Tag Archives: Sydney LeBlanc

boxing, women's boxing

Salita Promotions Congratulates Shields On 2017 Year-End Awards

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Promoter Dmitriy Salita of Salita Promotions wishes to congratulate his fighter, female superstar, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and WBC and IBF Super Middleweight World Champion, Claressa “T Rex” Shields, for her impressive list of victories in the 2017 year-end awards.
 
In just her first full year as a professional, Flint, Michigan’s Shields was named USA Today: Female Fighter of the Year, Yahoo Sports: Female Fighter of the Year, WBAN: Hottest Rising Star and WBAN: Most Inspirational, as well as The Sweet Science’s Prospect of the Year.
 
Shields is also nominated for the BWAA’s Christy Martin Women’s Fighter Of The Year and Bill Crawford Award for Courage in Overcoming Adversity Awards, which will be presented in February.
 
After turning professional in November 2016, Shields appeared three times in 2017, making boxing history on SHOWTIME by becoming the first female to headline a boxing event on premium television. In August, Shields won the WBC and vacant IBF Super Middleweight Championships from previously unbeaten and highly regarded champion Nikki Adler in dominant fashion. And in March, also on SHOWTIME, she stopped Hungary’s Szilvia Szabados in four rounds.
 
Shields also won the WBC Silver Super Middleweight Title in only her third professional fight by scoring a unanimous shutout decision over Louisiana’s rugged Sydney LeBlanc in front of her adoring fans in Michigan in June.
 
“2017 was a very fulfilling year for me,” said Shields. “Turning pro and winning my first two world titles were big thrills. But I’m most pleased about being the first woman to headline a main event on television and having two of my fights live on SHOWTIME, as it is my goal to lead women’s boxing to new heights.”
 
Promoter Salita says the sky is the limit for 22-year-old Shields, as her fame continues to pick up momentum with every passing fight.
 
“Claressa is a phenomenon in boxing; a superstar fighter resurrecting the entire sport of female boxing with her amazing talent,” said Salita. “These awards are well-deserved and only the first of many, as she makes history throughout what will be her legendary career. I am proud to be working with this incredible young woman and give her my sincerest congratulations.”
 
Shields will next be seen Friday, January 12, as she defends her 168-pound titles on ShoBox: The New Generation against undefeated IBF mandatory challenger Tori Nelson live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) from the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
 
“I can’t wait to continue the journey in 2018, beginning with my January 12 fight against Tori Nelson on SHOWTIME,” continued Shields.  “I look forward to a unification fight with Christina Hammer in the summer. I thank God, my fans, the media, Salita Promotions, and my team for all the support.”
 
Also featured on the January 12 telecast, Uzbekistan power-puncher Shohjahon Ergashev (11-0, 11 KOs) will face fellow undefeated and top-10 ranked Sonny Fredrickson (18-0, 12 KOs) of Toledo, Ohio. In the co-feature, Jesse Hernandez (10-1, 7 KOs) will take on Ernesto Garza (9-2, 5 KOs; 1-3 WSB) in a 10-round super bantamweight bout.
 
Highlights of the United States fighting debut of current WBC and WBO Middleweight Women’s Champion, and future Shields opponent, Christina “Lady Hammer” Hammer (22-0, 10 KOs) will also be shown.
 
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are currently on sale for $75 for the first two rows of ringside, $65 for remaining ringside seats and all others priced at $49 and $37, plus any applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased in person or by calling the Turning Stone Resort Box Office at800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.
boxing, women's boxing

