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boxing

“The Bosnian Prince” Armin Mrkanovic gets robbed in West Virginia

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Queens, NY (July 5, 2017) – On June 24th, cruiserweight Armin Mrkanovic went into his UBF All-Americas title bout with Josh Himes, thinking that even though he was fighting in his opponent’s home territory of Moundsville, West Virginia, that he would receive a fair shake.

That was not the case as most ringside observers believed that Mrkanovic should have come out with the verdict, but instead it was Himes who came out with the unanimous decision by scores of 77-75, 79-73 and an inexplicable 80-72 tally.
“Before the fight, I knew I could and would beat him easily.  Before the fight, i was told that my wife got stuck on the road on her drive to West Virginia, and I can admit that I lost the first two rounds,” said Mrkanovic.  “I then clearly won five of the next rounds, so for those two judges to give zero and one round shows that something was not right with the fight.”
Mrkanovic claims that even Himes’ team agreed that wrong man had his hand raised.
“After the fight was over, his trainer apologized to me, and admitted the fight was at worst a draw, but said that I should have won the fight.  The two other cornermen echoed the same sentiments.”
Mrkanovic wanted to view the fight for himself, but has received pushback from the local promotion.
“I asked for a copy of the fight, and the promoter has refused to show me.  He did not want to share for fear that I would be able to look at what happened.  It would have done two things, I would have even a more clear argument plus if there is a rematch, I could further expose Himes’ flaws and be even better the next time around.  It is funny, I was told that there a handful of people filming it to Facebook Live, but mysteriously those videos are gone.  The President of the UBF requested the video, and he can’t even view it.The local paper only mentioned the result of the fight, but made other fight’s more prominent in their story. I was lucky that I was able to download one of those copies to my phone.  I am able to view it, but because the original copy is erased, it is not shareable.”
“My team is working on out options on what we can do about this miscarriage of justice.”
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Two-time world champion Beibut Shumenov Retires due to severe eye injury

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LAS VEGAS (June 26, 2017) – Two-division World Boxing Association (WBA) World Champion Beibut Shumenov has relinquished his WBA cruiserweight world title, due to his career-ending eye injury, and he has announced his retirement from the ring.
“I have regrettably relinquished my WBA cruiserweight title and retired from boxing because of a traumatic eye injury suffered the week before my last scheduled fight,” Shumenov said from his Las Vegas home. “I’m extremely disappointed my boxing career has ended like this but, unfortunately, injuries are part of this sport and there’s nothing I can do about it. I still have blurred vision and I need to have an additional surgery next month to try to further repair so I don’t risk blindness in my (right) eye.

“I’d like to thank my family, my team throughout the years, friends and fans for their continued support all these years. I was proud to wear the WBA championship belt for many years as a two-division champion. I’m grateful to WBA President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, his father, and all those in my WBA family. It was quite a ride and I look forward with great anticipation to the next chapter of my life with my son and future endeavors.”

Shumenov (17-2, 11 KOs), a 2004 Kazakhstan Olympian, was scheduled to face Interim WBA champion Yunier Dorticos (21-0, 20 KOs) in the April 29th main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes, from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

During his last slated sparring sessions, Shumenov suffered an eye injury that required immediate surgery, forcing him to withdraw from his April 29 fight against Dorticos.

Earlier this month, the WBA received a letter from Shumenov’s eye surgeon, Dr. Kent L. Wellish, who wrote the following: “Mr. Beibut Shumenov has a serious ocular issue, a recurrent corneal erosion of his right eye, that with continued fighting, puts him at risk for permanently losing his eyesight.

“It is my medical opinion that he should permanently refrain from sparring, training and boxing due to the severity of damage to his eye and the high risk of further damage of vision impairment, including the possibility of permanent vision loss.”
The WBA accepted Shumenov’s relinquishment of his championship, noting that it expressed its gratitude and pride for his professional career with the WBA.

