Tag Archives: boxing

WBO European Super Featherweight champion Evgeny Chuprakov defends title with 5th round stoppage over previously undefeated Sebastian Tlatlik this past Friday in Ekaterinburg, Russia

   
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ekaterinburg, Russia (May 9, 2016)–This past Friday night, in Ekaterinburg, Russia, undefeated WBO European Super Featherweight champion Evgeny Chuprakovmade the second defense of his title, when he stopped previously undefeated Sebastian Tlatlik in the fifth round of their scheduled 10-round bout.
Chuprakov (16-0, 8 KO’s) of Ekaterinburg is currently ranked number-7 by the WBO and number-14 by the IBF.
Chuprakov dominated the action and finally the fight was halted by the referee in the 5th round.  This was the third undefeated opponent that Chuprakov has beaten, as he continues to fight top-level competition;  He already has a stoppage victory over former world champion Dmitry Kirillov.
“This is a great win for Evgeny.  He stopped an undefeated fighter, and now we are looking to bring him back to the United States and put him in a meaningful bout.  He has proven that he is a contender at junior lightweight, and we hope to have him back in the ring in August,” said Banner Promotions President, Arthur Pelullo.

SALITA AND LOCAL FIGHTERS TO JOIN CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION FORGOTTEN HARVEST TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD TO DETROIT’S UNDERPRIVILEGED

 

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 800-745-3000or 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.

 
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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 SalitaPromotions.com. On fight night, doors open at 6:30.
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
page: www.facebook.com/ThomasMageesSportingHouseWhiskeyBar

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

 

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.
About Sampson Boxing
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

 
Miguel Cruz Wins Narrow Split Decision Over Samuel Figueroa in
Competitive Battle of Undefeated Prospects
&
Super Featherweight Dennis Galarza Earns Decision Over Mexico’s
Yardley Suarez in Opening Bout
 
