Category Archives: mekemeke
Top USA amateur boxers adjusting to life without fights & waiting another year for Olympics show
Unhappy birthday coming up for undefeated lightweight prospect Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz
Worcester, Mass. (April 15, 2020) – Even in his wildest dreams, undefeated World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth World lightweight championJamaine “The Technician” Ortiz (13-0, 7 Koó) never could have ever imagined that his 24th rā whānau, later this month, would fall smack in the middle of a worldwide health pandemic
When he turns 24 i runga i April 28th, Ortiz figured he’d be preparing for training camp with a spring fight date set, likely defending his WBC Youth World title of fighting for a regional belt of some sort.
He certainly didn’t think boxing would be banned around the world, gyms closed by a state mandate, and people wearing facemasks and plastic gloves like they’re in a Sci-Fi movie. Na, to boot, his job as a licensed carpenter ended closed shop last Friday. Like everybody else in the Bay State.
Ortiz is basically self-quarantined at home, although he’s still running, whakangungu, eating well and doing everything else to maintain decent shape. Not elite boxing shape, ahakoa, which simply isn’t possible under these restrictive and trying times.
Instead of sparring, he’s shadow boxing, jumping rope has replaced pad-work with his trainers, Rocky Gonzalez aCarlos Garcia, and now his living room serves as hisomaoma.
Times have been dramatically altered, pono, even celebrating birthdays, which Jamaine fully understands and accepts.
“I don’t think my birthday will be any different,” Ortiz said. “I usually spend it alone with my mother and daughter (4-year-old Amira) and this year probably won’t be any different. I won’t be able to get in a whole bunch of sparring rounds that I usually ask for (kata) as presents from some of my friends.“
Aua'e râ, ahakoa, Ortiz was able to fight this past February 28 in his first action in six months, headlining a CES Boxing-promoted card at home in Worcester, Massachusetts, in which he registered an impressive second-round stoppage of Mexican knockout specialist“Loco” Luis Ronaldo Castillo (22-6, 17 Koó), a former WBC FECOMBOX lightweight champion.
Ortiz, presently rated No. 16 by the North American Boxing Federation (NABF), aspires to attend medical school after he hangs up his gloves for good, to become a doctor/researcher. He reads a lot about medicine, especially holistic treatments, and he believes that he may have already had the coronavirus.
“Five weeks before my last fight,” he explained, “I was in the hospital with a temperature of 104.5. Just about everybody I knew was sick, my grandmother had pneumonia. I never really get sick. I had a flu shot for seven years without an issue. I developed a cough, too. I felt like I was going to die. I can’t say with certainty I had coronavirus (there was no test available then), but I feel like I may have had it.”
Ortiz will be ready for the night the ring bell will finally sound again. “I hope to be fighting again in July or August, engari, no matter when boxing returns, I’ll be ready to go.
“This is a serious, contagious disease. People should use common sense: wash your hands, stay separated by six feet, and stay at home, especially the elderly and people with respiratory problems. Don’t take any unnecessary risks or panic, either. This isn’t the end of the world!"
SHOWTIME BOXING WITH ERIC RASKIN AND KIERAN MULVANEY PODCAST FEATURES PROMOTER DMITRIY SALITA AND HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER OTTO WALLIN AS HE DISCUSSES HIS BOUT WITH COVID-19
Ētahi atu, Steve Farhood Breaks Down Some Of The Fiercest Rematches In Boxing History
Click Below To Listen To Latest Installment Of SHOWTIME BOXING PODCAST
NEW YORK – April 14, 2020 – This week’s installment of the digital podcast seriesSHOWTIME BOXING WITH ERIC RASKIN AND KIERAN MULVANEY features heavyweight contender Otto Wallin, who recently recovered from COVID-19, and promoter Dmitriy Salita in an interview about life in quarantine and the effect the virus has had on the sport of boxing. Ētahi atu, Hall of Fame analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood joins this week’sRevenge: The Rematchessegment to discuss Azumah Nelson vs. Jesse James Leija II, Gerald McClellan vs. Julian Jackson II, and Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Frankie Randall II. Click the following link to listen to the full episode, https://s.sho.com/3bkvFp1.
