Tag Archives: boxing

boxing, UK Boxing

John “Apollo Kidd” Thompson arrives in Manchester, England for October 10th WBO Junior Middleweight world title fight with Liam Smith

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Manchester, England (October 1, 2015)–WBO number-five ranked junior middleweight contender & Boxcino 2015 champion, John “Apollo Kidd” Thompson arrived Thursday morning in Manchester, England in advance of his October 10th WBO junior middleweight world title clash with Liam Smith that will take place at the Manchester Arena.
Thompson of Newark, New Jersey, is promoted by GH3 Promotions and Banner Promotions, is excited for the opportunity to become world champion.
“I am glad to be here, but I have a job to do and on October 10.  That night I will become world champion.”
Photo Credit:  Marc Abrams
boxing, Premier Boxing Champions, Spike TV

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER EDWIN RODRIGUEZ BATTLES UNDEFEATED MICHAEL SEALS LIVE ON NOV. 13 EDITION OF PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON SPIKE FROM BEAU RIVAGE RESORT & CASINO IN BILOXI 9 P.M. ET/PT

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Tickets on Sale Now
BILOXI, Miss. (October 1, 2015) – Light heavyweight contender Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (27-1, 18 KOs) will take on undefeated Michael Seals (19-0, 14 KOs) Friday, Nov. 13 on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike live from MGM Resorts International’s beautiful Beau Rivage Resort & Casino on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Televised coverage will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
“This is a huge opportunity for me to clearly cement myself as one of the best 175-pounders in all of boxing,” said Rodriguez. “Michael Seals is coming to fight and I know what a win means for him and his career. That being said, this is going to be my night. George Bernard Shaw once said that, ‘life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.’ This victory is a major piece of the puzzle I’ve created for my life. A win on Nov. 13 moves me a major step closer to challenging for a piece of the light heavyweight crown, and there’s nothing and no one that will get in my way of achieving that.”
“I’d like to thank all parties involved for making this fight a reality,” said Seals. “I’ve remained focused mentally and in my training to make sure that I was completely prepared for my opportunity when the time came. I have a strong base and have been blessed with a chance to show the world my talents. I will be ready to go when the bell rings on Nov.13.”
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $62.95, $48.95, $34.95 and $20.95, plus tax and service charges. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office,www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
“Edwin Rodriguez is clearly one of the best 175-pounders in the world, and I am glad that he is getting a match-up of this caliber and an opportunity to showcase himself against a truly tough test in the highly regarded and undefeated prospect Michael Seals,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “The winner of this bout should be in line for a shot against Adonis Stevenson, or any of the other champions in the light heavyweight division, and we expect a spectacular performance from both guys when they meet November 13.”
“The light heavyweight division has become one of the most compelling division in boxing,” said Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Specials, Spike. “Spike is excited to have two of the rising stars in this weight class, Rodriguez and Seals, battle it out.”
“MGM Resorts International is home to the best boxing events in the world,” said Beau Rivage Executive Director of Entertainment Anthony Gibson. “I’ve watched a lot of boxing in the last 40 years and DiBella Entertainment’s events at Beau Rivage are some of the best I’ve seen. The theatre, the ring, the boxers and atmosphere are always first-class.”
An accomplished amateur who won a 2006 National Golden Gloves gold medal and a 2005 U.S. National Championship gold medal, the 30-year-old Rodriguez enters this fight as the winner of his last three. Born in the Dominican Republic but fighting out of Worcester, Mass., Rodriguez’s lone loss came to undefeated Andre Ward in 2013 and he owns victories over previously undefeated fighters Will Rosinsky, Jason Escalera and Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna. Most recently he stopped previously unbeaten Craig Baker in the third round on a May PBC card.
Undefeated and fighting out of Atlanta, Georgia, Seals looks to make a mark on Nov. 13 when he faces his toughest competition to date. The 33-year-old played college football at the University of Alabama A&M before getting his start in boxing and turning pro in 2008. In 2012 he stopped the experienced Byron Mitchell in round one and has added five victories to his record since then including a March victory over Carlos Reyes.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @LaBombaBoxing, @LouDiBella, @SpikeTV and @SpikeSports and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment andwww.Facebook.com/Spike.
boxing, Showtime Boxing

