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Beat the Streets Announces Man of the Year Award for Kyle Snyder and Lifetime Achievement Award for Ray Lewis among 2016 Gala Award Winners
National and local wrestlers and coaches to be honored at 2016 “United in the Square” Gala Celebration in Times Square on Thursday May 19
Kyle Snyder became the youngest American to win a Senior World title when he captured the 97 kg gold medal at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas at age 19. Snyder came out of Olympic redshirt and won the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Madison Square Garden as a sophomore for Ohio State, defeating two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski of NC State in a classic heavyweight finals. In April, Snyder defeated 2012 Olympic champion Jake Varner in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to earn a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team at the age of 20. In 2014, Snyder was selected to represent Team USA as the youngest-ever member of the Beat the Streets All-Star team.
Ray Lewis is the former linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, two-time Super Bowl Champion, and 2000’s Super Bowl MVP. He was an All-American linebacker and a wrestling star at Kathleen High School in Lakeland, Florida. He has received numerous awards and honors throughout his 17-year career with the Ravens, becoming the team’s all-time career leader in tackles. Lewis will be the Honorary Coach of the USA team at United in the Square.
Junior League Girls Wrestler of the Year: Chloe Cabrera, MS 129, Bronx
Cabrera is a three-year middle-school wrestler who has stood out every season. Her accomplishments include her three times as Junior League Champion and being a member of the National Junior Honor Society for the past two years. She attends clinics at Beat the Streets and travels in the spring with Head Girls Coach Jacque Davis to out-of-state tournaments. As one of her supporters puts it, “she is always trying to better herself as a wrestler and has a bright future.”
Junior League Boys Wrestler of the Year: Jayden Cardenas, MS 582, Brooklyn
Cardenas is from MS 582 Upper Ten Eyck and has been wrestling for five years. He was the NYC City Champion and USA Wrestling Kids State Champion this year. Cardenas credits his family, coach, and supporters with giving him the drive to stay committed to the sport. He aspires to compete on his high school team and eventually wrestle in the Olympics, winning many more gold medals.
Female Student-Athlete of the Year: Dennielle Phillip, Wingate Educational Campus, Brooklyn
Phillip has been wrestling for almost three years and already made quite an impact. She placed first at the Mohawk Valley tournament and also won the coveted PSAL Yankee Award. Phillip says that wrestling has opened many doors for her and helped her to become a more confident person. She plans to continue wrestling in college and pursue her studies in criminal justice.
Male Student-Athlete of the Year: Evan McFarland, Tottenville High School, Staten Island
McFarland is an Eagle Scout and captain of his wrestling team at Tottenville High School. He is a member of the National Honors Society and involved in numerous volunteering activities, including Habitat for Humanity and the March of Dimes walk. “‘Resilient’ might be the best word to describe Evan,” said his Coach, John Cichon. “Leadership, character, dedication, and time management are some of Evan’s best qualities that he shares unknowingly with everyone he comes in contact with.” He hopes to become an engineer to best make a positive change in the world.
GRIT Award: Rachel Koltsov, The Bronx High School of Science
Koltsov is the captain of the Bronx Science Blended and female wrestling team and has been a member of the team for four years – dating back to when it was an all-boys team. She was instrumental in the team’s victory at the PSAL Blended Wrestling Championship. From her three years wrestling, she finds that the sport has helped teach her a great deal of discipline and responsibility. Koltsov is known for being a hard worker and having an outstanding, personable character. She plans to continue wrestling in college while pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering.
LADY LIBERTY Award: Aileen Gonzalez, Brooklyn Technical High School
As a NYC high school boys coach said of this Brooklyn Tech veteran, “I’m glad my boys do not have to wrestle her next year.” Gonzalez won the Girls City Championship and placed fourth in Boys City Championship. Gonzalez likes to be pushed to the limit and aspires – after winning the team city championships – to attend and graduate college. The Lady Liberty Award is specifically given to a senior NYC female wrestler who has stood as a beacon of opportunity and promise, representing all that is strong and proud about the city’s women’s wrestling culture.
