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FIGHT REPORT – HILLYARD SECURES WBU CROWN, OZGUL BROTHERS, KHAN AND COUNIHAN IMPRESS IN STYLE
Report and Photo: Gianluca (Rio) Di Caro
Txog rau hnub Friday night boxing fans from around the country made their annual pilgrimage to the York Hall in London for the first event, the Shaym Batra promoted, WBU Championship headed, LEGENDS & PROSPECTS, in the Capital in 2015.
There may have only been five fights, following the loss of both Australian Pierre Karam, who failed to obtain a visa in time to compete for the WBU International Heavyweight title, and the UK’s very own Steven Bendall, whose opponent fell through at the last minute, but the fans, including those that travelled all the way down from Birmingham, to support Antonio Counihan, and Bradford, to support Tasif Khan, must have felt it was well worth it, as it was a truly memorable night of boxing.
Heading up the show was Nazeing, Essex’s George ‘Hit Hard’ Hillyard against a late replacement in the Czech Republic’s Michal Vosyka.
From the off it was Vosyka taking control of the proceedings, the Czech fighter stylishly dominated the early part of the opening round, working off his mighty left hand jab to keep Hillyard at a safe distance.
Hillyard, was more than content to bide his time as Vosyka moved around the ring flicking his jab at Hillyard as soon as he made any move to close the distance.
Don’t get me wrong Hillyard did land some shots early on, but it wasn’t until around the second minute mark that the Essex lad managed to make any real impact but when he did it was with one of his trademark right hand exocets, a fantastic shot that virtually stooped the Czech in his tracks.
In a flash Hillyard let rip at the disoriented Vosyka with a sensational double handed assault to send him down to the canvas.
Vosyka boxed beautifully in the opening minute or so of the second stanza, albeit a little more cautiously, his constant strong jabs and double handed flurries left Hillyard no option but to play the waiting game once more, looking for an opening so that he could let a big right hand go.
More of the same in the third, but as in the first Vosyka made the fatal error of giving Hillyard the opportunity to capitalize on an opening, Hillyard’s no slouch, he was in there like a flash, letting rip first with a big right and then a double handed barrage to send Vosyka to the canvas for the second time.
Vosyka was much, much more cautious in the fourth, he was also more open than previously, which provided Hillyard even more opportunities to punish him big time.
Hillyard backed Vosyka towards the corner before letting rip with powerful lefts and rights before letting rip with a lightning quick left to the body, Vosyka had no option but to take to one knee, in order to get his breath back.
The moment referee Mickey Vann finished count, Hillyard literally shot across the ring and let rip with a massive right hand to the head, as Vosyka reeled back, off balance and heading back to the canvas, Hillyard let rip with a massive right to the head, sending Vosyka down and out fro the count.
Referee Mickey Vann was down at the side of the prone Vosyka in a flash, as was the ringside doctor and paramedics as a hush fell over the hallowed York Hall.
A minute or so later the silence was shattered as a round of applause from the crowd rang out, as Vosyka was helped to his feet.
Once Vosyka was given the all clear by the ringside medical team, MC Steve Holdsworth made the official announcement, which was followed by the WBU International Championship belt being presented to a clearly elated Hillyard by WBU Ambassador Marianne Marston.
Chief support see the stylish, unbeaten, Hackney based Turk Siar Ozgul step down a weight to Welter as well as undertake his first six rounder, against super tough competition in the form of Czech Republic’s Vladimir Fecko.
Right from the off Ozgul secured control of centre ring, utilizing his seriously strong jab to great effect, Fecko though was intent on wrestling control from the young Turk, which lead to some fantastic toe to toe action.
Both protagonists stepped up the pace in the second stanza, Ozgul really seemed to get into a flow, allowing himself to make some decent openings to test the mettle of the Czech lad, as he let rip with solid body shots.
