Savigne (12-1, 9 KOs, 1 NC), of Miami via Guantanamo, Cuba, will take on undefeated Craig Baker (15-0, 11 KOs), of Baytown, Texas, in an 8/10-round bout.
In the opening bout of the telecast, talented southpaw and WBA No. 7 ranked featherweight Claudio Marrero (17-1, 13 KOs), of Miami by way of the Dominican Republic, will box an opponent to be announced in an eight-round match.
“We’re honored to present Sammy’s return to action against Lartey,” said Tom Brown of Goossen Promotions. “For decades Western Pennsylvania has produced world champions and some of the boxing’s toughest warriors and Sammy fits right in. He’s really made CONSOL his home. With the tremendous past support from the Pittsburgh area for his fights, we strongly encourage fans to purchase tickets well in advance.”
“We are very excited to once again host hometown hero Sammy Vasquez, Jr., at CONSOL Energy Center as he headlines the feature bout for a terrific professional boxing card on Feb. 20,” said Tim Hassett, CONSOL Energy Center General Manager and Regional VP of AEG Facilities. “The City of Pittsburgh has a rich history and tradition in boxing, and is the center of a region full of enthusiastic sports fans. We are thrilled that Goossen Promotions and SHOWTIME have chosen our venue as the site for this event, and we look forward to all involved enjoying all that our great city has to offer.”
One of the most popular fighters from the area in years, the crowd-pleasing Vasquez, 28, will be making his second ShoBox start and third consecutive appearance at CONSOL Energy Center, where he is coming off two of the finest victories of his promising career.
In his most recent start, the aggressive-minded Vasquez registered an explosive 2:35, first-round knockout over Alberto Mosquera (21-1-2 going in) last Nov. 14. He scored a smashing ninth-round TKO over then-unbeaten James Stevenson (21-0 going in) on Aug. 8. Vasquez dropped Mosquera twice with body shots, Stevenson once.
Vasquez has fought one time past the sixth round. He has never gone more than nine and has won his last nine consecutive fights by knockout. Lartey, conversely, has gone 10 or more rounds five times, never been knocked out and never been knocked down.
“Lartey is a good, tough fighter and it’s going to be a good fight,’’ Vasquez said. “I know I’m going to keep my KO streak going. Whether it’s in the first or the 10th, it will happen. He’s never been knocked out and I like those kinds of challenges.’’
In his ShoBox debut, Vasquez scored three knockdowns en route to a 2:49, first-round knockout over Juan Rodriguez Jr. on April 18, 2014, in Monroeville. Pa. Despite all the stoppages, the 5-foot-10 Vasquez never considered himself a knockout puncher.
“I consider myself well-rounded but if the opportunity comes, I take advantage,” Vasquez said. “Whether I am considered by others as a KO or guy or not, I’ll take advantage of the opportunity. I know I could be entering the world rankings soon. But, for now, I don’t really pay attention to them.’’
An accomplished amateur (2011 National PAL Championships and 2010 All-Army Championships gold medalist at 152 pounds), Vasquez has been a crowd favorite since turning pro in August 2012. All but three of his fights have taken place in the Pittsburgh area.
“Fighting again at CONSOL Energy Center, the home arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins, is great,’’ said Vasquez, a United States Army veteran who served two combat tours in Iraq (2005-2006 and 2008-2009) during a nine-year stint as a member of the National Guard. “I am very grateful to be able to headline there and I’m glad to be able to bring attention and publicity to Pittsburgh for the boxing fans to enjoy. I’m happy to bring boxing back and to put on a good show for the city and our area.
“There is no pressure in boxing after some of the things I’ve been through outside of boxing. I always want to win, but win, lose or draw, in boxing you always come out of that ring alive.’’
Lartey (pronounced “LAR-tay”), 32, is coming off his most noteworthy victory, a unanimous 10-round decision victory over former world champion Steve Forbes on June 7, 2014 in Tacoma, Wash.