Click HERE for Photos from Dave Nadkarni/Premier Boxing Champions
LAKELAND, FLORIDA (May 9, 2016) – Undefeated contender Kanat Islam (21-0, 18 KOs) stopped Colombia’s Jesus De Angel (18-4-1, 17 KOs) in the sixth round ofSunday night’s main event on Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round onBounce TV from the Lakeland Center in Lakeland, Florida.
The rising 154-pounder from Kazakhstan stopped his ninth straight opponent inside the distance when De Angel fell to the canvas twice in round six prompting referee Telis Assimenios to halt the bout 22 seconds into the round.
De Angel appeared to succumb to an ankle injury while taking a step backward that forced him to drop to the canvas. Islam sensed his moment and pounced on the injured brawler to put an end to the bout quickly. De Angel was taken to the emergency room after the fight due to the in-ring injury.
A 2004 Olympic Bronze medalist, Islam was able to navigate around the four-inch reach advantage owned by De Angel and control the fight with his athleticism and powerful right hand. His first headlining appearance was a successful one as he looks to continue to climb the ladder towards a world title.
The co-main event of the evening saw Miguel Cruz (13-0, 11 KOs) take home a split decision victory over Samuel Figueroa (10-1, 4 KOs) in an eight-round back-and-forth battle of unbeaten welterweight prospects.
The friends turned rivals brought the action from the beginning as the smaller southpaw Figueroa aggressively attacked the body of Cruz in early exchanges. Cruz’s timing improved as the fight went on and his combinations began to land and stunt the attack of Figueroa.
Some of the best back-and-forth action came in round six as both fighters had found their way through the opponent’s defense. Cruz used his length to beat Figueroa to the punch, but Figueroa continued to throw punches and do plenty of damage throughout the heated final stanzas.
In a fight that appeared to be an even affair, the judges scores were 77-75 for Figueroa and 78-74 and 77-75 for Cruz to give him the split decision.
In the opening bout of the telecast, super featherweight Dennis Galarza (13-1, 8 KOs) won his eighth straight fight as he defeated durable Mexican Yardley Suarez (15-4, 9 KOs) over eight hard fought rounds.
Galarza used his length advantage to break Suarez down with his jab and penetrate his defense with various combinations. The Brooklyn-born fighter now training out of Orlando dominated the first half of the fight on his way to the unanimous decision.
Suarez began to pick up the action in the second half of the fight landing several hard punches and challenging Galarza to exchange in the middle of the ring in round five. He landed perhaps the best combination of the fight in round six with a pair of punches that sent Galarza into retreat mode for the remainder of the round.
Overall it was Galarza’s output that proved to be the biggest difference as he threw 421 punches to Suarez’s 305 on his way to a 117-99 advantage in punches landed. The judges’ scores were 77-75 and 78-74 twice for Galarza.
Here is what the fighters had to say Sunday night:
KANAT ISLAM
“It felt good to go to (six) rounds to get the win. My last few opponents didn’t put up a fight and challenge me. My team wanted to test me and everything went to plan for what I wanted to do in the ring.
“I boxed, I used my feet, I moved in and out, I set up my power punches and I was able to finish him off. I hope he’s OK, I know it’s hard to fight with an injury. I hope he recovers soon.
“I saw he was beginning to get tired around round four and knew I had him hurt. That’s when I started hitting him with harder punches. I did the work I wanted to do, and then I wanted to finish him.
“There were a lot of fans from the Kazakhstan community here, a lot of fans who traveled from far places to see me fight. That meant a lot to me. I wanted to make sure they got to see everything I can do in the ring. Now I want them to see me win a world title this year.
“I feel like I can come back tomorrow. I don’t want any longer breaks in my career. I want big fights. Who are the champions? That is who I want to fight.”
MIGUEL CRUZ
“I know that I won the fight in the end, but it was a hard fight, a very tough fight. I was landing the cleaner shots but there were times where he was putting the pressure on me. He hurt me with body shots and he actually managed to hurt me in the last round with a right hook. I recognized when he hurt me and I hit him and hurt him right back. I had him hurt a couple of times.
“I knew he was a tough guy from when we fought in the amateurs and from when we sparred together. He made me bring something out of me that I didn’t even know I had and I appreciate him for that.
“This was the toughest fight of my career. Right now, I want to rest and relax, but within the next 2-3 months I’ll start looking at the guys that can get me closer to a world title.
“The fight’s over, we can absolutely go back to being friends. It’s business. They told us we had to fight each other. We’re better fighters for it and now it’s over and back to the way it was between us as far as I’m concerned.”
SAMUEL FIGUEROA
“I didn’t think Miguel won the fight but that’s how the judges seen that. I don’t know how, but I can’t do anything about that. The first rounds I hit him clear in the face, Miguel only caught me with a couple of clean shots but I was catching a lot of his punches with my hands and elbows. I don’t know how I lost this fight.
“I love fighting unbeaten opponents. I train with champions in the gym, I have the resources to get me ready for these fights.
“Yes of course we go back to being friends. Nothing personal. He’s my friend. We’re cool.”
DENNIS GALARZA
“It felt good to go eight rounds. I didn’t mind going rounds, although I wanted to take him out. He was throwing a lot of wild shots just looking to catch me with a lucky blow. He caught me with some good shots but he never had me hurt. I train with southpaws all the time and was ready for anything Yardley Suarez had to offer.
“I want to come back as soon as possible. Whatever my team has in store for me, I’ll be ready.”
YARDLEY SUAREZ
“I had him hurt but feel like I let the opportunity get away from me. I wasn’t busy enough; I need to let my hands go more. My corner told me that I needed a knockout to win. I went for it, but I couldn’t slow him down and land enough punches.
“I want to stay on this level, I could have done more but know that I can compete with the best.”
#  #  #
PBC: The Next Round on Bounce TV was promoted by King’s Promotions.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter@PremierBoxing, @BounceTV, @KingsBoxing_ and @Swanson_Comm and follow the conversation using #PBConBounce, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.Facebook.com/BounceTV. PBC on Bounce is sponsored by Corona: La Cerveza Mas Fina.
Bounce TV is the fastest-growing African-American (AA) network on television and airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage. The network features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more.  Bounce TV has grown to be available in more than 93.5 million homes across the United States and 93% of all African American television homes, including all of the top AA television markets.  Among the founders of Bounce TV are iconic American figures Martin Luther King, III and Ambassador Andrew Young.
For local channel location, visit BounceTV.com.