More of the same in the next couple of rounds, but by round five Ozgul, who was well ahead on referee Ken Curtis’ scorecard, really went for it, what a round, Ozgul showcased his immense skills in fine style, picking off Fecko at every opportunity, from an array of angles.
Fecko, who was well aware to win he needed a knockout, came out hard and fast for the final round, Ozgul firmly stood his ground and what followed could only be described as a toe to toe battle royale ensued for virtually the whole round, much to the delight of the ~York Hall faithful.
After six sensational rounds of boxing referee Ken Curtis’ scorecard read a shut out 60-54 points victory for the younger Ozgul brother – although have to say Fecko made this fight what it was, yes Ozgul out-boxed him to secure each round but Fecko deserves praise for his performance also.
Prior to the third bout of the event MC Steve Holdsworth introduced a special guest to MC the bout, none other that sixties super star singer and actor Jess Conrad OBE, who then announced that it would be Siar Ozgul’s older sibling, Onder, that would be next in action, against Czech Republic’s Karel Horejsek, in a four round Light Heavyweight contest.
Without doubt the fight of the night, younger sibling’s Siar fight was first class, but Onder’s was to another level altogether.
It was an out and out war, it was all action from start to finish, with neither protagonist being willing to concede any ground whatsoever.
For the full twelve minutes of ring time, these two just went hammer and tongs at each other and for large amount of the time they seemed tied to each other as they fought it out at close quarters.
Praise has to be lavished on both Ozgul and Horejsek for such a magnificent display of the pugilistic arts, unfortunately there has to be a winner and a loser and it came as no surprise to anyone that Referee Ken Curtis scored each round in favour of Ozgul, as virtually every punch he threw not only landed but were by far the most meaningful, however as I said you can’t take anything away from the Czech lad as he made this fight what it was, he really came with one intention, to win, just this time he was against one of the toughest Light Heavyweights around, well the Turkish fans don’t call Onder ‘Little’ Mike (a comparison in style with ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson) for nothing.
The second fight of the night see the return of Bradford’s Tasif Khan to the ring, following a two year sabbatical from the sport, where he faced Richard Voros, a highly experienced boxer and kick-boxer from Hungary, in a four round Super Bantamweight contest.
Voros sprung from his corner as soon as the opening bell rang and went straight on the attack, forcing Khan to cover up, however it didn’t take the Khan too long to turn things around, with a good strong jab, before letting rip with a scintillating double handed flurry, which forced the Hungarian to cover up.
With the bit between his teeth Khan took full advantage by letting rip with super fast combinations at will.
The power and accuracy of Khan’s shots paid dividends almost immediately and on around the thirty second mark Voros was unceremoniously sent to the canvas for the first time with a massive right.
Khan really started to get into a rhythm, so much so picking off Voros with powerful shots to body and head with impunity, albeit for only a short while as on just before the minute mark he let rip with another cracking right to send Voros to the canvas for a second time.
Voros made it to his feet, only to be subjected to another huge barrage of punches, which forced Voros to cover up in a vain hope of making it to the end of the round, no chance, Khan just kept up the barrage until referee Ken Curtis had seen enough and stepped in to save the Hungarian from any further damage on the sixty fifth second mark.
The opening bout of the night featured one of, if not, the top British young Lightweight prospects, Birmingham’s Antonio Counihan, in a six rounder, against Hungary’s David Kis.
Counihan, who came into the fight with an unbeaten in four pro outings record, put in another World class performance, yes this kid is that good, out-boxing Kis, a twenty-five fight veteran, with ease from start to the early finish.
Counihan controlled the bout from the start, in doing so showcased the skills that not only earned him a place on the England amateur squad but also the accolade of becoming the England team captain.
Rounds one and two were more like an exhibition by Counihan, seemingly picking off his more experienced opponent at ease, his punches were clinical and powerful to the extreme, so much so that Kis made a visit to the canvas in both the first and second round.