“I’ve faced much tougher competition than Vasquez and I’m not worried about fighting in his hometown,” Lartey said. “Sammy is a very tough fighter, but so am I. He’s been knocking out a lot of guys, but he hasn’t faced anyone like me.”
In his bout before last, his ShoBox debut, Lartey came up on the wrong end of a hard-fought split eight-round decision to 2008 U.S. Olympic Gold MedalistFelix Diaz.
Three fights ago the game, durable Lartey gave unbeaten rising star and 2012 U.S. Olympian Errol Spence his toughest pro fight, taking him the eight-round distance for the first time. Although clearly behind and seemingly beaten, Lartey landed a body shot near the end of the seventh before rocking Spence with a big right hook late at the bell. Lartey came forward for most of the eighth round, forcing Spence to stand his ground in the final minute of the fight.
“I had a few setbacks and I’m very grateful for this opportunity. This is my time to shine and show the world how good I am.”
The 5-foot-8 Lartey turned pro in April 2005 in Ghana, and fought through 2009 there. He was 11-0 with 1 NC – winning the African and Ghanaian super lightweight championships along the way – before moving to the United States and making his stateside debut in February 2011.
This will be the fourth time he’s faced an unbeaten prospect on the road. He is 1-2, losing on points to Diaz in April 2014 and Spence in October 2013 and winning via points against Jonathan Bautista (13-0 going in) in April 2013.
Savigne (pronounced “sa-VEEN-yay”), 34, knocked out former world championJeff Lacy in the second round in his last start on July 10, 2014. That upped his record to 10-0 with 1 NC since suffering his lone defeat to underdog Harvey Jolly in December 2009, a fight in which he may have entered with an injured ankle.
A former international amateur standout and a member of the Cuban National team for seven years, Humberto (pronounced “Umberto” – with a silent “H”) made his pro and stateside debut at the late age of 30. Baker represents the fourth undefeated fighter that Savigne has faced as a pro.
“The only thing I know is that Baker is going to go down before the fifth round,” Savigne said. “I’m going in there to knock him out and make it a quick night. I don’t know what he is thinking about me, but I know I’m not underestimating him. I’m going to do my job like I always do. It doesn’t matter what he does. I’ll be ready.
“I’m going to prove that I’m the new don of the light heavyweight division,” said Savigne, who is nicknamed “El Don.”
A natural left-hander, Savigne went 398-23 in the amateurs. He won the national championship four times, and was on the national team for seven years. Savigne defected from Cuba to the United States in April 2009. The 6-foot-1 Savigne, who has fought exclusively in the U.S. since turning pro, has quickly rose to No. 3 in the WBC 175-pound rankings after just 14 professional bouts.
“I feel I was ready for a world title fight since last year,” Savigne said. “I’m looking forward to getting a win on Feb 20 and facing the big names in the light heavyweight division. I’ve been training hard and I’ve been patient and humble. When the time comes, I’m going to be in prime shape and ready to fulfill my dream of becoming a world champion. Whether it’s early this year, late this year or next year, I’m ready.
“I want to fight the champions at 175 pounds, but I need to take care of Baker first. I want Adonis Stevenson. I feel that I’m better than him. He’s never fought a guy like me and I don’t see enough skill set in him to be able to defeat me.”
Baker, who turns 31 on Feb. 10, will be making his ShoBox debut. A seven-year-pro, Baker is a pressure fighter who likes to wear down opponents intelligently. He is coming off a third-round knockout over Sergio Cordoba lastNov. 15 in Argentina. He has won his last three fights inside three rounds, but not against fighters on the level of Savigne.
“I’m always the underdog, so this is nothing new,” Baker said. “I’ve been in this position before. You just have to do what you’re supposed to do you’ll get the win. “We’ve been waiting for this opportunity to prove who we are.
“When I win it will mean everything, it will be a dream come true. It’s going to open some doors for me. I’ll be 16-0 and be right there to face some of the top fighters at 175 pounds.”