Back with Marshall Kauffman, Featherweight Dat Nguyen has title aspirations

Unbeaten Super Welterweight Kanat Islam Battles Colombia’s Juan De Angel in Main Event of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round On Bounce TV, TONIGHT, May 8 From Lakeland Events Center in Lakeland, Florida
Plus! Unbeaten Prospects Miguel Cruz & Samuel Figueroa Go Toe-To-Toe While Hard-Hitting Dennis Galarza Takes On Mexico’s Yardley Suarez
Tickets On Sale Now!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LAKELAND, FLA. (May 8, 2016) – TONIGHT in Lakeland, Florida, featherweightDat Nguyen returns to the ring after a 31-month layoff when he takes on Gustavo Molina (22-10, 9 KO’s)

In the main event, unbeaten super welterweight and Olympic Bronze medalist Kanat Islam (20-0, 17 KOs) will take on Colombian brawler Juan De Angel (18-3-1, 17 KOs) in the 10-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Roundon Bounce TV taking place Sunday, May 8 from Lakeland Events Center in Lakeland, Florida.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $100, $75 and $50 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.thelakelandcenter.com or by calling 888-397-0100 and from the Lakeland Center Box Office by calling 863-834-8111 or visiting between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT and features a pair of exciting undercard battles as unbeaten prospects Miguel Cruz (12-0, 11 KOs) and Samuel Figueroa(10-0, 4 KOs) compete in an eight-round super welterweight showdown while featherweight prospect Dennis Galarza (12-1, 8 KOs) faces Mexico’s Yardley Suarez (15-3, 9 KOs) in an eight-round bout.

Nguyen of Vero Beach, Florida hasn’t had the typical layoff of getting out of shape and thinking about missed opportunities.

“I have been training the whole time.  I own a gym here in Vero Beach and I have been training people for the past six years, so I have been in shape.  Sure it is not professional competition but I am able to stay busy and am ready for the fight on Sunday,” said Nguyen.  “I haven;t fought in a while, but I have no fear of ring rust.  I been sparring and going through boxing techniques the whole time.”
Nguyen was cruising along as a heralded prospect at 11-0 before losing a split decision to Gregorio Torres.  Nguyen then won six straight before dropping back to back fights to Luis Del Valle and future world title challenger Jayson Velez.
“The first loss was a bad decision.  The second loss, I was so winded after five rounds that I don’t know what happened.  The third loss to Velez, I also thought that I won that fight.  I just think under better circumstances that I would have won those fights. I know a lot of good stuff was said about me on the way up and I still think that I am championship material.  I just have not had that opportunity.”
To gain that opportunity, Nguyen turned to the man, who turned him professional twelve years ago in King’s Promotions Marshall Kauffman.
“Marshall is a father figure to me.  He trained me in 2004 and twelve years later I am back with him.  I have learned the business and now I am with a good promoter.  If I would have stayed with Marshall, I would be world champion.  I have the skills and Marshall knows boxing.  Now that I am back with him, he will get me that opportunity.  I live a clean and healthy life and now it is time that I reach my potential as a boxer.”

Also on the card:

In an eight-round bout, Alantez Fox (18-0, 7 KO’s) of Forestville, MD takes on Milton Nunez (35-15-1, 29 KO’s) of Barranquilla, COL in a middleweight bout.

In four-round bouts:

Antonio Tarver Jr. (3-0, 2 KO’s) of Tampa, FL will fight Jose Cortez (1-1) of West Palm Beach, FL in a middleweight bout.

In a junior welterweight battle, Nestor Bravo (5-0, 5 KO’s) fights Daniel Lorenzano(4-7-1, 2 KO’s) of Miami, FL.
Efrain Cruz (4-0-1, 1 KO) of Vieques, PR will fight Irvin Hernandez (3-14-2, 1 KO) of Caguas, PR in a junior welterweight bout.
Botirsher Obdidov (4-0-1, 1 KO) of Kissimmee, FL take on Hakeem Atkinson (2-2, 2 KO’s) of Atlanta, GA in a super middleweight bout.