ADRIEN BRONER vs. KHABIB ALLAKHVERDIEV, JOSE PEDRAZA vs. EDNER CHERRY MEDIA WORKOUT PHOTOS & QUOTES FOR SATURDAY’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER

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SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Live At 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME®
From U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio
Click HERE To Download Photos From Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME
CINCINNATI, Ohio — (Sept. 30, 2015) – Adrien Broner (30-2, 22 KOs) and Khabib Allakhverdiev(19-1, 9 KOs) held a media workout at The Punch House in Cincinnati on Wednesday as they prepare for this Saturday’s WBA Super Lightweight World Championship, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from U.S. Bank Arena.
In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, undefeated IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Jose Pedraza (20-0, 12 KOs) will defend his title against former world title challengerEdner Cherry (24-6-2, 19 KOs). 
 
SHOWTIME EXTREME fighters and undefeated prospects Robert Easter Jr. and Jamel Herringalso participated in Wednesday’s workout.  Easter Jr. (15-0, 12 KOs) will take on Juan Ramon Solis(20-9, 9 KOs) while Herring (13-0, 8 KOs) will face Yakubu Amido (19-7-2, 17 KOs) in separate 10-round lightweight bouts this Saturday.  NOTE: Solis is a late replacement for the previously announced Miguel Acosta as an opponent for Easter Jr.
 
While Broner continued his vow of silence with the media, the three-division world champion “let his fists do the talking” in a spirited workout that lasted nearly 90 minutes. 
 
Here’s what the rest of the SHOWTIME fighters had to say on Wednesday:
 
KHABIB ALLAKHVERDIEV:
“I expect Broner to try to play his game, but we will play our game.
 
“The experience I gained after losing the title in my last fight [against Jesse Vargas] is that I really understand the opportunity that I am being given going into this fight.
 
“I am not worried about fighting in Broner’s hometown.  I have fought many fighters in their own cities and it doesn’t bother me.
 
“On Saturday night, I will show the fans a great fight and come out with the victory.”
 
JOSE PEDRAZA:
“We train hard all the time, we are in great shape and we prepare for every fight like the opponent is the champion.
 
“Edner Cherry is a very experienced fighter.  He is a strong guy and good puncher.
 
“I am in great shape and I’m ready to fight 12 rounds.
 
“This could very well be the toughest fight of my career.  He hasn’t lost in seven years.  But we are very prepared, studied the fight well and are ready to go come Saturday.
 
“My youth will play a huge part in this fight. I’m much younger than him and, without a doubt, I will win this fight.
 
“I can’t wait for the fans to watch this fight and if they can’t be here than I hope they watch on SHOWTIME.  It will be a great fight.”
 
EDNER CHERRY:
 “This will be a very tough fight.  We’ve been training hard and had a great camp.
“I’m not taking anything away from him, he’s a tough fighter.  He’s a champion for a reason.  But on Saturday night I’m coming for that title, that’s my job.
“We trained for 12 hard rounds, but if the knockout comes, then I will be very excited.  All I’m looking for is a very hard 12-round fight.
“Ever since my title loss to Timothy Bradley in 2008, I’ve pushed myself to get back into this position and to give myself the opportunity for a title shot at the right weight class.  I’m finally in the right weight class for me.
“Bradley was the much bigger fighter when we fought [in 2008]. That was a mistake on our end. He just was the bigger guy, but I was in the ring with one of the best fighters in the world and I really learned from that fight.
“I tell people that I am so glad that I didn’t win that title against Bradley because, in my mind, I would’ve been fighting at 140, but that wasn’t my weight class. I would’ve been risking my life fighting at 140.  I glad I didn’t win it, but I’m also glad I hung in there and got myself back into a big fight.
“I’ve been preparing for this fight for 15 years, and it’s going to show on Saturday.”
ROBERT EASTER JR.
 “I have a lot of people coming from Toledo to see me. They’re all excited about it.
 