Baker turned to boxing in 2005 as a way to lose weight. At the time, he weighed 293 pounds. He would lose his amateur debut but then went on to win the Texas State Golden Gloves and the Texas State USA Championships in both 2007 and 2008. Baker was also runner up at the National PAL Tournament in 2007, a quarterfinalist in both the National USA Championships Tournament and the National Golden Gloves, which earned him a USA boxing national ranking of No. 3.
“I’ve faced guys like him before,” Baker said. “At the end of the day, all that matters is what you bring to the ring. On the national level in the amateurs you can face guys with a few hundred fights on the first day of a tournament. So his amateur pedigree doesn’t scare me.
“I’m just expecting a W anyway it comes. That’s what I want and that’s what I’m getting. He’s just like any other fighter. You have to wait and see what they have. We’ll find out on fight night.”
Marrero, 25, is no stranger to local fans, having fought twice in the area last year, both times on cards also featuring Vasquez.
An excellent fighter whose only loss came on a tight 12-round decision toJesus Cuellar in a let-it-all-hang-out, action-packed slugfest for the WBA Interim Featherweight World Championship (scored 114-113, 115-114 and 111-111) in August 2013, Marrero will be making his ShoBox and 2015 debut. He went 3-0 last year, winning by sixth-round TKO over Ira Terry in his most recent start last Nov. 21 in Tulsa, Okla.
Advance tickets priced at $238, $100, $60, $40 and $25 for students and military with valid ID (Box Office Only), plus applicable fees, for “The Pride of Pittsburgh III” will go on sale Friday, January 30 at 10:00 a.m. through the Dick’s Sporting Goods Box Office at CONSOL Energy Center, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. Prices increase $5 on the day of the event. Doors will open on the night of the event at 5:30 p.m. with the first bell at 6:30 p.m.
CONSOL Energy Center is located at 1001 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219. Further information can be located at their website,www.consolenergycenter.com
Social Media: Follow Goossen Promotions on Twitter @GoossenBoxing, Sammy Vasquez on Twitter @TeamSVasquez, SHOWTIME Sports@SHOsports and CONSOL Energy Center @CONSOLEnergyCtr. Use hashtag #VasquezLartey to follow the discussion.
For more information on Goossen Promotions view their website atwww.GoossenPromotions.com. For additional information on Showtime Sports visit www.Sho.com/sports.
About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 58 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.
MARKHAM GETS ENGLISH TITLE SHOT; Heads 6 title fight card on Goodwin’s Ultimate Glory celebration on March 14th
Lee “The Banjo” Markham finally gets his big title chance and a potential breakthrough into the big time when he challenges Jahmaine Smyle for the English Super-Middleweight title on the Olivia Goodwin promoted “Ultimate Glory” bill at York Hall on Saturday 14th March.
The show marks the Goodwin’s fifth anniversary into boxing promoting and managing. The event is befitting of this celebration with no less than 6 title fights and some of London’s top prospects on the undercard.
For Markham this is the culmination of a short period of frustration for himself and his manager Steve Goodwin. Firstly Markham was moved into a mandatory position to challenge Frank Buglioni for the Southern Area strap only for Buglioni to vacate the day before purse bids were due to be opened. Markham was then made mandatory for Callum Smith’s English title. Promoter Goodwin won the purse bids but Callum Smith was forced to vacate due to injury.
Goodwin then was able to negotiate with Smyle’s team and the fight was agreed within 2 hours. “I would like to thank Clifton Mitchell and Jahmaine’s team” said Goodwin. “We do not impose any re-match or ongoing restrictive contractual clauses so it was easy to make and Clifton was great to deal with”.
“It is a great fight” said Olivia Goodwin “This is a celebration of our five years in boxing. My father only came into boxing because I wanted to do it and we never dreamed we would expand like this. It is fitting to have Lee topping the bill and having this opportunity as Lee is the first boxer my father managed”.