The last three years of Shumenov’s career was marred by inactivity, in which he fought only three times due to lack of managerial support, despite him training daily, in top shape and always being ready to fight. In fact, he sparred almost 400 rounds since his last fight (May 21, 2016) in anticipation of, first, a unification fight with Denis Lebedevand then for his fight versus Dorticos. Neither happened, however, as boxing politics enabled Lebedev to avoid fighting Shumenov, who defeated BJ Flores and thenJunior Anthony Wright in back-to-back WBA elimination fights to be Lebedev’s mandatory challenger.

Even Shumenov’s mandatory fight against Dorticos was unnecessarily delayed because Dorticos’ promoter, Caribe Promotions, defaulted its right to promote the fight it had won by purse bid, followed by continuous and numerous date changes from February to March until finally landing on April 29.

The 33-year-old Shumenov retires as the first and only two-division world champion to date from Kazakhstan, as well as the record-holder for fewest fights needed to win the world light heavyweight championship, 10.

During his 9 1/2 -year pro career, Shumenov defeated four world champions – Gabriel Campillo, Byron Mitchell, William Joppy and Montell Griffin – as well as world title challengers Epifanio Mendoza, Vlacheslav Uzelkov, Danny Santiago, Enrique Ornelas, Tamas Kovacs, BJ Flores and Junior Wright.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA:Twitter @Beibut_Shumenov, Instagram – @BeightShumenov, Facebook – BeibutShumenov/fanpage.
boxing

Quest for Muhammad Ali Trophy begins as three cruiserweight stars sign up for World Boxing Super Series

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Press Release
Zurich, 2nd June 2017
 
The first three star names have signed up for the inaugural season of the World Boxing Super Series. IBF Cruiserweight World Champion Murat Gassiev (24-0, 17 KOs), WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (22-0, 18 KOs) as well as former IBF / WBC champion & IBF top-ranked challenger Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (53-3-1, 37 KOs) will all participate in the revolutionary global knock-out tournament, with five more elite fighters to be confirmed shortly. The winner will receive the GREATEST prize in boxing, the Muhammad Ali Trophy.
Boasting a combined record of 99 wins and 3 losses along with 72 KOs, Gassiev, Briedis and Wlodarczyk can´t wait to get in on and write history.
“It is an honor to be in the World Boxing Super Series,” said Gassiev, who holds the IBF title. “This is the best fighting the best. I have never lost a fight, I am the IBF champion and I look forward to winning the other belts as well to cement my position as the best fighter in the division!”
WBC Champion Briedis is also thrilled to participate. “This is the Champions League of boxing and I am going to prove that I am the world´s best cruiserweight,” he said. “The competition will be tough, but to be the best, you have to beat the best.”
Wlodarczyk, the former IBF & WBC Champion who now occupies the number one spot in the IBF rankings, is equally confident of success. “I will stamp my authority on the division by beating the best cruiserweights out there and winning the World Boxing Super Series,” he stated. “There is a reason the winner gets the Muhammad Ali Trophy. He was the Greatest of all time, and the winner of this tournament has the right to call himself the greatest cruiserweight of our time.”
Saturday will mark the first anniversary of Muhammad Ali´s death. Roberto Dalmiglio, Comosa´s Head of Management Board, paid tribute to the GREATEST of all time. “Nobody will ever forget what Ali has achieved,” he said. “He was the GREATEST of all time because he defeated the best opponents out there. The World Boxing Super Series is all about the best fighting the best, and that is why we named the trophy after him.”
With three high-profile signings confirmed and many more to come, the stage is set for an exciting tournament. “The quest for the Muhammad Ali Trophy has officially begun and we are thrilled to welcome two unbeaten world champions and a top-ranked challenger, who is a former champion, to the World Boxing Super Series,” Dalmiglio said. “They have accepted the ultimate challenge to determine the best cruiserweight in the world.”
Season 1 of the World Boxing Super Series will feature the cruiserweights and super-middleweight divisions. In each weight class, eight top fighters will battle out a bracket-style elimination tournament. There will be four quarter-finals (September / October 2017), two semi-finals (early 2018) and one final (May 2018), which makes for a total of 14 high-class fights. “We have received a massive amount of applications for both divisions,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa`s Chief Boxing Officer. “The best fighters are lining up to be in the tournament. Just like the fans, they love the format and the fact that there will only be one man standing at the end.”
Richard Schaefer, Comosa`s Chairman of the Americas, added: “We promised you the biggest names and champions in the divisions and here we are delivering. More names will follow shortly. We simply can’t wait to get the action started!”
The quarter-final pairings will be determined during the Draft Gala in Monaco in early July. In each weight class, the four top-seeded boxers (which will be determined by the Comosa Board) will select their quarter-final opponents from the four unseeded boxers. Once the pairings are set, the exact fight dates and venues will be announced. Details about the participants in the super-middleweight division will be revealed shortly.
For more information, please visit www.WorldBoxingSuperSeries.com or follow @WBSuperSeries on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
boxing