ATLAS Award and Become Your Own Dream Scholarship: Leonard Merkin, Poly Prep Country Day School, Brooklyn
Merkin has made his mark at Poly Prep Country Day School by becoming a four-time NYS Private School Champion. The Atlas Award is given to a senior NYC wrestler who has picked up wrestling on his back and carried it into new territory, set new standards, and advanced the legacy of Beat the Streets. He has received All-American honors and will soon be wrestling for Princeton. Merkin is also the winner of the Become Your Own Dream Scholarship, which is given annually to a New York City student-athlete who has overcome obstacles, felt hardship, and plans to continue wrestling in college.
Junior League Coach of the Year: Michael Wurmbrand, MS 582, Brooklyn
Wurmbrand is the head coach of MS 582 Upper Ten Eyck and has been involved in the sport for ten years. He’s committed to wrestling because it shows clear transformations in students’ behavior, attitude, and leadership with their teammates and in the classroom. Wurmbrand has done a good job maintaining a sizable team at a small school and looks forward to future changes now that he’s able to start training younger student-athletes in elementary school.
High School Assistant Coach of the Year: Anthony Mirra, Tottenville High School, Staten Island
Mirra has been actively involved in Tottenville’s wrestling program since he was a student-athlete himself. He admits the sport for helping to make kids tougher mentally, emotionally and physically. As the lightweight coach, Mirra has helped to produce at least one Mayor’s Cup champion and at least one city champion every year. This past season, he saw six individuals crowned at the city championships and represent Tottenville at the state tournament in Albany, which has never been done by a large school’s team before. As one supporter said of Mirra, “his dedication does not end when practice ends…he is the coach that wrestlers confide in when they are struggling.”
Girls High School Coach of the Year: Theodore Cook, Harry S. Truman High School, Bronx
A veteran of wrestling with over twenty years of experience, Cook has inspired a number of students with his coaching abilities. He’s widely respected for pushing his girls on the team that he started out of their comfort zones and daring them to try their hardest. “He is not afraid to go above and beyond to make sure his team reaches their full potential,” said one student. Another writes: “I can honestly said Coach Cook is probably the most trustworthy and reliable person I know.” Several of his supporters praise him as a father figure who helps lift everyone’s spirits and inspires the girls with life lessons.
Boys High School Coach of the Year: Peter Cardone, William Cullen Bryant High School, Queens
Coach Cardone has made the most of having a dedicated wrestling room at WC Bryant High School and turned a program on the brink into city champions. Cardone’s leadership, with the help of coaches Joe Goetz and Joseph Weinstein, grew his team from fifteen wrestlers to fifty-five. Cardone has overseen numerous accomplishments during his time with the school, including the NYC Freshman and Sophomore Title and becoming undefeated Region 4 Division Champions. “He has changed the lives of many wrestlers in the school by being with them through both good and hard times as a friend and a coach.”
Volunteer of the Year: David Prado
Prado has been involved in wrestling since he was in elementary school and attended Arizona State on an athletic scholarship. He is committed to the sport because it has given him so much success and opportunity throughout his life that he seeks to “pay it forward” to other kids whenever possible. He shows tireless dedication to the cause of Beat the Streets, volunteering at practices several days a week.
The Beat the Streets gala is an annual fundraiser that raises money to support New York City student-athletes, having previously been hosted in such iconic locations as Times Square and Grand Central Terminal. The gala helps provide wrestling equipment and opportunities to 3,000 kids across the five boroughs every year. This year’s celebration, “United in the Square,” will see some of America’s top wrestlers, including Jordan Burroughs and Adeline Gray, going up against world-class competition from Iran, Canada, and South Korea. The gala begins at 3:45 PM on Thursday, May 19 with exhibition matches featuring young wrestlers from NYC before the world class wrestling matches begin at 6:00 PM. Tickets for seating in Times Square and attendance at the post-match reception are available on the Beat the Streets website. The event will be streaming live on FloWrestling.