“This is my second time fighting on SHOWTIME EXTREME and I’m truly blessed.  It’s a good opportunity to showcase my skills on national television.
 
“I know nothing about my opponent, but I do that on purpose.  It’s been the same thing as the rest of my 15 opponents. I didn’t study them at all.  Whoever they put in front of me, that’s the test I have to overcome and so far I’ve been doing excellent and passed them all.”
JAMEL HERRING:
 “He’s my best opponent yet.  He’s a tough guy, very durable.  He’s a lot more durable than my last few opponents.
 
“I take nothing from him, but I’m motivated and looking forward to pushing myself more than anything.  It’s going to be a great step up and people are going to see a lot more than they’ve seen from me in the past.
 
“I’m in great shape.  I just had a fight back at the end of August.  I took literally three days off instead of a whole week and came right back, so I’ve been in shape for the past three months getting to this date.
 
“It’s a blessing to be able to showcase my talent on the national scene instead of the local venues or being on the big cards but not getting any kind of TV exposure.  Now I’m part of the big show.
 
“I don’t take anything for granted or let it get to my head.  To me it’s another fight and I take every fight seriously. It doesn’t matter who I’m in with, every fight is a stepping stone to a title, so every fight is important.”
 
# # #
For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @AdrienBroner, @WarriorsBoxProm and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/SHOSports and www.Facebook.com/AdrienTheProblemBroner
boxing, Showtime Boxing

DANIEL JACOBS & PETER QUILLIN SQUARE-OFF ON SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5 AT BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN

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WINNER TAKES THE BELT AND BROOKLYN!
 
 
LIVE ON SHOWTIME® AT 9 P.M. ET/6 P.M. PT
 
 General Tickets On Sale Tuesday, October 6 At 10 a.m. ET
 
BROOKLYN (September 30, 2015) – In a highly anticipated showdown between two of Brooklyn’s most exciting and talented fighters, WBA Middleweight World Champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (30-1, 27 KOs)will take on former world champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs)on Saturday, December 5 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).
“There is no doubt this is going to be one of the biggest fights Brooklyn has ever seen,” said Jacobs. “Peter and I go back a long time, but this is business. I’m the champion and he’s the challenger. I’m going to do everything I can to win on December 5 and show the world that I’m the best Brooklyn has to offer.”
“The fans have waited a long time for this fight and now it’s finally here,” said Quillin. “I was back in the gymon Monday after my fight against [Michael] Zerafa preparing for December 5. I know there is so much at stake for me -a belt and Brooklyn bragging rights. It’s going to be a night to remember for me and for all of Brooklyn.”
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $50, not including applicable fees, and are on sale Tuesday, October 6 at 10 a.m. ET and can be purchased online by visitingwww.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets will also be available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center beginning Wednesday, October 7 at 12 p.m., if tickets are still available.
These two powerful fighters have been on a collision course for several years, dating to when Quillin was the WBO Middleweight Champion and Jacobs was working back towards contender status after sitting out over a year due to cancer.
While Quillin relinquished his belt due to the birth of his son and the death of his uncle, Jacobs continued to rise in the rankings and earned his world title with a knockout in August of 2014 over Jarrod Fletcher in Brooklyn. Each fighter has earned knockout victories in the last two months and both boxers will return to the site of their world title-winning performances when they clash at Barclays Center.
“This is a can’t-miss, pick’em fight between two of the best middleweights in the world,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “This is truly the battle of Brooklyn, with both Danny and Peter possessing the power to create fireworks in an explosive night. SHOWTIME will truly be ending 2015 with a bang…or many of them.”
“Daniel Jacobs vs. Peter Quillin is a unique matchup of two bona fide middleweight stars, each in the prime of his career,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports.  “It is as evenly matched as you’ll find in the division, and it stands to be the career-defining fight for both men. We expect the action in the ring and the atmosphere at Barclays Center will make for a very memorable night. For boxing fans, it doesn’t get any better than this.”
“This is the ultimate Brooklyn matchup,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center.
“Miracle Man vs. Kid Chocolate is about more than a world title, it’s about Brooklyn bragging rights and glory. The borough is ready for December 5.”
An inspirational figure who will fight at Barclays Center for the fifth time, Brooklyn’s Jacobs completed his road to champion when he defeated Fletcher for the middleweight title. In 2011, while pursuing a championship in the ring, cancer threatened his life and kept him on the sidelines for 19 months. When he returned, he picked up where he left off, and hasn’t lost since. The 28-year-old is coming off of a second round stoppage of former world champion Sergio Mora in August.
Quillin gets back in the ring after having knocked out Michael Zerafa earlier this month to follow up his hard-fought draw against middleweight world champion Andy Lee in April. He won a middleweight belt in 2012 with his highlight-reel, six-knockdown demolition against Hassan N’Dam in the first boxing card hosted at Barclays Center. Born in Chicago, raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but residing in Brooklyn, the 31-year-old went on to defend that title against strong contenders Fernando Guerrero, Gabriel Rosado and Lukas Konecny. Now, “Kid Chocolate” looks to become a world champion for the second time.
Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @DanielJacobsTKO, @KidChocolate, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter.
boxing, Roc Nation