World Boxing Super Series to feature Cruiserweight and Super Middleweight Divisions in Season 1 – Enrollment begins on May 15

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Press Release
Zurich, 9th May 2017
 
Comosa AG, the organiser of boxing´s first global knock-out tournament, is delighted to announce that the inaugural season of the World Boxing Super Series will feature the fiercely-competitive cruiserweight and super middleweight divisions. In each weight class, eight fighters will battle it out in a bracket-style elimination tournament. The last man standing will receive the GREATEST prize in boxing, the Muhammad Ali Trophy.
“We are thrilled to kick off the World Boxing Super Series in style with two of the sport’s most exciting divisions,”said Roberto Dalmiglio, Comosa’s Head of Management Board.”The tournament will create never- seen before drama for fans around the globe.”
Richard Schaefer, Comosa’s Chairman of the Americas, believes the World Boxing Super Series will lift boxing to a new level. He said: “The cruiserweights and super-middleweight have time and time again thrown up thrilling contests – but nobody has ever pitted the top fighters against each other in a fan-friendly, easy-to- understand way within a short period of time. Our revolutionary KO tournament will take less than a year and deliver the crème de la crème in these weights with a blend of past, present and future from the world’s finest fighters.”
The tournament will kick off in September, with four quarter-finals per division. The semi-finals will be held in early 2018, and the winners will be crowned in May 2018. “We have an exciting format, two exciting divisions and now we will sign exciting fighters,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa´s Chief Boxing Officer. “These weights give a great opportunity for us to deliver a huge geographic spread. On top of that, I can imagine champions and challengers from other divisions, such as light heavyweight, stepping up or down in weight to join the quest for the Ali Trophy.”
A special boxer selection process has been put in place to determine the contestants for Season One.
On May 15, tournament enrollment will commence where all WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF Champions as well as all top 15 world-ranked contenders  (or  their  respective  promoters,  agents,  managers  or  trainers  with legal entitlement) can make their application to enter the tournament via enrollment@WorldBoxingSuperSeries.com.
Enrollment closes on May 26. All applicants will be verified and evaluated by the board of Comosa. The Comosa Sports Division will then contract eight fighters per weight class as well as potential back-ups.
In early July, Comosa will stage an official Presentation Gala in Monte Carlo to publicly announce all 16 participants and determine the draw. In each weight class, the four top seeds will select their quarter-final opponents from the four unseeded boxers in a live TV show.
For more information, please visit the newly-launched webpage www.WorldBoxingSuperSeries.comor follow the tournament on Twitter (@WBSuperSeries), Facebook (@WBSuperSeries), Instagram (@WBSuperSeries) or Snapchat (@WBSuperSeries).
boxing

Former world champion Imamu Mayfield interested in tonight’s Jones – Gunn clash

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Freehold , NJ (Feb. 17, 2017) – Former IBF World Cruiserwight word champion Imamu Mayfield has thrown his hat in the ring to face the winner of tonight’s Roy Jones, Jr. – Bobby Gunn WBF World Cruiserweight title bout that will shown LIVE on Pay-Per-View.