About Beat the Streets
The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTSW works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to help New York City’s student-athletes achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTSW and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life skills of physical fitness, teamwork, and self-empowerment. The goal of fostering strong, dedicated, and optimistic kids is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org.
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WBO European Super Featherweight champion Evgeny Chuprakov defends title with 5th round stoppage over previously undefeated Sebastian Tlatlik this past Friday in Ekaterinburg, Russia
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SALITA AND LOCAL FIGHTERS TO JOIN CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION FORGOTTEN HARVEST TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD TO DETROIT’S UNDERPRIVILEGED
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On the morning of Tuesday, May 10, promoter Dmitriy Salita will continue his mission to mix the revival of Detroit boxing with a strong social conscience.
From 9-12 am, Salita and several fighters from his upcoming “Detroit Brawl” event, will help the Forgotten Harvest organization pass out food to deserving families at New Bethel Baptist Church, located at 8430 C L Franklin Drive (aka Linwood St) in Detroit.
The group of local fighters joining Salita includes main event participant Demetrius Banks, co-main event fighter James Gordon Smith, as well as James Ballard and Darrell Van Horn.
Scheduled for Saturday, May 14, at the Masonic Temple in Downtown Detroit, “Detroit Brawl” will feature Banks (6-0, 4 KOs) in the six-round cruiserweight main event against Bronx-based cruiserweight Emilio Salas (5-1-1, 3 KOs), as well as Smith (9-0, 6 KOs) in the six-round co-main event against Mexico’s Pablo Cupul (8-19, 5 KOs). Ballard (6-0, 3 KOs) will face Chicago’s Edgar Perez (6-18, 3 KOs) in a six-round super middleweight scrap, while middleweight Van Horn (8-0, 5 KOs) will go against Torreon, Mexico’s Francisco Reza (13-17, 10 KOs) in a four-rounder.
Tickets for “Detroit Brawl” are on sale now and are priced at $28, $38, $63, $93, $100 and $123. They are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, or by visiting the Masonic Temple box office.
Forgotten Harvest is dedicated to relieving hunger in metro Detroit and preventing nutritious food waste. Established in 1990, Forgotten Harvest now has 280 recipient agencies in its network, including emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless and domestic shelters, children’s homes, senior centers and group homes.
Servicing Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, Forgotten Harvest’s small and dedicated professional staff cover 2,000-square miles per day, bringing relief to 800 locations.
In other “Detroit Brawl” action, Lansing junior middleweight Antonio Urista (7-1, 2 KOs) will face Greenwood, Indiana’s Pablo Sanchez (7-1, 5 KOs) in a four-round bout. Russian cruiserweight Alexey Zubov (10-1, 6 KOs) will look to bounce back from his first career loss by taking on the capable Ernest Reyna (8-3, 4 KOs) of Corpus Christi, Texas, in a six-rounder. And in four-round welterweight bout between undefeated fighters, Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan’s Serdar Hudayberdiyev (1-0, 1 KO) will face Marco Russell (1-0-1) of Henderson, Nevada. East Pointe, Michigan, cruiserweight Clarence Dubose (2-0, 2 KOs) will battle fellow Michigander Karinn Davis (2-6, 2 KOs) of Jackson in a four-round battle; and Brooklyn via Georgia super lightweight Giorgi Gelashvili (3-0, 2 KOs) will face Jackson, Michigan’s Alfred Hall (4-11-2, 2 KOs) in a four-round bout.
On fight night, doors open at 6:30 pm and the first fight is at 7:15 pm. The Masonic Temple is located at 500 Temple Street in Detroit. All bouts subject to change. ###
Salita is also proud to announce that Detroit’s premier casino has once-again agreed to sponsor, along with some new local businesses including Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar and its proprietor, Erik Olson.