By midway through the third Counihan stepped up the pace a little, in doing so put Kis way outside his comfort zone that the Hungarian had no option but to just cover up and hope that he could make it to the end of the round, unfortunately for him unsuccessfully, as on the two minute and fifteen second mark Counihan landed a peach of a right hand to send Kis to the deck for the third and final time.
The Brummie youngster has really taken to the pro game in style, Kis is no walkover, by a longshot yet Counihan made it look far too easy and his record now stands at five bouts, five wins, four by stoppage finish.
These were great performances, not just from the home fighters, praise must go to all the opponents too, more so to the likes of Karel Horejsek and Vladimir Fecko, who really did bring their A game, but each of the opponents came and did their best, just Counihan, Khan, the Ozgul brothers and Hillyard were just plain sensational on the night.
If this is the standard of events we can expect in 2015, I for one can’t wait for the next – bring it on!
HILLYARD KOs VOSYKA TO SECURE WBU INTERNATIONAL CROWN
Txog rau hnub Friday evening, at the York hall in Bethnal Green, London, Nazeing, Essex’s George Hillyard put in a sensational performance to beat Czech Republic’s Michal Vosyka, to secure the World Boxing Union (WBU) International Super Middleweight title.
Vosyka started fast, working off his strong left hand jab the Czech stylishly dominated the early part of the first round, easily keeping the big punching Hillyard at a safe distance.
Hillyard, seemed content to bide his time as the much taller Vosyka danced around flicking his jab at the Essex lad each time he made any move to close the distance between them.
Although he had managed to land a few shots, it wasn’t until around the second minute mark Hillyard managed to really break through and land one of his trademark rock solid right hand shots, which clearly shook Vosyka to the core.
Hillyard reacted incredibly quickly to capitalize on Vosyka’s disorientated state, letting rip with another double handed assault to send the Czech to the canvas.
In the second round Vosyka once again boxed beautifully, but little more cautiously, his creative boxing style was clearly frustrating Hillyard, who again was made to play the waiting game, just taking any opportunity that opened up to let rip.
More of the same in the third, but as in the first Vosyka made the fatal error of giving Hillyard an opening, which the Essex boy capitalized on in an instant, letting rip first with a big right and then a double handed barrage to send an off balance Vosyka to the canvas for the second time.
Coming out in the fourth Vosyka was way more cautious, which provided Hillyard even more opportunities to punish him, which he did in a big way after about thirty seconds or so.
Hillyard backed Vosyka to the ropes and just let rip with massive lefts and rights to both body and head before letting rip with a wicked bone crushing left to the body, no surprise Vosyka elected to take a knee, in order to gather a break from the never ending onslaught.
As referee Mickey Vann ended the mandatory eight count Hillyard shot across the ring and let rip with an almighty right hand, which sent Vosyka off balance and heading back to the canvas, Hillyard was taking no chances and followed in with an even heavier right to the side of the Czech’s head.
Mickey Vann was straight to the prone Czech and in seconds so were Dr Rashid and his medical team.
After about a minute or so Vosyka was helped to a stool and a relieved York Hall crowd showed their appreciation with a round of applause.
After which they were even more vocal, when MC Steve Holdsworth made the official victory announcement, before World Boxing Union Ambassador and current MBC International Super Bantamweight Champion, Marianne Marston, presented Hillyard with the well earned spoils of victory, the WBU International Championship belt.
Following the bout the clearly overjoyed new Champion spoke briefly about the fight.
“I’m over the moon, really over the moon.
I’ve got just what I wanted, the WBU title, I’ve worked really hard to make sure I was ready for this fight, spent twelve weeks away from my family over Christmas and the New Year, now I can say it was worth it, it all paid off and I have the belt.
Personally from my point of view I didn’t really fight the way I know I can, respect to Michal (Vosyka) he bought the fight to me, really messed up my A Game Play.
When I hurt him in the first round, all I could do was look for that big shot all the time, yeah it worked out OK, but I feel I could have boxed him better.