Mayfield of Freehold , New Jersey ended a eight-year hiatus in losing to then-undefeated heavyweight Dan Pasciolla, but came back to Knockout a game Anthony Caputo Smith in six-rounds on November 12th in Atlantic City.

Mayfield’s longtime friend/manager Vinny LaManna is adamant that that Mayfield will have the right style to beat Jones or Gunn.

“This is a fight we would love to have. Imamu is in great shape, and after his win over Caputo Smith, he has the confidence that he can beat any cruiserweight out there,” said LaManna. “Jones has beating lesser guys, and a win over either of them would catapult Imamau back into the rankings and then he can see his way back to the title. The fight would make sense as it would put two older guys together in a fight that would have meaning. I am rooting for Gunn tonight, Bobby is a gentleman. If Bobby can pull the victory off tonight, Mayfield vs Gunn would be a big draw in New Jersey because both guys live in the Garden State. The point being is simple, if Imamu can’t beat the likes of Roy Jones’s or Bobby Gunn than who can he beat?”
boxing

Former Interim Cruiserweight World Champion Youri Kalenga added to “Battle of Casablanca” card

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World amateur champion Mohammad Rabii
To make pro debut at home in main event 
Feb. 18 in Casablanca, Morocco
CASABLANCA, Morocco (February 2, 2017) – Former Interim cruiserweight world champion Youri “El Toro” Kalenga will provide chief support February 18 for pro-debuting Moroccan amateur boxing sensation Mohammad Rabii on the “Battle of Casablanca” card, presented by Nowhere2Hyde, at Complexe de Sportif Mohammed V Arena in Casablanca, Morocco.
Kalenga (22-3, 15 KOs), fighting out of France by way of The Congo, is currently rated No. 12 by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and No. 16 by the World Boxing Council (WBC).  The knockout artist takes on Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson (17-11-1, 9 KOs), of Philadelphia, who is a former United States Boxing Association (USBA) and North American Boxing Federation (NABF) champion.
In 2014, Kalenga captured the WBA Interim title with a 12-round split decision over 32-1 Mateusz Masternak in Monaco, followed with a successful title defense in Canada against 12-0 Denton Daley by way of a 12th round technical knockout.
Kalenga has never been in a dull fight.  Two of his three career losses have been to current WBA Super cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev (26-2), who Kalenga dropped in the fourth round, by way of a 12-round unanimous decision in Russia, and last June he was stopped for the first time in his seven-year pro career by 20-0 Yunier Dorticos in Paris for the Interim WBA strap.
The 23-year-old Rabii defeated 2016 Olympic gold medalist Daniyar Yeleussinov in the welterweight division championship finale of the 2015 AIBA World Amateur Championships to capture a gold for his native Morocco.  Rabii won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, dropping a highly-disputed decision (0-3) in the semifinals to Uzebek boxer Shakhram Giyasov, the eventual silver medalist.
 