Your downtown playground, Greektown Casino Hotel is consistently voted Detroit’s Best Casino. Located right in the hub of the historic Greektown district it’s impossible to be any closer to the action. No matter what you want to play, Greektown Casino Hotel has your non-stop gaming action. From the newest slots and table games to live poker, Greektown Casino Hotel has 100,000 square feet of exciting, action-packed choices and so many thrilling ways to win!
Greektown Casino Hotel features a 30-story hotel with 400 stunning guestrooms and suites devoted to your comfort. And for your culinary needs, you can savor eclectic cuisine at one of their outstanding restaurants: Prism, Bistro 555 and The Market District.
For your special event or corporate gathering, Greektown Casino Hotel offers impeccable service in addition to a variety of exceptional spaces to help make your event an unforgettable experience.
Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar offers patrons an old-school sports and whiskey bar in Downtown Detroit’s Eastern Market district. Thomas Magee’s prides itself on providing every sport, every game, and every fight, plus great beer and whiskey!
For event information, visit themasonic.com and Salit
For more information on the “Detroit Brawl” or Salita Promotions, visitwww.salitapromotions.com. The Greektown Casino Hotel is located at 555 E Lafayette Street in Detroit. For more information, visit them online atgreektowncasino.com. Twitter: @GreektownCasino.
Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar is located at 1408 E Fisher Service Drive in Detroit. For more information, call 313-263-4342 or visit their official Facebook |
ONE OF BOXING’S MOST EXCITING FIGHTERS, WBA SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION JAVIER FORTUNA, TO MAKE SECOND DEFENSE AGAINST HARD-PUNCHING JASON SOSA IN BEIJING CHINA, ON FRIDAY, JUNE 24
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On Friday, June 24, at the 18,000-seat Beijing Capital Gym in Beijing, China, one of boxing’s most exciting fighters, Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (29-0-1, 21 KOs) will make the second defense of his WBA World Super Featherweight Championship against hard-punching WBA #8 contender Jason Sosa (18-1-4, 14 KOs). The potential war between the two sluggers will be also be seen by an audience of nearly 100 million Chinese via cctv5 channel live broadcast.
Fortuna vs. Sosa was officially announced at a press conference in Beijing today as the first in an ongoing series of four high-profile events per year that will be put on by the co-promotional partnership of Mr. Min Du Modoson and Mr. Liu Gang of Max Power Promotions “MPP” and Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing.
26-year-old Fortuna, of La Romana, Dominican Republic, has been a standout in boxing since his days as a decorated amateur who participated in the inaugural Pan American Junior Championships in 2003. Considered one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, Fortuna won his current title with a unanimous decision over Bryan Vasquez in May 2015. He defended it successfully in September of last year with a TKO 10 over Carlos Ivan Velasquez. Fortuna previously won the Interim WBA Featherweight Championship by beating formerly undefeated Patrick Hyland in December 2012. The powerful southpaw is also known for scoring highlight reel knockouts over formidable opponents including Yuandale Evans (TKO 1) and Miguel Zamudio (KO 1). Fortuna is promoted by Sampson Boxing.
28-year-old Sosa, of Camden, New Jersey, is of proud Puerto Rican descent. He earned his title shot and caught the eyes of the boxing world in December of last year by fighting to a surprise draw with one of the sport’s top fighters, two-time world champion Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters of Jamaica. The fight was televised on HBO Boxing After Dark. A powerful puncher, Sosa was riding a 13-fight knockout streak before facing Walters. Sosa is also known for his aggressive style and iron chin. He has been called the best fighter to come out of Camden since former world champion Dwight “Camden Buzzsaw” Muhammad Qawi. Sosa is promoted by Peltz Boxing.
Here’s what the promoters, participants and their trainers had to say:
Javier Fortuna
I feel great. I am honored to be fighting in China.
He’s a strong fighter and he is always thinking in there. Nevertheless, I feel that I’m more talented and have more ability. I also have the stronger punching power.
I have been waiting for this opportunity. I am looking forward to this fight for my team and my country.