Markham came to Goodwin with 3 wins and a loss after losing to Gary Boulden. Under Goodwin, Markham has racked up 9 straight wins with 6 stoppages winning 5 Masters titles along the way.
There is no doubt this is Markham’s toughest fight to date “This is a harder fight than Buglioni” says Lee “I know this is going to be a tough fight and I would not want it any other way”.
First Lee must overcome Lewis Van Poetsch on tomorrow’sMatchroom O2 show which is a 6 round warm up. Manager/Promoter Goodwin has formed a relationship with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom being one of the few promoters working with them on the new Fight Pass project and is grateful for Matchroom for giving Lee and his boxers the platform on the big shows and televised fight pass opportunities.
Larry “The Natural” Ekundayo will have the biggest fight of his career with a 10 round fight which is currently being finalised.
Johnny “The Pexican” Garton will be defending his Southern Area Welterweight strap with the opponent being announced next week.
Former Professional footballer Leon McKenzie has his first title fight when he battles for the International Masters Super-Middleweight strap (formerly held by Markham). Leon takes on Ivan Stupalo from Croatia. Leon has an army of support coming including many pro footballers on what is a massive night for him.
“Smokin” Joe Mullender (Middleweight) and Kris Agyei-Dua (Light-Middleweight) both have International title fights.
On the undercard Tilbury’s Matt McCarthy (10-1) takes on Stanislav Nenkov (12-10) over 8 rounds whilst former English Champion Ashley Sexton (14-2-2) makes his long awaited return to the ring at Featherweight.
Highly touted Cruiserweights Adam Hart (1-0) and Jose Lopes (2-0) continue their development. Former K1 champion Hart was devastating in his first contest and now moves up to 6 rounds whilst Lopes trained by Don Charles and described by his trainer as the new David Haye looks for another spectacular stoppage following his one round demolition of Jon Weeks last time out.
Former decorated amateur star Josh Kennedy was another who was devastating on his debut. Kennedy took on an opponent who had lost only once in 8 fights. Many thought this may be a step too far but after only 40 seconds Kennedy proved that false and he stopped his opponent in great style.
In the battle of the undefeated Ashley Hill (2-0) takes on Michael Waldron (1-0) at Light-Middleweight. Hill has looked good in his first two contests and is trained by Markham’s trainer Lenny Butcher who has high hopes for him.
The enigmatic Prince Patel has his debut at flyweight. Love him or love him fans will get to know this charismatic character. Patel takes his name from the original Pronce Naseem and hopes to follow in his footsteps and win world titles in due course. Patel is another signed to Goodwin’s management joining the fastest growing team in the country.
Promoter Olivis was full of praise for another of the undercard fighter’s “The General” Aji Sharif. Sharif lost in 2 rounds to 6 foot 8 ins Imantas Daviditus. After the fight Sharif said all he wanted to do was put things right and his manager Steve Goodwin arranged a re-match for the next show. “Aji has a heart of a lion and we hope he obtains revenge and moves on to titles by the end of 2015. It will be another great fight on a great bill.”
Completing the card is former unlicensed star Heavyweight “Superman” Louie Darling. Darling racked up 35 undefeated bouts in the unlicensed scene stopping 31 opponents. Many wanted to sign Darling but he chose the Goodwin’s to handle his career. “I could not wish for anyone better than Steve to manage me. We are going to the top together” said Darling. First Louie (trained by John Cole in Kent) must overcome war horse Moses Matovu on his debut.
Tickets for this fantastic show can be obtained atwww.iboxingtickets.com or by calling 01525 851150
WBU Champ Danny McDermott Launches New Promotional Company
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“Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” preliminary lineup featuring California’s top fighting prospects, complete with eight new matchups
Easy Tweet: “#BellatorMMA announces prelims packed with top prospects for @team_manhoef vs. @
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 29, 2015) – With a thrilling middleweight matchup between knockout artist Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (29-12-1) and former Bellator MMA champ Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (50-9) in the headlining role, “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” now features a full lineup of 12 contests, loaded with some of California’s top fighting talent.