The ultra-charismatic Rabii has reached “rock star” status in Morocco, testament by an average of 6-million Moroccans viewing each of Rabbi’s Olympic matches on Arryadia Television.  “We are very excited to work with our television partners, Arryadia, on our February 18th show as the first of five shows in 2017 featuring Mohammed Rabii,” promoter Gary Hyde said.  “Rabii has the entire nation of Morocco behind him and he will be challenging for top welterweight honors in no time at all.”
Rabii will take on veteran Hungarian boxer Adam “Bad Boy” Mate (24-10, 17 KOs) in the six-round main event.
Also in action on “Battle of Casablanca” will be former World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) world featherweight champion, Simpiwe Vetyeka (29-3, 17 KOs), who is world ranked No. 4 by the WBA, No. 6 by The Ring magazine, and No. 7 by the WBC.  The gifted South African faces undefeated Hungarian prospect David Nerna (8-0, 8 KOs) in a 10-round bout.
Netherlands light middleweight Gevorg Khatchikian (24-2, 12 KOs) will also be in action against Ugandan Med “Kabona” Sebyala (16-8-1. 13 KOs) in another 10-rounder.  Khatchikian, who will be fighting as a 154-pounder for the first time as a professional, has only lost twice as a pro, both to present super middleweight world champions, James Degale (IBF) and Gilberto Ramirez (WBO).
Hyde manages Rabii, Kalanga and Vetyeka.
Tickets are now on sale for the Feb. 18 show in Casablanca.
INFORMATION:
Twitter:  @nowhere2hyde,
boxing

Caribe Promotions loses rights to Shumenov-Dorticos WBA cruiserweight title fight; TGB Promotions awarded rights

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LAS VEGAS (January 31, 2017) – The World Boxing Association (WBA) has notified WBA cruiserweight world champion Beibut Shumenov and WBA Interim cruiserweight title-holder Yunier Dorticos, as well as their representatives, that Caribe Promotions has lost its rights to promote the WBA mandated Shumenov vs. Dorticos title fight.
Dorticos’ promoter, Caribe Promotions, originally won the Shumenov vs. Dorticos title fight rights last November with a winning purse bid of $350,001, which required a fight date within 90 days.  Although rumored to be held in mid-February in either Miami or Las Vegas, Caribe’s ability and willingness to actually promote the fight came into question in January, 2017.  The WBA demanded that Caribe confirm its intentions and even granted Caribe additional time to respond, but Caribe failed to file confirmation of a fight date with the WBA. Because Caribe was unable to confirm its intentions, the WBA had little choice but to award rights to the second-highest purse bidder, Tom Brown’s TGB Promotions.
“I last fought May 21st and I have been in the gym since June because I was supposed to fight Lebedev in September,” said a terribly frustrated Shumenov. “But he backed out of the fight with me once again and I have been ready to fight since then.   I signed a bout agreement to fight Dorticos on February 11thin Miami, but Dorticos and his promoter disappeared after I signed. They’re full of it; all they do is talk.  I can’t wait to knock him out.  I am waiting on my manager to call me right now to tell me the new fight date with TGB.”
Caribe Promotions has been forced to also forfeit its $35,000 purse bid deposit with 10-percent off the top going to the WBA and remainder ($31,500) distributed to Shumenov and Dorticos, respectively, on a 75-25 percent basis due to its failure to promote the fight.
Shumenov (17-2, 11 KOs), fighting out of Las Vegas by way of Kazakhstan, fought last May 21, when he stopped 15-1-1 Junior Wright in the 10th round of their Las Vegas fight for the vacant WBA World cruiserweight title.  The WBA had ruled that the Shumenov-Wright winner would be the mandatory challenger for its “Super” champion, Lebedev, within 90 days, however, it later allowed unified cruiserweight titlist Lebedev (against Shumenov’s strong objections) to fight his International Boxing Federation (IBF) mandatory defense against challenger Murat Gassiev, effectively mandating an eliminator between Shumenov and Dorticos with that winner to fight the winner of Lebedev-Gassiev.  Only days prior to the Lebedev-Gassiev title fight, Lebedev was inexplicably allowed to fight Gassiev without defending his WBA title, as only his IBF belt was on the line.  Gassiev (24-0) defeated Lebedev (29-3) by way of a 12-round split decision in Moscow to become the IBF cruiserweight world champion and Lebedev remains the WBA Super cruiserweight world champion, at least for now.  The WBA is expected to rule on Shumenov’s objections to Lebedev’s fight against Gassiev, Lebedev’s status and whether Lebedev will remain champion having lost his last fight.
Dorticos has made false claims in the media that Shumenov, who had been waiting for the WBA to rule on his petitions to force Lebedev to fight him without further delay, had been avoiding him.  It is ironic now that Dorticos’ own promoter first sought to delay and has now defaulted on the long-awaited confrontation by failing to promote the Shumenov-Dorticos title fight within the WBA deadline.
A former WBA Super light heavyweight world champion, the 33-year-old Shumenov is the first two-division world champion from a Soviet-bloc country.
Fans may friend Beibut Shumenov on his Facebook Fan Page atwww.facebook.com/BeibutShumenov.
boxing