I’ve fought punchers before and I box them until their power starts to dissipate and then I rumble with them.
I appreciate all the love I get from the fans, worldwide. That’s why I train hard: to gain fans and to make myself the best fighter I can be.
Jason Sosa
It’s a great opportunity. This is what every fighter dreams of: to fight for a world title.
It depends on what kind of fight Fortuna wants. I’ll be in there fighting smart and just see what kind of fight he wants to bring. We can go to war, or we can box. It’s up to him.
He’s a little aggressive. A little wild. Just another guy.
I’m not really doing anything different training for him. Everything I’m doing is working, so I don’t fix anything that’s not broken.
I’m excited and nervous to fight in China. It’s my first time out of the country for me. I can’t wait to go there and I know it’ll be a beautiful experience.
Mr. Min Du Modoson
We are happy to be partnering with international matchmaker and promoter Sampson Lewkowicz to bring world-class boxing to the county of China.
Javier Fortuna has what it takes to become a star in China. He and his worthy opponent will be greeted with open arms by our people.
Mr. Liu Gang
This event will be huge in the country of China. Our company, MPP, is excited to work with Sampson Lewkowicz and to be able to bring such a great fight to the people.
China is a boxing-rich country. Boxers here are heroes to the people. Both fighters will be treated like celebrities and the fight will be watched by millions and millions of people.
Sampson Lewkowicz
I am happy to be helping to put on this event in the beautiful country of China and looking forward to a long and prosperous co-promotional partnership with Mr. Min Du Modoson and Mr. Liu Gang of MPP.
We have plans to feature many of the world’s best fighters in terrific match-ups like this one.
Javier Fortuna will be facing a fighter with almost as much power as he has, and he will have to be at his best to get another victory.
Russell Peltz
It’s going to be a great fight and Sosa is looking forward to winning the world title.
Sosa just held his own and fought to a draw with one of the top junior lightweights in the world, Nicholas Walters, and it boosted his confidence level even higher.
Fortuna and Sosa are the same size, so I think that’s good. Sosa also has great sparring with another very good left hander, Tevin Farmer. They’re stablemates. Tevin is the perfect imitation, size wise, not style wise, of Fortuna.
Hector Bermudez (Fortuna Trainer)
I think it’s going to be an excellent fight for Fortuna to show off his talents internationally.
Sosa is a great opponent that we’ll have to train hard for and be focused against. It won’t be easy but Fortuna is training hard and it should be a great fight.
Sosa is a pressure fighter and a big puncher with the left hand. He’s rugged and throws combinations.
Me, as a trainer, I have already picked Sosa apart. He lunges a lot. He’s definitely aggressive and has a huge left hook.
Raul Rivas
It’ll be an interesting fight.
Fortuna is very talented, but I do believe that this is a good time for Jason to take this fight. He’s fought the better opposition.
Fortuna is a fighter that comes to fight, and we come to fight, so I believe it’ll be a very exciting fight, with two guys doing what they do best out there.
I believe we have the better and stronger fighter, so I like our chances.
I’ve never been to China, neither has Jason. We’re looking forward to the experience as a team; to be in a different country and experience something different. I know the Chinese population loves boxing, and combat sports. We are expecting a great show.
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About Sampson Boxing
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After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.
Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.
Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks. |
Undefeated Contender Kanat Islam Stops Colombia’s Jesus De Angel in Main Event of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round On Bounce TV from The Lakeland Center in Lakeland, Florida
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World MMA Association 2016 Asian Championship RESCHEDULED Aug. 17-21 in South Korea
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MONTE CARLO, Monaco (May 8, 2016)- The World MMA Association (WMMAA) has announced that, due to venue availability issues, its second annual Asian Championship has been rescheduled from May 27-30 to August 17-21 at the same site, the Hwasoon Culture and Sports Center. in the Republic of South Korea.
The Asian MMA Championship will feature the top amateur MMA fighters in six different weight classes.