Bellator officials today announced the addition of eight preliminary contests, which join previously announced matchups of Manhoef vs. Shlemenko, Pat Curran (20-6) vs. Daniel Weichel (34-8), Julia Budd (6-2) vs. Talita Nogueira (6-0) and Chris Honeycutt (5-0) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (4-0).
The newly announced bouts include featherweights Art “King Arthur” Arciniega (14-4) vs. Charley Huston (6-2), undefeated middleweights Blake Watkins (4-0) vs. George Zuniga (3-0), flyweightsPaul Ruiz (5-2) vs. Nicolas Sperling (3-2), welterweights “Terrible” Tom Cook (1-1) vs. Mason “The Mangler” Fowler (1-0), lightweights Nick Bustamante (2-0) vs. Luis Jauregui (2-1), light heavyweights John Paul Elias (2-0) vs. Cody Sons (0-1), lightweights Jonathan “J.T.” Contrestano(4-0) vs. Ryan Tobar (3-1) and bantamweights Ray Cervera (8-2) vs. Adam Piccolotti (4-0).
“Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” which takes place Feb. 13 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. Airs live and free on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET. Tickets for the event, which start at just $28, are currently on sale at Bellator.com and Ticketmaster.com.
Arciniega vs. Huston, Watkins vs. Zuniga, Sperling vs. Ruiz and Cook vs. Fowler all stream live on Spike.com beginning at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT local time) and precede the evening’s four-fight Spike TV-televised main card.
Meanwhile, Bustamante vs. Jauregui, Elias vs. Sons, Contrestano vs. Tobar and Cevera vs. Picolotti stream live on Spike.com following the conclusion of the televised card.
Art “King Arthur” Arciniega, of Dos Palos, Calif., brings a seven-fight winning streak to the cage, having last tasted defeat in 2009. He now face Charley Huston, of Orangeville, Calif., who has earned five of his six career wins by first-round stoppage.
Blake Watkins, of Fresno, Calif., has opened his career in spectacular fashion, owning all four of his career wins by first-round stoppage, including three of just 67 seconds or less. He now meets fellow undefeated fighter George Zuniga, who is also no stranger to quick wins, having earned a 34-second win this past September in his Bellator MMA debut.
Paul Ruiz, of Firebaugh, Calif., is a two-time Bellator MMA veteran, who made his professional debut fighting for the promotion in 2011. He now meets Nicolas Sperling, who opened his professional run with consecutive losses but has since bounced back to earn three-straight first-round stoppage wins.
“Terrible” Tom Cook, of Placerville, Calif., has earned mixed results in his first two professional bouts, but both ended in the opening frame. He now meets Mason Fowler, of Fresno, Calif., who in October needed just 28 seconds to pick up a submission win in his professional debut.
Nick Bustamante, of Fresno, Calif., makes his Bellator MMA debut on the strength of two stoppage wins to start his career. He now challenges Luis Jauregui, of Madera, Calif., who fell short in his 2010 professional debut but then took nearly four years off before returning with consecutive stoppage wins.
John Paul Elias, of Madera, Calif., owns both of his his wins by stoppage, including one knockout and one submission. He now faces Cody Sons, of Bakersfield, Calif., who suffered a disappointing TKO loss in his professional debut but now looks to rebound for his first career win.
Jonathan “J.T.” Contrestano, of Visalia, Calif., returns to action following an 18-month layoff to meet fellow prospect Ryan Tobar, of Oakdale, Calif., who open his career with three-straight first-round victories but suffered a decision loss in October and now looks to rebound from the first setback of his career.
Ray Cervera, of Bakersfield, Calif., brings a three-fight winning streak to the cage and has earned seven of his eight career wins by stoppage. He’s also never been stopped, as both of his professional defeats have come by decision. He now faces undefeated prospect Adam Piccolotti, of Fresno, Calif., who began his professional career in 2013 and has since earned four-straight wins, including two knockouts and one submission.