RAQUEL “PRETTY BEAST” MILLER TO FACE NEW OPPONENT LISA GARLAND

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 11, 2017) – Unbeaten female middleweight prospect, Raquel “Pretty Beast” Miller (4-0, 2 KOs) will now face Lisa Garland (15-8, 8 KOs)
when professional boxing returns to the city of San Francisco, CA, on October 21, 2017.  Miller was supposed to battle Sydney LeBlanc (4-4) but the fight fell through.  Miller vs. Garland, a 6-round bout, will serve as the co-feature to Karim “Hard Hitta” Mayfield (19-4-1, 11 KOs) vs. Miguel Dumas (10-0, 7 KOs).  The card titled “Back To Business” will take place at the historic San Francisco Armory.
“I’m happy they found an opponent for me as I have a lot of family and friends coming to see me fight,” said San Francisco native Raquel Miller. “Garland has a lot of experience and I know it’s going to be a tough fight.  I believe my hunger and skill will be to much for Garland to handle though.  I’m ready to bring it, and I can’t wait for my hometown fans will see me in action.  I’ll be looking to stop Garland before the final bell rings.”
“Back To Business” tickets priced $40 (standing room only), $50 (floor seats tier 3), $60 (floor seat tier 2), $80 floor tier 1, $125 (front seats), and ringside $250, are on sale now at EVENTBRITE.COM or by calling (415) 722-3184.  Doors open up at 4:00 p.m.  First bout at 5:00 p.m.
The San Francisco Armory is located at 1800 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103. Located conveniently at the corner of Mission Street and 14th Street, the SF Armory is served by Muni routes, major bus lines and is easily accessible by BART that serves the East Bay and the airport. Parking can be arranged using local lots or valet.
Other Featured Bouts:
8-round bout featherweight bout
Xavier Martinez (9-0, 5 KOs) vs. Jonathan Alcantara (7-16-2, 1 KO)
6-round bout super-lightweight bout
Stan Martyniouk (17-2, 3 KOs) vs. Luis Alfredo Lugo (14-27-1, 3 KOs)
6-round middleweight bout
Ricardo Pinell (14-3-1, 8 KOs) vs. Carlos Ruiz (8-3, 3 KOs)
4-round bout super-lightweight bout
Will Shaw (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Lenard Davis (1-0-2)
4-round bout super-lightweight bout
Luis Casillas (1-1, 1 KO) vs. TBA
4-round bout featherweight bout
Marquita Lee (3-5) vs. TBA
boxing

“BACK TO BUSINESS” CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING AT THE HISTORIC SAN FRANCISCO ARMORY

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 3, 2017) – Professional boxing returns to the city of San Francisco, CA, on October 21, 2017, as hometown hero Karim “Hard Hitta” Mayfield (19-4-1, 11 KOs), takes on undefeated prospect Miguel Dumas (10-0, 7 KOs).  The main-event bout will take place at the beautiful historic San Francisco Armory.  On the line with be the WBU Welterweight Americas Belt.
Mayfield, who’s been out of the ring for over a year, is looking to get his career back on track with an impressive victory.  The San Francisco native is thrilled to get back in the ring, especially in his hometown.
“I really wanted to bring boxing back to San Francisco in a classy manner,” said Karim Mayfield. “The San Francisco Armory is a beautiful venue that holds 4,000 people.  We want to get the word out that this will be a friendly atmosphere where everyone of all walks of life can enjoy the fights.  I’m facing a young hungry fighter from Mexico in Miguel Dunas who I know is going to bring it.  We got a lot of local fighters on the card.  It’s going to be a great show for everyone.  Tickets are on sale now.  I’m going to do a lot of damage come fight night.”
Unbeaten Raquel “Pretty Beast” Miller (4-0, 2 KOs) vs. Sydney LeBlanc (4-4) was supposed to serve as the co-feature, but LeBlanc had to pull out for undisclosed reasons.  A new opponent will be announced soon.  The 6-round co-feature bout will be in Super-lightweight division.  Miller, who is currently ranked #2 by boxrec.com, was born and raised in San Francisco and is expected to have a lot of fans in attendance.
“This will be the first time I’ll be fighting in my hometown of San Francisco,” an ecstatic Raquel Miller said. “Everyone from my neighborhood, all my family and friends, they’re all coming out to watch me fight.  I can’t wait to put on a great show for everyone.  I’ll definitely be going for the knockout.”
Also on the card is Sacramento’s Xavier Martinez (9-0, 5 KOs) vs. Jonathan Alcantara (7-16-2, 1 KO) in an 8-round bout in the featherweight division.  Martinez is a member of Floyd Mayweather’s TMT (The Money Team) and Mayweather Promotions,
San Carlos, CA, resident, Stan Martyniouk (17-2, 3 KOs) vs. Luis Alfredo Lugo (14-27-1, 3 KOs) will do battle in a 6-round super-lightweight clash.
From the Mission District in San Francisco, Middleweight Ricardo Pinell (14-3-1, 8 KOs) vs. Carlos Ruiz (8-3, 3 KOs) go toe-to-toe in a 6-round middleweight bout.
Rounding out the rest of the card is Will Shaw (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Lenard Davis (1-0-2) in the super-lightweight division (4-rounds), super-lightweight Luis Casillas (1-1, 1 KO) vs. TBA, and featherweight Marquita Lee (3-5) vs. TBA.
Tickets priced $40 (standing room only), $50 (floor seats tier 3), $60 (floor seat tier 2), $80 floor tier 1, $125 (front seats), and ringside $250, are on sale now at EVENTBRITE.COM.  Doors open up at 5:30 p.m.  First bout at 6:00 p.m.
The San Francisco Armory is located at 1800 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103. Located conveniently at the corner of  Mission Street and 14th Street, the SF Armory is served by Muni routes, major bus lines and is easily accessible by BART that serves the East Bay and the airport. Parking can be arranged using local lots or valet.
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boxing, women's boxing