# # #

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @BounceTV, @KingsBoxing_ and @Swanson_Comm and follow the conversation using #PBConBounce, become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.Facebook.com/BounceTV. PBC on Bounce is sponsored by Corona: La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Bounce TV is the fastest-growing African-American (AA) network on television and airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage. The network features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more. Bounce TV has grown to be available in more than 93.5 million homes across the United States and 93% of all African American television homes, including all of the top AA television markets. Among the founders of Bounce TV are iconic American figures Martin Luther King, III and Ambassador Andrew Young.

For local channel location, visit BounceTV.com.

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.”

Crolla scores stunning 7th round stoppage to retain Lightweight title in headliner on AWE–A Wealth of Entertainment

Former world title challenger Martin Murray plus WBC International Silver Welterweight title clash added to Crolla – Barroso Lightweight world title ; Pulev – Chisora twin-bill this Saturday on AWE-A Wealth of Entertainment
For Immediate Release
SAN DIEGO, CALIF.- May 7, 2016 – Anthony Crolla scored a stunning 7th round stoppage over Ismael Barroso to retain his WBA Lightweight title at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
The bout headlined a seven bout telecast on AWE.

Barroso raced out and set a fast pace over the first four rounds. Crolla was biding his time landing some good shots on the the middle of the ring and he started to take over on a fading Barroso towards the end of round five. In round six, Crolla began to hurt Barroso and the Venezuelan challenger started to break down and seemed spent as he walked to his corner. Crolla jumped on Barroso and landed a tremendous flurry of punches that put Barroso on the canvas for the ten count.

It was the second straight stunning knockout for Crolla on AWE–A Wealth of Entertainment as he won his title with a knockout over Darleys Perez in November.

Crolla is now 31-4-3 with 13 knockouts. Barroso is 19-1-2.

“What a day for boxing on AWE. Once again, AWE had a stellar show that was headlined by a great knockout by Anthony Crolla. We continue to put on exciting world title bouts and we should have some announcements about more great boxing action the coming months,” said AWE President, Charles Herring.

In the televised co-feature from Hamburg, Germany, Kubrat Pulev won the European Heavyweight title and an IBF Elimination Heavyweight bout by winning a 12-round split decision over Dereck Chisora.

Pulev controlled the action with quick combinations and Chisora was never able to get in a groove to land any hard power shots.

Pulev won by scores of 118-110 and 116-112. Somehow a judge saw the fight for Chisora by 115-113.

Pulev is 23-1. Chisora is 25-6.

Shayne Singleton stopped Anwil Anwar in round eight of their ten round welterweight contest.

Singleton looked like he was going to make it a quick and easy night as he dropped Anwar in round one from a left hook. Anwar was able to steady himself and have success over the next handful of rounds by getting in some good right hands. With the fight being on an even level, Singleton landed a big left that sent Anwar down in round eight. Anwar was clearly hurt, and Singleton jumped all over him and the fight was quickly stopped at 1:37 of round right.

Singleton is now 23-1 with eight knockouts. Anwar is 22-6.

Martin Murray tuned up for a June 25 showdown with George Groves by stopping an overmatched Cedric Spera in a scheduled 8-round Super Middleweight bout.

Murray dropped Spera with a left to the body in round two and finished him off with hard right that sent Spera down and out at 1:47 of round two.

Murray is now 33-3-1 with 16 knockouts. Spera is 12-5.

Marcus Morrison scored a 2nd round stoppage over Jefferson De Souza in a scheduled 10-round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Morrison dropped De Souza with a left hook in round one and the bout was stopped in the 2nd.

Morrison is now 11-0. De Souza is now 16-2-2.

Hosea Burton scored a 4th round stoppage over Michal Ludwiczak in a scheduled 6-round light heavyweight bout.