Russian Cruiserweight Zubov Continues Road to Redemption at Detroit Brawl on Sunday, January 22 Against Budapest, Hungary’s Csomor

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Russian cruiserweight Alexey Zubov knows what’s at stake when he enters the ring this Sunday in Detroit.
With a second chance in a nationally televised fight possibly looming on the nearby horizon, Zubov (13-1, 8 KOs) from Magnitogorsk, Russia, will face Budapest, Hungary’s Andras Csomor (18-14-1, 14 KOs) in an eight-round bout.
Zubov vs. Csomor will be one of the main supporting bouts in promoter Dmitriy Salita’s special Sunday edition of his “Detroit Brawl” series on January 22, 2017, at Masonic Temple. In the night’s eight-round main event, Detroit’s perennial welterweight gate keeper and fan favorite Lanardo “Pain Server” Tyner (30-10-2, 19 KOs) will face Nagykanizsa, Hungary’s Istvan Dernanecz (10-4, 7 KOs). in the eight-round co-main event Detroit bantamweight James Gordon Smith (11-0, 6 KOs) will face Kiskunfelegyhaza, Hungary’s Szilveszter Ajtai (10-3-1, 5 KOs).
Once again sponsored by the Greektown Casino Hotel, tickets for “Detroit Brawl” are priced at VIP $123, Box Seats are $80 and $60, Seating is $80, $60, $40, and $20. They are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.com.
For this training camp, Zubov worked with his trainer, the late Emanuel Steward’s nephew Javan “Sugar” Hill, as he helped prepare former WBC super middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell for his recent fight.
“Everything was perfect in my training this time,” said Zubov. “I love working with Javan, he has helped me grow so much as a fighter. And Anthony Dirrell taught me a great deal as well. I will be showing what I’ve learned this Sunday.”
Although he’s not taking him lightly, the formerly heavily decorated amateur Zubov says his studies of opponent Csomor haven’t revealed much he hasn’t seen before.
“I’ve watched a little bit of him on tape and he does nothing out of the ordinary. I’ve fought guys like him before who have the same style. And I always handle them very well.”
Zubov, looking to face the likes of WBO champ Oleksandr Usyk, countryman Denis Lebedev, or any of the division’s other big names, says his return to national television will be nothing like the first time. Zubov suffered his only career loss, a unanimous decision to Moldova’s Constantin Bejenaru, last April at the Turning Stone in Verona, New York and live on ShoBox.
“I was nervous. I never fought on a big show before that and I choked up,” explained Zubov of the loss. Next time will be totally different. I have been around big-time boxing on big shows enough times now. I will be ready.”
Also seeing action that night will be former cruiserweight world title challenger “Hurricane” Junior Wright (15-2-1, 12 KOs) from Evanston, Illinois, making his heavyweight debut against Detroit’s Damon McCreary (15-6, 11 KOs) in a six-rounder.
In a bantamweight six-rounder, undefeated bantamweight Ja’Rico “Great Lakes King” O’Quinn (4-0, 3 KOs) will take on Chicago’s Angel Carvajal (2-5).
In a super lightweight four, Detroit’s rejuvenated “Lightning” Larry Ventus (7-11-1, 3 KOs) will face Florida’s iron-jawed Jesus Lule (9-20-1, 1 KO).
Popular and undefeated super welterweight Ardreal Holmes (4-0, 2 KOs) of Flint, Michigan, is scheduled to fight Macon, Georgia’s Bryan Goldsby (3-1).
Undefeated Alabama super featherweight Dwayne Zeigler (5-0-1, 5 KOs) will face Aaron Hollis (3-3, 2 KOs) of Cincinnati in a four-round super featherweight fight.
Kronk welterweight Jacob Bonas (2-0-1, 1 KO), Toledo super middleweight DeAndre Ware (8-0, 6 KOs) and undefeated Detroit heavyweight Marcus Carter (1-0, 1 KO) will face opponents that are yet to be announced.
On fight night, doors open at 4:00 pm and the fights begin at 5:00 pm. The Masonic Temple is located at 500 Temple Street in Detroit.
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For more information on the “Detroit Brawl” or Salita Promotions, visit www.salitapromotions.com. Facebook and Twitter: @DetroitBrawl
boxing