Excerpts from the episode:
On COVID-19 and its effect on the sport of boxing…
Kupu – “It’s a really unpredictable environment right now. Boxing is an international sport. Now more than ever, fighters come to the U.S. from all over to train and fight. It’s really important that the whole world heals so that things can go back to normal.”
Wallin – “This virus is very serious. People are dying – people from the gym have died. I didn’t have many symptoms when I had it, but it spread to my mother’s boyfriend who is a diabetic and he was very ill. When you are home, don’t just stay on the couch. You have to come up with ideas to keep yourself busy and do something.”
On staying in shape during quarantine…
Wallin – “I am trying to make the best of the situation, and I can do a lot with what I have now. It’s working alright. I do some boxing punching on the wall and lots of shadow boxing.”
On Salita Promotions’ Train Like a Boxer YouTube Series…
Kupu – “We were thinking of ways to keep connections between the fighters and the fans. Everyone is stuck at home, no one can go to work and it’s important to stay healthy and active. We thought we could let the fans know about what the fighters are doing at home and keep communication between everyone going.”
On what’s next for Wallin…
Kupu – “In the fight with [Tyson] Fury you can see how amazing his performance was. Numbers don’t lie, Otto landed more punches against Fury than any opponent including [Vladimir] Klitschko and [Deontay] Wilder –in the first fight. Otto is a world-class fighter, and hopefully we get back to business and he can show that he is one of the best heavyweights in the world.”
On Chavez vs. Randall II…
Farhood – “I think it was a sign Chavez was getting to the end, he was only 31 but he had 90 fights and I think Randall got him at the right time. Watching Randall in both fights boxing so well reminded me a bit of Buster Douglas against [Mike] Tyson. This guy didn’t give you anything to think he could do something like this – just boxing beautifully. I thought Randall probably deserved the rematch decision by a point, but it was a very close fight.”
The weekly SHOWTIME BOXING podcast features Raskin and Mulvaney diving deep into the world of boxing and SHOWTIME boxing events. New episodes are released on all major podcast platforms every Monday, including Radio.com.
CONTENDERS CLOTHING LAUNCHES FIGHTING FOR FIGHTERS FUND – ALL PROCEEDS TO GO DIRECTLY TO PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19 CRISIS!
FIGHTERS CAN SIGN UP NOW FOR A DIRECT PAYMENT SENT OUT FIRST WEEK OF MAY ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE NEW’GO THE SOCAL DISTANCE’ FUNDRAISER T-SHIRT& 10% OF SALES AT CONTENDERSCLOTHING.COM TO GO TO FUND |
Las Vegas, NV. (April 13, 2020): Contenders Clothing is proud to announce the creation of the Fighting for Fighters Fund, a new program that will put money directly, and immediately, into the hands of professional fighters affected by the current Covid-19 crisis. With combat sports across the United States being suspended indefinitely, many fighters who earn a living competing professionally are self-employed contractors leaving them out of work and not eligible for state unemployment. While there is money earmarked for contract workers under the Cares Act, funds have been hard to, if not impossible, to access, leaving many working class fighters in dire need of assistance. “While some well-known apparel companies are donating to large and mostly worldwide health organizations, we’ve yet to see any company directly help fighters,” said Contenders Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Snyder. “We have been embraced by professional fighters of all levels who have worn our boxer briefs and t-shirts at weigh ins and we truly consider anyone who wears us as part of our family. They’ve had our back and now it’s time to have theirs.” Funding for Fighting for Fighters will come from the sales of an exclusive, ‘Go The Social Distance’ t-shirt created specifically as a fundraiser for the program. I tua atu, Contenders Clothing is giving 10% of every single sale throughout the entire month of April at www.contendersclothing.com directly into the fund. Payments will go out the first week of May and will be divided equally from the overall amount Fighting for Fighters raises between all eligible fighters. “We’ve come