Yeah, but now I’ve got the title, it doesn’t matter, this is what I wanted.
Word is my next fight is already lined up, word is if I win, which I have, my first defense will be against Michael Zerafa in Australia.
Obviously it’s not signed and sealed yet, as everything has to be agreed behind closed doors this week, soon as that’s all done, if it’s the right money yeah I’ll be going to Australia to fight Michael Zerafa.
I can’t thank the fans enough for their fantastic support, please keep supporting me as we move on to bigger and better things.
This WBU title has given me a right good kick up the backside, I promise I will be more than ready for my next fight too, I’m leaving nothing to chance, I’m back in the gym first thing Monday, no messing about, this is my belt and I aint going to let anyone take it from me.
I can’t thank the Malta Boxing Commission and the World Boxing Union enough, for giving me this opportunity to fulfill my dream of becoming a Champion.
The next couple of years are going to be really exciting now, we’re gonna go all the way, this is just what I needed, onwards and upwards.”
Please go online to www.wbuboxing.org los sis www.wbueurope.eu for additional information on upcoming WBU and WBU Europe sanctioned title fights.
Follow WBU and WBU Europe on Twitter @WBUEurope & @TheRealWBU – friend us at www.facebook.com/WBUEurope– www.facebook.com/WorldBoxingUnionand on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/wbu-europe
UFC 183: Who will show up?
Photo Credit: UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has hit it out of the park so far in 2015, with its first two major cards of the year living up to the hype of their main events. Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones dominated Daniel Cormier to prove he is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world at UFC 182, and at the UFC’s live card in Boston, Mass., in January, Conor McGregor secured a featherweight title shot against José Aldo and wasted no time getting in his next opponent’s face.
Which brings us to UFC 183 hmo no, and a main event that is considered a dream matchup by many. Anderson Silva returns to the Octagon after suffering a gruesome leg injury in his last fight against UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in 2013. Nick Diaz also makes his return to the UFC after losing his last fight against former welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre in 2013.
Tonight’s card isn’t without its other storylines though. A pair of significant undercard fights are taking place under some controversy, as flyweight John Lineker came in overweight for his fight against Ian McCall, which is expected to determine the next no. 1 contender to the flyweight title. In the co-main event, Kelvin Gastelum came in 9 pounds overweight for his fight against Tyron Woodley, which means 30 percent of Gastelum’s fight purse actually goes to Woodley. Talk about insult to injury.
Of course, there is always the wild card with Diaz too. He plays by his own rules, having no-showed the open workouts earlier this week. Will he actually show up to the cage for tonight’s main event? It remains to be seen, though most everyone thinks he will.
So, having said all that, who do I think wins tonight?
Miesha “Cupcake” Tate (15-5) vs. Sara McMann (8-1) (Women’s bantamweight – 135 lbs.)
This is actually the main event of the preliminary card on Fox Sports 1. Tate requested to compete on this portion of the card instead of the pay-per-view card, taking a page from Urijah Faber’s playbook. Tate is also eager for a third fight with Ronda Rousey for the women’s bantamweight title. Both of these women suffered Rousey’s wrath, particularly McMann, who was demolished by Rousey in about a minute last year.
McMann is a pure wrestler with very little else to her repertoire, whereas Tate built on her established wrestling skills to become an effective striker. I think she will stuff McMann’s attempts to take this fight to the mat and use her vastly superior striking skills to keep McMann befuddled en route to a dominant victory.
Winner: Tate by unanimous decision
Jordan “Young Gun” Mein (29-9) vs. Thiago “Pitbull” Alves (25-9) (Welterweight – 170 lbs.)
Alves has alternated wins and losses in his last six fights, while Mein rides a two-fight win streak. Alves is always dangerous with his Muay Thai and striking, while Mein landed a first-round TKO victory in his last fight. This should be an exciting stand-up battle with neither guy willing to give an inch. I think Alves is the more dangerous fighter here, and will land one good shot to knock Mein silly.