Bigger, Stronger Heavyweight Version of Junior Wright to be Unleashed against McCreary at Detroit Brawl on January 22, at Masonic Temple in Detroit

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Former cruiserweight world title challenger “Hurricane” Junior Wright has been hitting the weights hard and will enter the ring for the first time as a heavyweight in his next ring appearance.
Wright (15-2-1, 12 KOs) from Evanston, Illinois, expects to come in at a muscular 225 lbs. when he takes on Detroit’s Damon McCreary (15-6, 11 KOs) in an eight-round featured bout on promoter Dmitriy Salita’s special Sunday edition of his “Detroit Brawl” series on January 22, 2017, at Masonic Temple in Detroit.
Once again sponsored by the Greektown Casino Hotel, tickets for “Detroit Brawl” are priced at VIP $123, Box Seats are $80 and $60, Seating is $40, and $20. They are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.com.
“Training is going well,” said Wright. “I’m treating this like another world title fight because at this level anyone could beat you on any day.”
Despite a short, 50-fight, amateur career, Wright was a Chicago Golden Gloves winner as an amateur. He was able to drop Beibut Shumenov in May of this year, challenging for the WBA world championship.
“The biggest thing I learned in that fight is to relax in the ring. When you’re relaxed, you are more aware in there and can pace yourself a lot better.”
Wright’s trainer, Rick Wilson, says the decision to gain 25 lbs. gives the fighter, who he says can still get down to cruiserweight’s 200-lb limit, more career options moving forward.
“Junior is like a Holyfield-type of fighter who is a cruiserweight in his early 20s and then grows into a full-fledged heavyweight near his 30s. People like small, agile heavyweights better than the lumbering monsters hugging each other all fight. They make for more exciting fights.”
Wilson says because of Wright’s relative lack of experience, the world hasn’t seen the best of him yet.
“How many fighters have had two world title fights by their 18th pro fight (the fight against Chakhkiev was for the IBO World Cruiserweight Championship) after having just 50 amateur fights?” he asked. “Plus Junior was knocking everybody out, so he had very few rounds in the bank and went in on short notice. The best of Junior Wright is still to be seen. He’s a very special talent.”
In separate eight-rounders will be a pair of recognizable contenders, Detroit fan favorite Lanardo “Pain Server” Tyner (30-10-2, 19 KOs) and welterweight KO artist Bakhtiyar “Bakha Bullet” Eyubov (11-0, 10 KOs) from Houston, Texas, via Aktjubinsk, Kazakhstan will face opponents in separate bouts.
In other scheduled eight-rounders will be transplanted cruiserweight Alexey Zubov (13-1, 8 KOs), from Magnitogorsk, Russia, now living in Detroit and Detroit’s all-action bantamweight James Gordon Smith (11-0, 6 KOs).
In six-round bouts will be resurgent Detroit welterweight “Lightning” Larry Ventus (7-11-1, 3 KOs); and undefeated Toledo super middleweight prospect DeAndre Ware (8-0, 6 KOs).
In exciting scheduled four-rounders will be talented, undefeated bantamweight Jarico “Great Lakes King” O’Quinn (4-0, 3 KOs); 2016 Olympic alternate and undefeated middleweight Ardreal Holmes (4-0, 2 KOs) of Flint; and undefeated Detroit heavyweight and former National Golden Gloves champion Marcus Carter (1-0, 1 KO).
All opponents are, thus far, TBA, but matchmaker Dennis Turner is hard at work to make another spectacular night that these shows are known for.
On fight night, doors open at 4:00 pm and the fights begin at 5:00 pm. The Masonic Temple is located at 500 Temple Street in Detroit.
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For more information on the “Detroit Brawl” or Salita Promotions, visit www.salitapromotions.com. Facebook and Twitter: @DetroitBrawl
About Salita Promotions
Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe. 
 