Claressa Shields Dominates to Win WBC Silver Belt, Sets Detroit Brawl Gate Record; Has Sights on World Championship Next

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Photos by Boy Ryder

In just her first eight-round fight, Claressa “T-Rex” Shields scored a spectacular unanimous decision victory last Friday, June 16, at the Masonic Temple in Detroit to win the WBC Silver Super Middleweight Title. 

 
Shields (3-0, 1KO) dominated tough Sydney “Ginger the Ninja” LeBlanc (4-2-1), winning all eight rounds on all three judges’ scorecards en route to adding the WBC Silver belt to her NABF Middleweight Championship belt. LeBlanc was simply no match for the blazing fists of crowd favorite Shields, who has convincingly established herself as a world championship-class contender in women’s boxing after just three professional fights.
 
Shields’ bout was the main event of a jam-packed Detroit Brawl event which set a new gate record for promoter Dmitriy Salita’s popular Detroit-based series.  
  

“Claressa is one of the best boxers in the world!” said Dmitriy Salita. “Regardless of gender, her skills and experience are that of the elite fighters in the world. She is improving with each fight and the sky is the limit. Claressa is ready for the top fighters in her division and we will work on making a big championship fight happen next.” 

 
In the 10-round co-main event, transplanted Detroit cruiserweight Alexey Zubov moved to 15-1, 9 KOs with a surprisingly easy 10-round decision over Detroit’s highly regarded Demetrius Banks (9-1, 4 KOs).
 
From the opening bell, the superior work rate of Zubov told the story, as the confused Banks had no answers for the big Russian’s jab. All three judges scored the fight 99-91. There were no knockdowns.
 
“Two of the best cruiserweight prospects in the world met in Detroit,” continued Salita. “The winner is now a real contender, ready to fight the best in the world. Alexey is much improved since his time training with Sugar Hill at the Kronk Boxing Gym. The magic of Kronk is alive and came to life in Alexey’s performance. Great things on the horizon for him!”
 
Another of Salita’s growing stable of promising contenders, Detroit bantamweight Ja’Rico O’Quinn (7-0, 5KOs) had too many tools for the outgunned David Martino (2-3, 2 KOs) and won by dominant unanimous decision (60-54, all three judges). A talent to watch, O’Quinn basically walked the determined Martino into his lightning-fast shots for six rounds.
 
“Ja’Rico’s defense was superb in his fight. His opponent was rarely able to even touch him. He is going to be a force at 118 lbs. in the not-too-distant future.”
Another surging contender from the Salita stable, junior welterweight wrecking ball Bakhtiyar Eyubov (13-0, 11 KOs) needed just 1:41 of round one to chew up and spit out Mexico’s Cesar Soriano. Eyubov targeted the body of Soriano and took away his breath with thudding left hoods to the liver that ended things quickly. Eyubov is an animal.
 
“Bakhtiyar went up a weight class because no one will fight him. This fight showed why,” said Salita. “He is too strong for most fighters to stay in with for very long. He will be in a big fight in the near future. He’s ready.”
 
In other results, Michigan’s Antonio Urista (8-2, 2 KOs), pulled off a surprising upset with a six-round unanimous decision (59-53 and 58-54 and 58-54) over Turkmenistan’s Serdar Hudayberdiyev (3-1, 2 KOs). Urista dropped Hudayberdiyev with a looping right hand and he never fully recovered. Both fighters suffered cuts in this rugged affair.
 