Burton dropped Ludwiczak with a left hook in round three. Burton scored another knockdown from a left hook in round four and the fight was stopped shortly after at2:58.

Burton is now 16-0. Ludwiczak is 13-4.

Tommy Coyle (22-3) won a decision over Reynaldo Mora (7-13-1) in a super lightweight bout via referee score of 59-55.

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, and has featured over 50 world class title fight. AWE has earned multiple Boxing Writers Association of America nominations for “Fight of the Year” and has featured over thirty world class boxing events. In 2013, AWE showcased all live bouts featuring heavyweight David Price. AWE aired live the stunning upsets of Tony Thompson over David Price, along with Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew cards, who fought each other for the light Heavyweight championship; 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner James DeGale. AWE brought boxing fans two of the most controversial bouts which saw Ricky Burns keep his Lightweight title against Ray Beltran. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson.  In 2014, AWE televised the crowning of lightweight champion Terence Crawford with his win over Burns as well as the exciting rematches between Carl Frampton and Kiko Martinez along with Tony Bellew defeating Nathan Cleverly. In 2015, AWE brought boxing fans on of the most anticipated rematches of the year, Darleys Perez v. Anthony Crolla II for the WBA Lightweight World Title.

In 2016, AWE was the exclusive American boradcaster of Lucas Browne’s stunning knockout over Ruslan Chagaev to win the WBA Heavyweight title.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment
A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is featured on over a hundred cable providers, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD and Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD. For more information, please visit www.awetv.com.

Brooker decisions Aikens; Cintron decisions Flores in front of big crowd in Philadelphia

Plus video comments from the two winners

For Immediate Release
Philadelphia, PA (May 7, 2016)– Christopher Brooker won a 8-round unanimous decision over Antowyan Aikens that headlined a 10-bout card at a nearly sold-out 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.
The card was promoted by King’s Promotions
In round one, both guys were cut from an accidental headbutt.  Brooker over the left eye and Aikens over the right.  In round three, Brooker scored a knockdown when he landed a left hook that sent Aikens to the canvas.  Aikens was not hurt as he jumped right up and argued with referee Shawn Clark that it should have been ruled a slip.  Brooker continued to get the best of the action as he pushed the pace and he took the bout by scores of 80-71 and 79-72 twice to raise his mark to 9-1.  Aikens of Atlantic City is 12-2.
 
Kermit Cintron pounded out a 6-round unanimous decision over Eduardo Flores in a junior middleweight bout.
Cintron was systematic with his punches and worked well to the body and head.  Flores was a game opponent who tried and got in a few decent shots of his own.
In the end, Cintron a former world champion making his first start in 27-months, fought well and got some needed rounds in and won all cards by 60-54 scores.
Cintron of Reading, PA is now 36-5-2.  Flores is 23-21-3.
Naim Nelson won a 6-round unanimous decision over Carlos Velasquez in a junior welterweight bout.
Nelson of Philadelphia won all cards 60-54 and is now 13-1, 1 NC.  Velasquez of Managua, Nicaragua is 24-24-2.
Scott Kelleher thrilled the crowd with a three-round beatdown of Terrell James in a scheduled four round junior welterweight bout.
Kelleher landed hard power shots over the first two rounds as he dived up his punches between the body and head.  Kelleher landed some vicious body shots in round three and assaulted James with a hard flurry in the corner until referee Blair Talmidge stopped the bout at 2:23 of round three.
Kelleher of Philadelphia is 5-0 with three knockouts.  James of Philadelphia is 1-4-1.
Erik Spring won a 6-round split decision over Justin Johnson in a junior middleweight bout.
Spring controlled the bout, yet somehow Johnson took a card 59-55.  That was overruled by 60-54 and 59-55 scores in favor of Spring.
Spring of Reading, PA. is now 7-1.  Johnson of Pittsburgh is 6-12-4.

Aaron Brooks made a successful pro debut with a 4-round unanimous decision over Ryan Bivins in a battle of Philadelphia based super middleweights.