Bellator 133: Friday, Feb. 13, Save Mart Center, Fresno, Calif.
Main Card on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (29-12-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (50-9)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-6) vs. Daniel Weichel (34-8)
Bellator Women’s Featherweight Feature Fight: Julia Budd (6-2) vs. Talita Nogueira (6-0)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (5-0) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (4-0)
Preliminary card on Spike.com (8 p.m. ET)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Art Arciniega (14-4) vs. Charley Huston (6-2)
Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Blake Watkins (4-0) vs. George Zuniga (3-0)
Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Paul Ruiz (5-2) vs. Nicolas Sperling (3-2)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Tom Cook (1-1) vs. Mason Fowler (1-0)
Preliminary card on Spike.com (Following Manhoef vs. Shlemenko)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Nick Bustamante (2-0) vs. Luis Jauregui (2-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: John Paul Elias (2-0) vs. Cody Sons (0-1)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Contrestano (4-0) vs. Ryan Tobar (3-1)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Ray Cervera (8-2) vs. Adam Piccolotti (4-0)
PACKED HOUSE EXPECTED FOR “MOST ANTICIPATED” LEWISTON MMA EVENT TO DATE
Lewiston, Maine (January 29, 2015) – One week from this Saturday, New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, presents its sixteenth mixed martial arts (MMA) event, “NEF XVI,” in Lewiston, Maine. The event is scheduled to originate from the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. The show will mark the three-year anniversary of the company’s inception. NEF executives announced today that they were expecting one of the largest crowds ever for the wildly-popular fight promotion’s event.
“Our February events have always been our flagship,” said NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo. “Coupled with the fact that this card is loaded with UFC, Bellator, NFL veterans, two title fights, and the return of Ray Wood (5-0), it’s no surprise that ticket sales have been going the way they’ve been going.”
Indeed, ticket sales have been at an all-time high for this event. It is not unusual for the fight promotion to sell out their floor seats for any given show. The sell-out, however, has always come on fight night. The floor seats for “NEF XVI” were sold out a full 17 days prior to the event. NEF executives give partial credit for the quick sales to the addition of complimentary waitress drink service for all cage-side ticketholders. They did not confirm whether or not the promotion was considering adding more floor seats for the event.
As DiSalvo indicated, fans are clamoring for the return of Ray “All Business” Wood who will defend the NEF MMA Featherweight Title against Bellator and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) veteranAnthony “Cheesesteak” Morrison (16-9). This will be Wood’s first homecoming after moving from Maine to South Carolina in late-2014.
“I’m excited for this fight,” said Wood when reached for comment. “I have absolutely nothing to lose. Anthony Morrison has fought some of the best fighters in the world and I have an opportunity to make a statement with this fight. I improve my skills each time I step in the cage and I know that this showing will be no exception. I have respect for Anthony and where he’s been in this sport and I am honored to have the opportunity to fight him.”
Wood’s teammate at Young’s MMA, Fred Lear (2-0), will be featured on the amateur portion of the card in a catchweight bout against Bryant Orrick (3-5) from Ruthless MMA and Boxing. The fight will be contested at 140-pounds.
“These people push me to be a better fighter, student, and person,” said Lear of his teammates and coaches at Young’s MMA in Bangor, Maine. “I am grateful for their presence in my life, it is something I will treasure forever. I am honored to be fighting for Young’s MMA.”
Not looking beyond his own fight, Lear points out three exciting matchups his teammates Josh Harvey (2-1), Mike Peitersen (1-0) and Aaron Lacey (4-1) will contest against members of the Choi Institute of Portland, Maine.