DUSTY HERNANDEZ-HARRISON + DUSTIN FLEISCHER FIGHT RESULTS FROM SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2015

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On Saturday, September 26, Dusty-Hernandez-Harrison earned his 15th knockout against James Wayka (16-14-1, 8 KO’s) of Green Bay Wisconsin at the Masonic Temple in Norfolk, Virginia. Hernandez-Harrison stopped Wayka at 1:18 of the first round with a flurry of body punches that followed a knockdown.

 

PHOTO: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uehfztj75nzytfi/AADEBku5fqehDb68TApYw7DVa?dl=0

PHOTO CREDIT: Emmanuel Canjuras

 

Hailing from Washington, D.C. with an undefeated professional record of 28-0 (15 KO’s), Hernandez-Harrison is the number 15 rated welterweight in the world by the WBC and the reigning WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Champion. At the time of his first pro bout at the age of 17, Hernandez-Harrison had compiled an amateur record of 167-30, winning several Ringside World Championships, National Silver Gloves Championships and three straight National Golden Gloves Championships from 2007 to 2009.

 

Also, on Saturday, September 26, Dustin “The White Tiger” Fleischer took on Ira Frank (1-0, 1 KO) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in a four-round welterweight bout at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Beach Haven, New Jersey. Fleischer secured his fourth knockout in four professional outings, preserving his perfect record at 2:53 of the first round with a viscous right hand to the head.

 

New Jersey native and Two-Time State Golden Gloves Champion Fleischer is on a quest to become the first grandson of a Holocaust survivor to be crowned world champion.  With an amateur record of 112-18, Fleischer is a protégé of 1996 Olympic Head Coach Alfred Mitchell and the youngest graduate of the U.S. Olympic Education Center for boxing at the age of 16.Fleischer made his professional debut on January 9, 2015 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden during Roc Nation Sports’ inaugural throne boxing event, scoring a second round technical knockout victory over Frank Jordan in a fight that was televised live on FOX Sports 1.

 

###

 

About Roc Nation Sports

Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, helping athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been helping artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports launched its boxing division, a full service promotional company which represents world champions Miguel Cotto and Andre Ward, in August 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Strong, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar, Frances Tiafoe, Justise Winslow and Willie Cauley-Stein.

 

boxing, Showtime Boxing

ADRIEN BRONER OPENS UP ABOUT HIS CAREER, YOUTHFUL MISTAKES AND HIS FUTURE IN BOXING

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* * * VIDEO ALERT * * *
 
“You have to learn from your mistakes.  When you understand and you know why you’re losing, then you can fix it.  This next half of my career I’m going to be the AB that’s about business and about boxing.” – Adrien Broner
 