“We had to postpone our annual Asian Championships but this way we’ll have even more time to prepare for the biggest amateur MMA event of the year on the Asian continent,” WMMAA president Vadim Finkelchtein said. “The location and venue remain the same, which is great news because the site our South Korean Federation was able to find really suits our championship very well.”
An international judges’ seminar will be held Aug. 17-20, to certify and accredit judges. Only accredit judges will be allowed to work during the Asian MMA Championships. Preliminary and semifinal matches will be Aug. 19, followed by the championship final matches.
The official weigh-ins and competition draws will be conducted Aug. 27,
The Asia Division Congress: Battle of the Nomads of the WMMAA Pro Asian Division will be held Aug. 20.
Individual team competition will be held in accordance with the “Official Rules of Mixed Martial Arts Competition, subject to WMMAA approval. Including revisions, additions and clarifications of certain clauses. Matches will held in accordance with the Olympic system with two third-places in each of the six weight divisions.
Team scoring is awarded by the maximum amount of points scored by individual team members on the following basis: 1st – 10, 2nd – 8, 3rd – 6, 4th – 5, 5th – 4, 6th – 3, 7th – 2, 8th – 1.
All individual first-place winners will be awarded special championship belts and medals, second and third-place finishers will receive a medal and certificate. Teams finishing among the top three in the final standings will be awarded cups and certificates.
In addition to the host, South Korea, other eligible countries to compete in the Asian MMA Championship include Afghanistan, China, Chinese Taipei, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Singapore, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
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Back with Marshall Kauffman, Featherweight Dat Nguyen has title aspirations
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WBA Interim Champ Zhakiyanov and Camp Respond to ‘Blatantly False’ Rumors Being Spread by Super Flyweight Contender Zolani Tete
Interim WBA World Bantamweight Champion Zhanat “ZZ” Zhakiyanov (26-1, 18 KOs) and his representatives are now forced to respond to the deliberate falsehoods being distributed by the team around South African super flyweight Zolani Tete. Zhakiyanov of Petropavl, Kazakhstan, is a proud warrior, who has been willing to face anyone from the start of his career. Which is what makes the blatantly false and intentionally misleading allegations by Tete’s camp so infuriating.
Tete and his manager, Mla Tengimfene, have been feeding the media a fictional story that Zhakiyanov recently backed out of a purported fight between the two, supposedly scheduled for June 4 at Echo Arena in Liverpool.
One problem.
Zhakiyanov and his people were never even contacted about such a fight. It never existed.
“I have never heard from anyone about this fight,” said Zhakiyanov. “They are saying I can’t make the weight and that’s why I can’t fight him. I was never supposed to fight him! He and his people are telling stories.”
Zhakiyanov’s manager, Philippe Fondu, wonders why the media would even believe such a fight ever existed when a quick check of the WBA rule book would have eliminated all talk of such a match-up.
“There were some unfounded rumors on the net about Zhanat defending against Tete a while ago, but having never received any concrete proposal from anyone, including his new promoter Frank Warren, I never paid any specific attention to these rumors. But let’s be honest here. Zhanat Zhakiyanov is the reigning interim WBA Bantamweight champion and Tete is actually boxing for other world organizations (IBF and/or WBO). Furthermore, Tete is rated #9 in the WBA super-flyweight division (115 lb.). Such a contest could obviously not even be considered, as a WBA Interim 118-lb. champion can only defend his title against a WBA top-15 rated boxer in the 118 lb. division.”
Fondu also says that Zhakiyanov, promoted by Hatton Promotions, is fully capable of making the 118-lb weight limit and welcomes any and all viable fight proposals approvable by the WBA.
“I have been in boxing many years and I understand using the media to get a fighter’s name in print,” continued Fondu, “but they are using the name of a champion and proud representative of his home country of Kazakhstan to do it and it’s not right. Hopefully the media will get more responsible about checking the facts in the future.”
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Crolla scores stunning 7th round stoppage to retain Lightweight title in headliner on AWE–A Wealth of Entertainment
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