Winner: Alves by second round TKO
Thales Leites (24-4) vs. Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch (18-7) (Middleweight – 185 lbs.)
Leites comes into this fight on a roll, having won his last seven fights, with the last two coming by way of TKO. Boetsch has alternated wins and losses in his last four fights, including a TKO victory in his last fight against Brad Tavares.
Boetsch is a slow, plodding bruiser best known for derailing the Hector Lombard hype train when he first made his UFC debut. Leites is a crafty, dangerous fighter who can finish you with his hands or by submission. I think Leites will avoid Boetsch’s power and wait for Boetsch to make a mistake, where Leits will capitalize.
Winner: Leites by third round submission
Joe Lauzon (24-10) vs. Al “Raging” Iaquinta (10-3-1) (Lightweight – 155 lbs.)
You know what you’re getting with a Joe Lauzon fight. You’re going to see an exciting, action packed bout that will most likely end with him locking in a slick submission or, in the case of his fight against Jim Miller, suffering a gnarly cut that will guarantee a blood battle.
Iaquinta has been on a roll since his time on The Ultimate Fighter Live, having only lost once in his last six fights. A win against Lauzon would be a real feather in his cap and might propel him into title contendership discussion. But Lauzon is one of the best submission specialists in the UFC, and I think the crafty veteran has another submission up his sleeve.
Winner: Lauzon by second round submission
Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley (14-3) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (11-0) (Welterweight – 170 lbs.)
As mentioned above, Gastelum weighed in 9 pounds over for this fight and will forfeit 30 percent of his purse directly to Woodley. It was reported that Gastelum spent time in the hospital leading up to this fight, which contributed to him coming in overweight.
Woodley will be angry in this fight, and rightly so. It’s not fair that his opponent will have a weight advantage due to his own failure to do what he was supposed to do. Give Woodley credit for wanting to keep fighting when it would have been perfectly understandable to postpone it.
Woodley will channel his rage into a blitzkrieg of offense at Gastelum, and the lethargic and probably still-injured Gastelum will have no response.
Winner: Woodley by second round TKO
Anderson “The Spider” Silva (33-6) vs. Nick Diaz (27-9-1) (Middleweight – 185 lbs.)
This is one of the several main events that have fight fans buzzing in 2015. Many didn’t think Silva would ever walk again after his leg injury against Weidman, let alone come back to the UFC to fight. The matchup style of Diaz wanting to push the pace, get in his opponent’s face and sucker him into trading blows against Silva’s unrivaled elusiveness will be interesting to watch.
Diaz said he wouldn’t trash talk Silva during this fight out of respect. But if Silva keeps bobbing and weaving and dodging Diaz’s punches, we’ll see how long Diaz commits to that. I think we’ll see vintage Silva in this fight, making Diaz look silly in some spots while landing well-timed strikes that will confuse and frustrate Diaz, which will allow Silva to land even more.
Diaz is too tough to finish, but this fight will show that Silva still has it and is the vastly superior fighter.
Winner: Silva by unanimous decision
Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also contributes his thoughts to our site on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.
Weights from Philadelphia (Plus Press Conference and Weigh in video)
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GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS SIGNS MARCELINO “NINO” LOPEZ
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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, PAJ.
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: Lub cim tshiabtripleheader live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) ntawm 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 thiab 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, Ntxuav.
“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 nrog 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 nrog 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 rau 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 thiab 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 thiab 111-111) in August 2013, Marrero will be making his ShoBox thiab 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 thiab $25 for students and military with valid ID (Box Office Only), plus applicable fees, for “The Pride of Pittsburgh III” will go on sale Hnub vas Xuv, Lub ib hlis ntuj 30 tom 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, PAJ, 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: Lub cim tshiab
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: Lub cim tshiab has featured young talent matched tough. Tus 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 Lub peb hlis ntuj.
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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