In round three, Brooks landed a couple of right hands that hurt Bivins and his glove ultimately touched the canvas for a knockdown. In the fourth round, another right hand hurt Bivins and he went down on a slow reaction.
Brooks won by scores of 40-34 twice and 39-36.  Bivins falls to 0-2-1.
Thomas Velasquez scored a thudding second round stoppage over Grashino Yancy in a scheduled four round junior lightweight bout.
Velasquez landed a perfect left hook to the head that sent Yancy down in the corner.  he could not beat referee Shawn Clark’s count at 1:39 of round two.
Velasquez, 131.4 lbs of Philadelphia is 5-0 with four knockouts.  Yancy, 131.2 lbs of Staten Island, NY is 1-1.
 
Tyrone Crawley Jr. pounded out a 4-round unanimous decision over Korey Sloane in a lightweight bout.

Crawley of Philadelphia won by 40-36 tallies on all cards and is now 5-0.  Sloane of Philadelphia is 2-9-2.

Emmanuel Folly scored a stoppage after round one of his scheduled 4-round featherweight bout with Bryan Perez.

Perez injured his hand and the bout was stopped in the corner.

Folly of Philadelphia is 7-0 with five knockouts.  Perez of Carolina, PR is 2-4-1.

Amir Shabazz won a 4-round unanimous decision over Tahlik Taylor in a Lightweight bout.

Shabazz scored a knockdown in round one from a right hand.

Shabazz, 174.4 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 39-36 on all cards and is now 4-0.  Taylor, 174.9 lbs of Freeport, NY is now 1-4.

Christopher Brooker
Christopher Brooker
Kermit Cintron
Kermit Cintron

Going for Glory: Rite Hook Promotions’ Woods and Bissett to travel for opportunities

 

Biloxi, MS (May 6, 2016) – Rite Hook Promotions CEO William Hunter is not afraid to present his fighters with challenging and potential career changing opportunities. Having successfully promoted and built his boxers locally in Biloxi, Hunter is a firm believer that fighters can win anywhere under fair circumstances.

“It’s always a pleasure working with hungry fighters that aren’t scared to bite down on their mouthpiece and give it everything they’ve got whether it’s in a tune up fight or against the best in the world. There are only a handful of guys willing to take these opportunities and see that there’s a bigger picture if they win.”

Two of those men are Rite Hook’s very own Manny “Shake em’ Up” Woods and Mike “Concrete” Bissett.

Living and fighting out of St. Petersburg, FL, Woods travels to Lincoln, RI to challenge undefeated Jimmy Williams Friday, May 13 in a six round junior middleweight bout. A former football standout who received multiple NFL tryouts, Williams is 10-0-1 with 5 knockouts and fought all of his bouts in Connecticut or Rhode Island. While undefeated, Williams hasn’t fought the same level of opposition as Woods.

With a solid 15-4-1 ledger and 5 knockouts, Woods won five of his last six bouts and is fresh off a unanimous decision victory over tough Mexican Elias Espadas last month. Earlier in his career, Woods outpointed future title contender Wilky Campfort and then unbeaten Shelden Moore.  With an experience advantage and recent hot streak, Hunter is confident his fighter will be the first to defeat Williams.

“First and foremost I respect Jimmy because he’s a great athlete and has been through a lot in his personal life. I think he’s a good boxer but Manny’s already been in deep waters. He knows what it’s like to have the odds stacked against him and do what he has to in order to get the W. Jimmy’s never been in this position before and I believe he’s biting off more than he can chew against Manny.“

One week later in Central Point, OR, Bissett faces highly touted Mike Wilson in a cruiserweight matchup. A two-time US amateur champion, Wilson is 13-0 with 7 victories by KO and was considered a top prospect when he came out of the amateurs. Currently doubling as a fighter and promoter, Wilson’s last five bouts took place in his native Oregon and he’s stopped his last three foes.

Born in Mississippi and based in Tampa, FL, the hard-hitting Bissett’s professional ledger reads 10-8 with 7 knockouts. He’s fought a number of notable fighters including 2012 Olympians Michael Hunter and Dominic Breazeale, rising star Stivens Bujaj and then unbeaten Milos Pantelic twice.  A winner in three of his last four, Bissett’s career best victory came in 2014 when he outpointed popular contender Nicholas Iannuzzi.  Much like his stalemate Woods against Williams, Bissett has the experience advantage having been in tough multiple times.