to find that fighters are special people in and out of the ring and not enough people understand their sacrifice. Ki te Fighting for Fighters can literally buy groceries for a fighters’ family for a week or pay a utility bill at a time when they desperately need it, then we will consider it a success.” If you are an active professional fighter based in the United States whose income has been affected by the Covid-19 crisis please sign up at: https://contendersclothing.com/pages/contenders-fighting-for-fighters-fund If you’d like to purchase the Go the Social Distance t-shirt and have all proceeds go to the Fighting for Fighters Fund, please head to: https://contendersclothing.com/collections/t-shirts/products/go-the-social-distance-tee ABOUT CONTENDERS CLOTHING Contenders Clothing’s boxer brief line, which contains the first ever officially licensed Muhammad Ali and Rocky collections, has been a favorite of professional boxers at weigh-ins since launching in 2018. From world champions such as Tyson Fury to up and coming contenders and prospects, Contenders has been at the forefront of the world of boxing apparel. Fight Club, Contenders Clothing’s endorsement program, was established in 2019. With a focus on working class and inspirational fighters, Contenders Fight Club has already seen one of it’s athletes, Andrew Cancio, win a world title in a massive upset. In addition to the announcement of current #1 contender and former world champion Jessie Magdaleno joining Contenders Fight Club last month, Contenders is continuing it’s commitment to the boxing industry with plans on announcing several new signees throughout 2020 that represent the future of the sport. Mō ētahi atu pārongo'a'ahi: www.contendersclothing.com |
For any further information on Contenders’Fighting for Fighters Fund – please drop us a line atchris@contendersclothing.com and we will get right back in touch. Thanks in advance for your support and helping spread the word. |
PBC KEEPS PUNCHING OUT BOREDOM!
A remarkable boxing journey like no other 1972 Mētara koura Olympic “Sugar” Ray Seales
SHOWTIME SPORTS® TO PRESENT SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS, INCLUDING THREE FIGHT OF THE YEAR WINNERS, BEGINNING APRIL 10 ON SHOWTIME®
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH 10 TIME WORLD KICKBOXING CHAMPION CAITLIN FORAN AHEAD OF HER PRO BOXING DEBUT
New York State Boxing HOF & Ring 8 establish fund to assist boxers and boxing personnel in New York
NEW YORK (April 1, 2020) – The New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF) and Ring 8 jointly announced today a partnership to establish a COVID-19 fund to assist New York and New Jersey boxers and boxing personnel who are in financial need during the coronavirus pandemic.
Any boxing personnel (kaimekemeke, kaiwhakangungu, cut-men, me ētahi atu) who are independent contractors and live in New York or New Jersey may apply for monetary assistance by filling out a request form posted atwww.NYBoxingHOF.org awww.Ring8tv,ki, or request a form atfightpublicist@gmail.com to be directly emailed.
All applicants must be licensed (NYSAC, NJSAC or USA Boxing) and forms must be submitted to NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy by email (depcomish@aol.com) or call him (1.516.313.2304) with the required information.
“Gyms are closed, and boxing has been suspended indefinitely,” NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy said. “Most boxing trainers, cut-men and other boxing personnel are independent contractors, so they do not have any income right now during this pandemic. They have families to support, rent to pay, food to put on the table, and other critical expenses. We want to help them by establishing this fund. We’re not in the position to give each applicant a large stipend, but we are able to provide a small payment to temporarily help them a little bit. We’re committed to doing this for the month of April, at the very least, and then we’ll will revisit extending payments until boxing returns, as long as there is money available in this fund. It’s the right thing to do!"
“Ring 8 is furthering our goals to assist boxers and boxing people in New York during this crisis,” Ring 8 president Charlie Norkus, JR. added. “It has been our mission since the very beginning. We are pleased to join the New York Boxing Hall of Fame in this endeavor.”