To open the show, Michigan light heavyweight Darren Gibbs (1-2, I KO) picked up his first professional victory with a 30-second TKO1 over debuting Scott McCurdy; Jacob Bonas (3-0-1, 2 KOs) scored a TKO3 over Tony Brooks (1-2) and Dimash Niyazov (10-0-3, 5 KOs) stayed undefeated with a fifth-round TKO over a surprisingly determined Ramon Guevara (10-24-2, 6 KOs).
 
“Thank you to everyone involved in this terrific show,” said Dmitriy Salita. “The fans of Michigan asked for world-class boxing and they’ve responded by filling the Masonic Temple. And thank you to all my great sponsors for all their help and congratulations to all the fighters for their brave performances. It is onward and upward for Claressa Shields, who will be back later this summer against a world-class fighter. Clearly, she is ready for anyone in the world.”
 
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For more information on the “Detroit Brawl” or Salita Promotions, visit www.salitapromotions.com. Facebook and Twitter: @DetroitBrawl 
boxing, women's boxing

Sydney LeBlanc Steps in to Face Two-Time Gold Medalist Claressa Shields for WBC Silver Super Middleweight Championship at Detroit Brawl, Looking for an Upset this Friday

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Sydney “Ginger the Ninja” LeBlanc is stepping in on three days’ notice to face Women’s NABF Middleweight Champion, Claressa “T-Rex” Shields of Flint, Michigan, in the eight-round main event of Salita Promotions’ “Detroit Brawl” this Friday, June 16, 2017, at the Masonic Temple in Detroit.
33-year-old LeBlanc (4-1-1) from Gretna, Louisiana, represents a step up in competition from original opponent Mery Rancier, who was unable to participate due to visa issues. A six-year pro who was already in training for a fight on June 10, LeBlanc says she’s eager for the chance to upset the two-time Olympian and budding women’s superstar Shields.
“I’ve been pro boxing for nine years, since before the Olympics had a women’s division and I’ve taken a lot of time off because of a lack of available opponents,” explained LeBlanc. “These Olympians are reopening the gates for all female fighters. Everybody was on the shelf for years. This is the first time female boxing has been popular since the Ann Wolfe days, so I’m very appreciative of the opportunities they are bringing. I’ve never watched any of my opponents before a fight, but I know about Claressa Shields and I want to fight her. I’m looking at this fight as a good chance to see where I’m at, skill-wise and I’ll be ready.”
Shields vs. LeBlanc will be contested for the WBC Silver Super Middleweight Championship.
Once again sponsored by the Greektown Casino Hotel, tickets for “Detroit Brawl” are priced at VIP $200, Box Seats are $100 and $55, Seating is $40, and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.com.
 
In the 10-round co-main event, undefeated Detroit cruiserweight Demetrius Banks (9-0, 4 KOs) will take on Detroit via Russia’s Alexey Zubov (14-1, 9 KOs).
 
In the night’s main supporting bout, undefeated welterweight pulverizer Bakhtiyar Eyubov (12-0, 10 KOs) of Aktjubinsk, Kazakhstan, will look to stay busy waiting for his next high-profile step, as he attempts to inflict his crowd-pleasing style on always-tough Cesar Soriano (27-35-1, 16 KOs) Iztacalco, Mexico, over six rounds.
In another of the chief supporting bouts, Detroit’s rising talent and “Great Lakes King” Ja’Rico O’Quinn (6-0, 5 KOs) returns to action in a six-round bantamweight brawl against David Martino (2-2, 2 KOs) of San Felipe, Mexico.
Also scheduled is an all-action six-round super welterweight battle between Antonio Urista (7-2, 2 KOs) of Lansing, Michigan, and highly decorated former amateur star Serdar Hudayberdiyev (3-0, 2 KOs) of Turkmenabat, Turkey.
Opening the night will be a six-round super lightweight tilt between Staten Island, New York via Kazakhstan’s Dimash Niyazov (10-0-3, 4 KOs) and Grand Rapids, Michigan, veteran Ramon Guevara (10-24-2, 6 KOs); as well as a four-round welterweight bout between undefeated Jacob Bonas (2-0-1, 1 KO) of Bellville, Michigan, and Clinton Township, Michigan’s Tony Brooks (1-1).
On fight night, doors open at 7:00 pm and the fights begin at 8:00 pm.
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For more information on the “Detroit Brawl” or Salita Promotions, visit www.salitapromotions.com. Facebook and Twitter: @DetroitBrawl