Click on the link or photo below to watch, share and/or embed this video
Photo Credit: SHOWTIME
SHOWTIME Sports® met with Adrien Broner at HeadBangers Gym in Washington, D.C., as he prepares to face Khabib Allakhverdiev this Saturday on SHOWTIME®.  During the lengthy interview Broner spoke candidly about his approach to the sport and learning from past mistakes.  We found the interview compelling and, in lieu of limited access to Broner in the lead up to this event, felt it necessary to share this long form version in preparation for advanced stories you may be working on.
Broner vs. Allakherdiev for the vacant WBA Super Lightweight World Championship this Saturday live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.
# # #
For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @AdrienBroner, @WarriorsBoxProm and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/SHOSports and www.Facebook.com/AdrienTheProblemBroner
boxing, HBO Boxing

MIGUEL COTTO ARRIVES IN LOS ANGELES FOR TRAINING CAMP WITH TRAINER FREDDIE ROACH AT WILD CARD BOXING CLUB FOR NOV. 21 HBO PAY-PER VIEW SHOWDOWN AGAINST CANELO ALVAREZ

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Photos: OPEN HERE

Photo Credit: Hector Santos Guia/Roc Nation Sports/Miguel Cotto Promotions, LLC

 

VIDEO: OPEN HERE

Video Credit: Team Cotto/Roc Nation Sports

 

LOS ANGELES (September 30, 2015) – Reigning WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) has arrived in Los Angeles to begin training camp at Wild Card Boxing Club with trainer Freddie Roach ahead of his Saturday, Nov. 21showdown against former WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) which will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View from The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

 

Below is what Cotto and Roach had to say about the start of camp:

 

MIGUEL COTTO: WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion

 

“I am more than ready to get to work and am fully confident that the plan Freddie Roach has in place for our team is going to ensure that I am prepared to lock in this victory on November 21.”

 

 

FREDDIE ROACH: Hall of Fame Trainer, Seven-Time Trainer of the Year Award Winner and Trainer of Miguel Cotto

 

“The energy at Wild Card is at an all-time high. Miguel is one of the hardest working men I know and he did not waste any time getting into the ring with me. I know that we have the tools we need for a successful training camp that will put Miguel in the best position possible to beat Canelo.”

 

 

Remaining tickets can be purchased at the Mandalay Bay box office, ticketmaster.com,mandalaybay.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000.  Ticket orders are limited to four per person.

 

Cotto vs. Canelo, a 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships, takes place Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra; Mexico, Live it to Believe it!; O’Reilly Auto Parts, Tequila Cazadores and Corporate Travel Management Solutions (ctms). The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Follow the conversation using #CottoCanelo.

boxing

Peltz Boxing Celebrates 46th Year Anniversary

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In the beginning…
While preparing for Friday’s Puerto Rican Boxing Classic at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, promoter J Russell Peltz, International Boxing Hall of Fame, class of 2004, recalls his start in boxing 46 years ago.

Today I celebrate-or perhaps observe-the 46th anniversary of my first fight as a boxing promoter. I could have waited another four years to write this story, but that seems like a long time from now and an even longer bet to reach that milestone.

I saw only a few minutes of my first boxing card. It was Sept. 30, 1969, at the Blue Horizon-not yet legendary-and I was busy in the box office with mom, selling tickets to the last of the 1,606 people we squeezed in there that night to watch middleweight Bennie Briscoe destroy Tito Marshall in their rematch. We actually turned people away that night and that’s something I would never do again. What was I thinking?

There was a miscommunication with the union that supplied the ticket sellers so when they failed to show, I hired mom-gratis, of course-and she helped to sell the tickets.

I was 22 years old, 15 months after graduating from Temple University and less than 30 days removed from working full-time on the sports staff at The Evening Bulletin. I had coveted the boxing beat at The Bulletin, but I got impatient when Jack Fried, the boxing writer, got an extension on his mandatory retirement at age 65 and I wasn’t about to hang around waiting for him to retire or, as dad would say, kick the bucket.

So I did what every 22-year-old college grad who was raised on the prestigious Main Line would do-I became a boxing promoter.

I had saved about $5,000 in college since I had worked full-time on what they called the Lobster Shift at The Bulletin, starting the summer after my junior year at Temple. I worked from midnight to 8 am, editing stories, writing captions and headlines and doing re-writes. Then I’d drive from 30th & Market Street to North Broad Street for my senior year at Temple, go to class from 9 am to 1 pm, then drive home to Bala Cynwyd to go to sleep.