“Leading up to ‘NEF XVI,’ I can’t help but highlight our matchups with Choi’s,” Lear continued. “Nick Spencer [Lacey’s opponent (7-4)] is dangerous everywhere, Henry Clark [Peitersen’s opponent (1-0)] is coming off of an impressive debut, and I’ve known Caleb[Hall – Harvey’s opponent (5-1)] since high school and there is no doubt about his grit and talent. The atmosphere at the Colisee will be electrifying as six high-caliber fighters look to leave their mark.”
Hall and Harvey are set to open the show in a featherweight bout at 7:00 pm sharp. Hall has competed on six previous NEF MMA events, and he has definitely noticed an increased excitement from fans leading into “NEF XVI.”
“The anticipation is at an all time high because of all the good match ups on the card,” noted Hall. “On February 7th, I’m expecting it to be the most exciting night yet.”
Having fought for smaller promotions in the past, Harvey is clear that the size of the crowd does not matter to him. He will bring his A-game to the cage whether the fight be under the big lights in a world-famous arena like the Androscoggin Bank Colisee or held in a tiny, poorly-lit room with a few chairs set up around a cage.
“Personally it doesn’t matter who or how many people are watching,” stated Harvey. “I’m going to put on a show whether there are 20 people or 20,000. I love to entertain. After Caleb hooks on to me he’ll know he’s been in a fight.”
Jason Lachance (0-1) from MMA Athletix in Bath, Maine is scheduled to meet Steven Bang (3-2) of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Auburn, Maine at “NEF XVI.” Lachance credits the level of talent on the NEF roster with bringing in large crowds like the crowd expected on February 7.
“NEF has a lot of talent on this night of fights, as they always do,” said Lachance. “I expect nothing less than an exciting night for the fans. The support from our fans means everything, and my fellow fighters and I come ready to throw down and send everyone home with even more anticipation for the next event. God has blessed us with another opportunity to do what we love to do in front of so many.”
Billy “Bigfoot” Leahy (1-1) will also see action at “NEF XVI” when he steps into the cage to face debuting independent fighterBrandon Lessard (0-0) in a heavyweight bout. Leahy got the first win of his MMA career this past September at “NEF XIV” before some 2,000-plus fans at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. As such, he is familiar with the feeling that comes from performing for a massive, ravenous fight crowd.
“I’m expecting a great night of fights,” exclaimed Leahy. “I am honored to be on such a great card. The NEF fans are like no other, and I can’t wait to put on a great show in front of my family, friends and fans.”
NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVI,” takes place on February 7, 2015with an all-star lineup of fights scheduled. Ray “All Business” Wood (5-0) returns that night to defend the NEF MMA Featherweight Title against Bellator and WEC veteran Anthony “Cheesesteak” Morrison (16-9). NFL and UFC The Ultimate Fighterveteran Tyler King (7-2) puts the NEF MMA Heavyweight Title on the line against Terry “The Polar Bear” Blackburn (5-2). In the feature bout of the evening, UFC, Bellator and Strikeforce veteranNah-Shon Burrell (10-5) makes his NEF MMA debut against Ryan Hodge (6-9). Tickets start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
Jake “The Gorilla” Pilla takes on NY Badass Danny Abad for CZ Title this Friday night!
This Friday January 30th, Combat Zone Champ Jake “The Gorilla” Pilla puts his title on the line against NY native Danny Abad! This matchup has all the makings for an explosive fight and will surely leave the fans cheering!
Guillermo Rigondeaux encouraged by Oscar de la Hoya comment about Leo Santa Cruz unification fight
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MIAMI (Jan. 28, 2015) – World Boxing Association (WBA) Super, World Boxing Organization (WBO) and The Ring Magazine super bantamweight champion Guillermo “The Jackal” Rigondeaux (15-0, 10 KOs) is encouraged by reports that World Boxing Council (WBC) title-holder Leo Santa Cruz‘ promoter, Oscar de la Hoya, believes a Rigondeaux-Santa Cruz unification fight has to happen.
BOXING RETURNS TO PRIMETIME NETWORK TELEVISION
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