“Wilson is a very good fighter and I’ve heard about him for years. He’s done a great job of promoting himself and building the sport of boxing in Oregon. With that said, Mike Bissett has been in the ring with a number of top cruiserweights and proven his toughness. I think both him and Manny will make statements in the upcoming weeks and move onto bigger fights.”

For more information on Rite Hook Promotions, visit Ritehookpromotions.com

FIGHTING OUT OF KRONK GYM, BANKS SEES SOUTHPAW OPPONENT SALAS AS NOTHING NEW

Given the number of world-class southpaws he’s been in with at the world-famous Kronk Gym in Detroit, undefeated Motown-based cruiserweight Demetrius Banks (6-0, 4 KOs) says he’s not at all concerned about facing Puerto Rican New Yorker Emilio Salas (5-1-1, 3 KOs).
The pair will meet on Saturday, May 14, at the Masonic Temple in Downtown Detroit, in the six-round main event of Salita Promotions’ “Detroit Brawl,” event. In the six-round co-main event Detroit’s undefeated bantamweight James Gordon Smith (9-0, 6 KOs) and Mexico’s Pablo Cupul (8-19, 5 KOs).
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.comby calling 800-745-3000or by visiting the Masonic Temple box office.
“Because my experience, fighting a southpaw is not much of an adjustment,” said Banks during a break in training. “Being at Kronk, I’ve boxed world-class southpaws like (former WBO Middleweight Champion) Andy Lee and (current WBC Light Heavyweight Champion) Adonis Stevenson to name a few. It’s not a big deal for me. I fought so many southpaws, in the beginning of my career, it was more difficult to box a right hander.”
Banks, a former football star and a committed mentor to Detroit’s youth, says that despite it being his first main event, he’s not feeling any extra pressure. “The way I look at it, it’s just another day. I don’t let the situation overwhelm me. I guess after the fight is over I’ll exhale and soak it all in. As of right now I’m ready to go to war. It doesn’t bother me what order we fight in.”
Of opponent Salas, Banks says he’s not expecting any surprises.
“I didn’t’ need to see much of him to know what I’m getting. I probably watched part of a round and he’s what I would expect. I saw things in him I can exploit. I also know he’s on a five-fight win streak. He’s 6′ 3″ tall, out of the Bronx and he’s a southpaw. I guess he’s coming to win, but I can’t let this guy take food off my plate.”
Banks says he’s aware that at age 35, there is no time to waste and he is working hard at Kronk with head coach Javan Hill and assistant trainer Richard Phillips, knowing that this fight is critical if he is to ever rise to contender status.
“This fight presents a big opportunity for me, especially with Dmitriy doing so many big things in boxing. If I win this fight, it gives me the opportunity to sign with him. I feel like I need to hurry. Because of my age, I have a smaller window of opportunity and I understand it. This is an opportunity for me to step it up and get things going.”
So how does he see things going against Salas?
“I definitely see a fight in my mind before it happens. I always visualize them beforehand. I see the things I don’t want to happen, the things that can’t happen and things I want to do. He’s going to come out and try to show he’s tough and come to fight and win. He’s not me though. He’s not fleet-footed or as slick as me. I’ll trick him and touch him to his body. That will give me a lot of target. I will break him down from the body up.
On the Detroit Brawl undercard, 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. In addition, 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.
In a six-round super middleweight scrap, Detroit’s super middleweight James Ballard (6-0, 3 KOs) will face Chicago’s Edgar Perez (6-18, 3 KOs); Detroit middleweight Darrell Van Horn (8-0, 5 KOs) will go against Torreon, Mexico’s Francisco Reza (13-17, 10 KOs) in a four-rounder; 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.
 
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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 SalitaPromotions.com. On fight night, doors open at 6:30.
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
page: www.facebook.com/ThomasMageesSportingHouseWhiskeyBar