It was a post-Olympic year in Philly and there was talent on every street corner. I remember the late summer of 1969, driving up Columbia Avenue-now Cecil B. Moore-and turning right after 22d Street where Columbia turns into Ridge. Two buildings from the corner stood the aptly named Roach’s Café. On top of Roach’s Café, up a steep flight of stairs, was Champs Gym, run by Quenzell McCall, who had made his bones training Percy Bassett and Leotis Martin and Kitten Hayward and Briscoe and many other top Philly fighters.

I met Sam Solomon, a friendly round-faced man who owned a Laundromat in West Philadelphia, and he introduced me to his new fighter, a 17-year-old stud who was looking to turn pro. His name was Eugene Hart. Sam nicknamed him Cyclone.

A year earlier, at a gym in the basement of the Annunciation Church at 12th & Norris, just off Temple’s campus, I had interviewed another young amateur boxer for a story I wrote for The Bulletin. His name was Bobby Watts. They called him Boogaloo.

There had not been a pro fight card in Philly since May and local fans were ready for some action.

I had dreamed of having my boyhood idol, Hall-of-Famer Harold Johnson, in the main event but I could not afford the $2,000 he wanted. I had become friendly with Pat Duffy, having written some stories about amateur boxing while I was at The Bulletin. Duffy controlled the amateurs in the tri-state area and he had his hand in the pros as well. He was involved with Leotis Martin and Sammy Goss and Bennie Briscoe and for a guarantee of $1,000 against a percentage of the gate receipts I got Briscoe to fight a rematch with Marshall, who had beaten Bennie four years earlier.

Duffy also had a heavyweight named Jerry Judge, from the Kensington section of Philly, and I added him to the card in his pro debut. On the poster I identified Judge as the Kensington Heavyweight Champion. Really!

George Hill, who was training at Champs Gym, agreed to make his own pro debut against Judge.

Jimmy Toppi, Jr., owned the Blue Horizon. He had promoted fights at various Philly venues in the 1940s and 1950s and as soon as he heard about my main event, he predicted a sellout. Toppi would close his office every day at 2 pm, so I would drive over to the Blue Horizon from my apartment in the Germantown section of the city, park outside and wait to see if any customers would show up to buy tickets. Whenever I saw someone ring the doorbell at the Blue Horizon, I’d get out of my car, call over to them and sell them tickets out of my trunk.

The card came together, although Watts’ original opponent, North Philly neighbor Lloyd Bad News Nelson, canceled out a couple of weeks before the show and it wasn’t until close to Sept. 30 that I found Ron Nesby, who was training at Gil Clancy’s gym in New York.

Dad was in the plumbing, heating and air-conditioning business and he took 100 ringside tickets and gave them out to his business associates. He paid me for all of them-they were $5 apiece. I guess he was worried I wouldn’t make it in boxing. My uncle Bob came to the fight and he got sick after eating a Blue Horizon hotdog.

I was at the gyms every night, Champs and the 23rd PAL in North Philly, Passyunk and the Juniper Gym in South Philly. There were others but those were the Fab Four.

Malcolm “Flash” Gordon, a long-haired New York boxing junkie who had bought a mimeograph machine with his Bar Mitzvah money years earlier, agreed to sell his now-legendary programs at the fight for 25 cents each.

Tom Cushman, the boxing writer for the Daily News, was a major player. I had met Cushman in Oklahoma City a few years earlier. He had stopped there–on his way East from Denver to start his new job at the Daily News-to cover Temple’s basketball team in a Christmas tournament and I was there as a correspondent for The Bulletin.

Cushman knew that boxing writers from other newspapers in town took money under the table from promoters to write pre-fight stories and he told me if he ever caught me doing that I could kiss our friendship goodbye. Not a chance!

The Inquirer headline the day before my card: Is Peltz Ready To Get Skinned?

We sold out. At the time, the 1,606 fans in attendance represented the largest crowd in the Blue Horizon’s history. The gate was $6,010 with tickets priced at $3 and $5. Briscoe’s percentage came to $1,314.58 and Marshall walked out with $788.75.