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boxing

WORLD RANKED CRUISERWEIGHT KEVIN LERENA KICKS OFF HUGE 2017!!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (December 29, 2016) World ranked cruiserweight KEVIN “THE KO KID” LERENA, (16-1-0, 8 KO’s) kicks off his 2017 campaign towards a world title in style on Saturday, February 4 with his triumphant return to South Africa’s premier boxing venue, Emperors Palace against VIKAPITA “BEAST MASTER” MERORO, (28-5-0, 14 KO’s) of Windhoek, Namibia.
Presented by Rodney Berman’s Golden Gloves of South Africa, advance tickets for THUNDER AND LIGHTNING, may be purchased by calling 078-457-3030.
Sporting movie-star looks, the 24-year-old Lerena will be making his fourth straight appearance at Emperors Palace having thrilled the boxing crowd in his three victories in 2016.
“I can’t wait for the New Year, the path to a world title is in front of me, my promoter Rodney Berman is getting me the right fights and my world rankings will support a title shot in the future,” said Lerena following a sparring session under the watchful eye of trainer Peter Smith.
Said Berman, “Kevin has stardom written all over him, we’ve got big plans in 2017 for him. Putting him in the right fights, securing his position in the world rankings of the sanctioning bodies and working with Banner Promotions in the US to secure him a major stateside fight in the coming year.”
“We are excited to be co-promoting Kevin with Rodney Berman and Golden Gloves. Rodney has only brought us the cream of the crop, “said Artie Pelullo, President and CEO of Banner Promotions. “Kevin is a quality fighter, who has shown he has championship ability. We look forward to him getting closer to a world title opportunity with a big win on February 4.”
“I’m as excited about Kevin’s future as I’ve ever been of all the fighters I’ve worked with, cruiserweight is a very exciting division in boxing currently.”
Lerena is currently world ranked #5 by the World Boxing Organization and #11 by the World Boxing Council.
Most recently, Lerena, performing brilliantly from start to finish, winning a hard-fought ten round decision over the undefeated Micki Nielsen on October 22, 2016, earning the critically lauded Super 4 Tournament Championship.
In the first round of the Super 4 Tournament Championship, Lerena won a ten round unanimous decision over Roberto Bolonti on June 11, 2016.
Kicking off his 2016 campaign on April 24, 2016, the southpaw won the South African Cruiserweight Title with a tenth round knockout of Johnny Muller. The stoppage avenged a ten round decision loss in 2014 to Muller.
Kevin Lerena Photo/Golden Gloves SA
SOCIAL MEDIA
#LerenaMeroro
#ThunderAndLightning
KEVIN LERENA
Twitter: @Kevin_KO_Lerena
Instagram: @KevinLerena
Facebook: @Kevin.Lerena
GOLDEN GLOVES SA/RODNEY BERMAN
Twitter: @GoldenGlovesSA
PETER SMITH
Twitter: @SmithsGym
EMPERORS PALACE
Twitter: @EmperorsPalace