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boxing

FACE OFF SAMUEL VARGAS vs. ALI FUNEKA NABA Welterweight Championship

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Samuel Vargas vs. Ali Funeka
Headlines “Face Off” in NABA title fight
Aug. 19 in Brampton, Canada

TORONTO, Ontario, Canada (July 5, 2017) – North American Boxing Association welterweight champion Samuel Vargas has been on boxing’s biggest stage and he’s determined to prove that he still belongs there.
The 28-year-old Vargas (27-3-1, 14 KOs) steps up in one of the most significant fights of his career, August 19, as he defends his NABA title against three-time world title challenger Ali “Rush Hour” Funeka (39-6-3, 31 KOs) in the main event of Lee Baxter Promotions’ (LBP) second event at the Brampton Powerade Centre, “Face Off”, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
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Vargas-Funeka is inarguable one of the highest-level bouts to be staged in Toronto in several years.
“Sam is still at a stage in his career where he’s improving and to challenge a guy who’s been a world title contender for the better part of a decade shows that he’s still hungry and still wants to test himself,” promoter Lee Baxter said.
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The tough-as-nails Vargas, who fights out of Toronto, is riding the momentum of a dominant win by 10-round unanimous decision over Armando Robles (31-5-2, 18 KOs), at LBP’s first Powerade Centre event this past March, as well as a homecoming victory for Colombia-native’s fifth-round knockout this past May over former world title challenger Marco Antonio Avendano (30-10-1, 22 KOs).
An impressive victory over his battled-tested South African opponent will certainly re-position Vargas in the world boxing scene, where he was a little more than year ago, when he fought two of the premier welterweights in the world, former WBA Super World Super Lightweight titlist Danny Garcia (32-0, 19 KOs), and current International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Champion Errol Spence Jr. (15-0, 12 KOs), in losing yet invaluable fight experiences for Vargas against world-class opponents.
“We always have our eye on big fights for Sam. A win over Funeka would really resonate in the boxing world,” Baxter added.
Funeka has some unfinished business in the “Great White North” having lost in 2009 in one of the most controversial decisions in recent memory to Joan Guzman (29-0) in Quebec City. Although many viewers had Vargas defeating Guzman, including HBO’s unofficial scorer Harold Lederman, who scored the bout 117-111 for Funeka and called for an investigation into the judging that soon followed, resulted in a questionable 12-round majority draw for the vacant IBF World Lightweight Championship.
“Canadian fans have always had a soft spot for Funeka,” Baxter noted. “The crowd at the Pepsi Coliseum was on his side and they fell in love with him that night. He deserves this fight as much as Sam does.”
Nonetheless, Funeka has remained a fighting contender ever since, going on the road and battling some of the sport’s top stars. Last year, he upset previously undefeated Russian prospect Viskhan “Little Tyson” Murzabekov (12-0) by 12-round decision in his opponent’s homeland. More recently, the dangerous South African veteran fought a bloody battle with Jeff Horn (15-0-1), who last Saturday upset future Hall-of-Famer Manny Pacquiao to become the new World Boxing Organization (WBO) 147-pound division world champion. Funeka even dropped the tough Australian before being stopped in the sixth round of their fight last December in New Zealand.
Funeka represents a measuring stick for Vargas to gauge comparisons of him against some of the top welterweights in the world.
Will Vargas have an easier time with Funeka than Horn? The answer will be known Aug. 19.
Tickets, starting at $40.00, are on sale and available to purchase through Ticketmaster at this link.
INFORMATION:
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Facebook: /LeeBaxterTattoo
boxing

Ricky Hatton: “Browne winning the Heavyweight title would be huge for my company”

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Undefeated Lucas Browne to Collide with Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA World Heavyweight Title LIVE This Saturday on AWE at 2 PM ET
 

San Diego, CA – March 3, 2016 – This Saturday afternoon, March 5th, undefeated and number-two ranked WBA heavyweight contender Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne(23-0-0) will battle defending WBA World Heavyweight champ Ruslan Chagaev (34-2-1) for his belt. The bout will be broadcast LIVE in the United States on AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment.
The action begins live at 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT.
Browne is promoted by former two-division world champion and British Idol, Ricky Hatton and the Manchester great has a lot on the line this Saturday if Browne can come through with the victory.
“It would be massive for my company, very significant,”said Hatton.  “Lucas would be my first world champion as a promoter, and it’s fantastic that it would be a Heavyweight title.  I was a two-time world champion as a fighter.  I have trained a world champion, so I don’t know many people who have done all three as a trainer, fighter and a promoter. “
To have Browne in this position, the fighter turned promoter, is thrilled for his fighter, being that Browne was not sought after in his early career.
“I am very happy for Lucas.  He came up the hard way.  He was not an Olympian.  In fact, it was just a few years ago, that he was working doors at the night clubs and he has put in the hard work and this is a big night for me and my company.”
Despite the fight being in enemy territory, “The Hitman”, feels his fighter is in good hands as Browne is being trained by former super middleweight world champion and British great, Nigel Benn.
“He has a great team behind him.  An excellent trainer.  It is going to be a tough job, but I firmly believe that he will win the fight.  It will be difficult as Chagaev was a big amateur and now a world champion.  Lucas who has always been known as a puncher is moving a lot better on his feet.  Very fluid.  Lucas has also added speed and has had great preparation.”
Being in enemy territory, Hatton knows that the fight may come down to the judges, and he believes that Browne will get a fair shake.
“I would like to think that Lucas will not need a knockout to win, but judges can be swayed by the hometown fans, but this being a world title fight, I expect world class judges.  That being said, Lucas should not leave it to chance.”
With a Browne win, there is a chance a good portion heavyweight division would run through the United Kingdom as Unified  champion Tyson Fury and potentially Anthony Joshua (who fights IBF champion Charles Martin on April 9) would hold most of the hardware in boxing’s glamour division.
“I thought about that.  I get along well with Eddie Hearn, who has Joshua.  I get a long great with my former promoter Frank Warren and you can also throw David Haye in there who is back.  I can’t see any problems making fights with Joshua or Fury and we would have some massive heavyweights fights here.  Lucas has fought five times here and has a good fan base.”
“The only thing that I am gutted about on Saturday is that I can’t be there with Lucas when he wins as I train a lot of young fighters and I have four of them fighting on Saturday and they need me in London with them, but Saturday will be a great day for my company.”
There will be a three fight undercard beginning at 2 PM.
In a 10-round Heavyweight bout, Edmund Gerber (25-2, 16 KO’s) of Schwerin, Germany will fight Brian Minto (41-10, 26 KO’s) of Butler, PA.
In a 10-round bout for the IBO International Welterweight title, Vishkahn Murzabekov (12-0, 6 KO’s) of Russia takes on former world title challenger Ali Funeka (37-5-3, 30 KO’s) of South Africa.
Tyrone Spong (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Miami, Florida battles David Gogishvilli (12-0, 8 Ko’s) of Gori, Georgia in a 6-round Cruiserweight bout.
Boxing fans can enjoy this amazing card on AWE available on AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD, CenturyLink PRISM TV ch. 144 and 1144 in HD, and numerous regional cable providers across the nation. Please check www.awetv.com for boxing updates.