Middleweight Oscar Coor beat Clarence Finney in an all-local four-rounder to open the card-on time, naturally, at 8 pm-and Cyclone Hart blew away South Philly’s Sheldon Moore, who didn’t answer the bell for round two. Jerry Judge worked hard and stopped George Hill in the fourth round and Boogaloo Watts out-boxed Ron Nesby in a 6. In the main event, Briscoe had a blast. He nailed Marshall below the belt early and when Tito complained to the ref, Bennie went upstairs and it was all over in 60 seconds. Marshall never boxed again.

Columnist Sandy Grady was there from The Bulletin. His story the next day–Crazy Dream Comes True–told about my prediction in college that one day my friends would be coming to my fight cards. He also wrote that my (first) wife and I were living in an apartment in Germantown and the only things in it were a mattress, a TV set and a cat named Ophelia. With the money we made that night ($1,438.83), Grady wrote that perhaps now we would buy some furniture.

A few months earlier, my wife had asked me what made me think I could be successful in this business. I told her that it would take me about six months to blow my savings but I’d have a great scrapbook one day to show our kids about the time their daddy was a boxing promoter.
boxing, Fox Sports 1, Premier Boxing Champions

JAVIER FORTUNA STOPS CARLOS VELASQUEZ IN ROUND TEN TO RETAIN  SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE ON PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS ON FS1 & BOXEO DE CAMPEONES ON FOX DEPORTES FROM THE PEARL THEATER AT PALMS CASINO RESORT

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UNDEFEATED SUPER WELTERWEIGHTS DOMONIQUE DOLTON AND OSCAR MOLINA FIGHT TO MAJORITY DRAW
Click HERE For Photos From Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions
 
Click HERE For Photos From Idris Erba/Mayweather Promotions
 
Fight Highlights Available HERE
 
LAS VEGAS (September 29, 2015) – Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (29-0-1, 21 KOs) used a relentless attack to stop Carlos “Twin Dream” Velasquez (19-2, 12 KOs) in the tenth-round and retain his super featherweight world title on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes from The Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort.
Fortuna blitzed Velasquez from the opening bell, using his awkward-pressure style to open up opportunities to land punches. In the second round, Fortuna landed a pair of left hooks that sent Velasquez to the canvas. In that round, Velasquez began bleeding from the nose due to a head butt and may have broken his nose.
Also in that second round, Fortuna injured his left hand and was unable to throw it for much of the rest of the fight. He still proved to be too much for Velasquez however, out-landing him 168-51 while landing almost 40 percent of his punches.
He came out strong once again in the tenth round, landing a series of unanswered shots that prompted referee Russell Mora to stop the fight thirty-five seconds into the round. At the time of the stoppage, the judges’ scores were 88-82, 87-83 and 86-84 all for Fortuna.
In the co-main event, undefeated super welterweights Domonique Dolton (17-0-1, 9 KOs) and Oscar Molina (13-0-1, 10 KOs) fought to a majority draw in an entertaining, back-and-forth scrap.
Dolton threw more punches than Molina, but Molina landed at a higher percentage and was able to land his power punches over 50 percent of the time. In round three, Molina had his best moments when he wobbled Dolton with a right hand, but Dolton regained his composure and finished the round strong. Both men continued to flurry at moments throughout the remaining rounds and were throwing punches all the way to the final bell.
The judges’ totals were 95-95 twice and 97-93 for Fortuna. In total, Dolton landed 145 out of 479 punches while Molina landed 134 out of 326.
JAVIER FORTUNA
“I was just waiting to counter punch Velasquez. The rhythm of the fight was important. I was in control of the fight because I could control the rhythm.
“I’ve had this style ever since I was an amateur. I’ve learned more about how to be aggressive and I’ve always tried to press the action throughout my career.
“I knew I got him with a good shot when I knocked him down. I hurt my left hand after that but it was just a matter of time until I got him again. I didn’t throw my left too much after that.
“I saw his shots coming. I would have taken advantage earlier but I hurt my hand. If I hadn’t hurt my hand, he wouldn’t have lasted five rounds.
“I looked at his corner as I was hurting him because I wanted them to know that I could go the full 12 rounds and I wasn’t going to stop until the final bell rings.”
CARLOS VELASQUEZ
“The head butt, I think broke my nose early in the fight, and it effected my breathing throughout the bout.
“I take nothing away from Fortuna, he’s a great fighter. I left everything in the ring and I never quit. I wanted to give it my all and that’s what I did.”
DOMONIQUE DOLTON
“I knew it was a close decision. It would have been fine either way. Close fight. He landed some shots, I landed some shots. I wouldn’t have been mad either way.
“The game plan was to make him miss with the left hand and then get him with the overhand right. I got in there and started overpowering him. I decided to just beast him. I thought I would finish stronger at the end of the fight.
“He has really good timing. We’re both technicians. I wanted to make him miss, he wanted to make me miss. He landed some more power shots but I made him work for it at the end.”
OSCAR MOLINA
“I let it get too close, so I can’t complain about the decision. I’ll go home and watch the fight but right now I can’t complain. The judges saw what they saw.
“The game plan was to stay relaxed, but I fell out of the game plan. I hurt him in the third round and it kind of messed me up. I started looking for that one shot to end it. I have to work on staying steady and relaxed.
“Dolton had real good foot work, he caught me lunging in. I’ve known him since the amateur days so I know how good he is.
“I’m motivated to get back in the gym and start going 20, 30 rounds without getting tired. I got gassed at the end but It’s a learning experience.”
 
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PBC TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS  was promoted by Mayweather Promotions.
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Amateur MMA, boxing, mixed martial arts

THE FLYWEIGHT TITLE IS ON THE LINE AT NEF XX

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Lewiston, Maine (September 28, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF XX: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE” on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  The event will feature a first for Maine – mixed-martial-arts (MMA) bouts and professional boxing bouts on the same event with an MMA cage and a boxing ring set up side-by-side.  Earlier today, the promotion announced the addition of an amateur flyweight bout to the MMA portion of the fight card.  Dustin Veinott (4-3) will defend the NEF MMA Amateur Flyweight Championship against Ryan Burgess(1-0).

 

Dustin Veinott has been the feel-good story of 2015 in NEF.  After going 0-3 to begin his amateur career, Veinott went on a four-fight win streak culminating in a split decision victory over Norman Fox (4-2) this past June to claim the inaugural flyweight title.  Veinott is a member of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) in Lewiston, Maine.  He predicts a finish over Burgess on November 21.

 

“It’s an honor to fight a young up and comer like Burgess,” said the reigning champion.  “He looked like he had solid wrestling in his last fight with Witham.  However, I am disappointed in my last fight. Fight fans will want to see this one.  I will get the finish.”

 

Ryan Burgess is, indeed, an accomplished wrestler.  A veteran of the Mountain Valley High School (MVHS) wrestling program of Rumford, Maine, Burgess chalked up an amazing 150 wins and captured three state titles.  Later, he continued his wrestling career at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire.  Burgess joined Berserkers MMA along with other MVHS wrestling alumni and won his amateur MMA debut this past June.

 

“Dustin has a lot of experience in the cage and had to earn his spot at the top, but he has yet to fight someone at flyweight with the same skill set and intensity that I bring to the cage,” said Burgess.  “I’m very excited for this opportunity and it will be a great chance to show how much I have improved over the last six months.”

 

“It’s not very often that you witness a fighter with a 1-0 record fighting for a title, but Burgess brings with him a lifetime of competitive wrestling and training,” said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson.  “He was so good at Mountain Valley High School that they retired his singlet when he graduated.  Veinott has found his groove and really come into his own as a champion fighter.  This is a bout between two guys with a ton of drive and determination, and I can’t wait to watch to see who strikes first in this fight.”

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF XX: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE,” takes place on November 21, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  The event will mark the first time in Maine history a mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event and a professional boxing event have taken place together on the same show.  Tickets for “NEF XX” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

About New England Fights

 

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.