Tag Archives: Felix Verdejo

Silva sharp for Saturday showdown with Casarez; targets the best at 135

Silva.jpg
Plant City, FL (March 1, 2018) – Many in the boxing world best remember Brazilian lightweight William Silva for his gutsy 2016 performance against Felix Verdejo. In the HBO televised bout, Silva showed tremendous heart and toughness but was outpointed over ten rounds in front of a sold out pro-Verdejo crowd.
“I didn’t have the right team or training camp at the time,” said Silva, who entered the Verdejo bout 23-0.
Since relocating to Florida from Arizona, Silva linked up with Jose Rodriguez at the Plant City Boxing Gym and inked a promotional agreement with Tampa-based Fire Fist Boxing Promotions. In November 2017, he returned to the ring after a year and a half layoff to outpoint Ariel Vasquez. Thus far, everything has paid off and Silva’s currently in top form.
“He’s been training at a fantastic pace, said Rodriguez. “His balance and power are extraordinary – he’s ready to fight!”
On Saturday, March 3, Silva faces tough Rogelio Casarez in the 10 round main event of a Fire Fist Boxing card at Banquet Masters in Clearwater, FL. Silva-Casarez is for the NBA World and IBO Continental lightweight championships. Casarez, who has a deceiving 13-6 record, faced excellent opposition including Jamel Herring and multi-division title contender Cesar Seda, who he took the distance last August.
“I don’t know much about him besides that he’s a tough lefty that comes at you,” Silva said of his opponent.
Even with limited information about the man he’ll swap punches with Saturday evening, Silva’s confident he’ll defeat his Arkansas-based foe before setting his sights on the 135 pound division’s elite.
“(With a victory) I hope to get ranked and fight the top fighters at 135. This is my time to make it happen because I’ve got the right people behind me that believe in my career.”
The card starts at 7 pm and also features 7 other bouts including local standouts Nicholas Iannuzzi, Antonio Tarver Jr., Joseph Fernandez, Ricky Tomlinson and Ozodek Aripov.
Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com and tables can be purchased by calling 813-734-2461. Fans can also watch the eight bout card live anywhere in the world for just $9.99 by going to https://www.fite.tv/watch/lightweight-battle/2mzhw/.

Oliver Flores’ strong performance against   Felix Verdejo embodies spirit of Havoc Boxing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(L-R) — Roger Flores, Havoc Boxing CEO Rob Diaz, Oliver Flores, Norma Flores and Ray Campbell, Jr., Havoc Boxing’s Director of Operations
NEW YORK CITY (February 6, 2017) –  Nicaraguan lightweight Oliver “Trombita” Flores‘ strong performance this past Friday evening against undefeated, No. 1 ranked Felix “El Diamente” Verdejo, fought in front of more than 7,000 fans in Verdejo’s hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico, truly embodied the spirit of Flores’ promoter, Havoc Boxing.
Known throughout boxing for its flashy, totally unique looking boxing “uniforms” – trunks and jackets – that are famously worn by present and past world champions such as Danny “Swift” Garcia, Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and others, Havoc Boxing is also a boxing promotional company on the rise.
While Havoc Boxing may not be a major player, at least not right now, it does feature a growing stable of gifted boxers such as Flores, the former world super featherweight title challenger who many fell deserved a far better fate than his controversial 10-round decision loss (94-96, 91-99, 92-92), which was turned in by the three Puerto Rican judges at ringside.
Flores (27-3-2, 17 KOs) was a live underdog who gave prohibitive favorite Verdejo (23-0, 15 KOs) all he could handle and much more.  Verdejo even drew the wrath of his hometown fans for not engaging Flores, who came on strong in the second half of the fight, bloodying the 2012 Puerto Rican Olympian’s nose in the eighth round and seriously hurting him in the 10th. The World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino lightweight champion left the ring at Roberto Clemente Coliseum to a chorus of boos.
Headlines describing the fight used phrases like “escaped with victory” and “struggles to win” to describe Verdejo’s tainted victory.  One boxing writer had Flores winning six rounds to four, claiming Verdejo simply didn’t do enough to win any other rounds.
“We’re so proud of Oliver,” Havoc Boxing CEO Rob Diaz said.  “We thought he won the fight but it’s tough fighting a national hero in his backyard with three of his countrymen as judges. Those who made excuses for Verdejo claiming he wasn’t at his best because of his eight-month layoff, we reminded that Oliver hadn’t fought in more than a year because a few fights we had lined up fell out.  After the fight, so many Puerto Rican fans congratulated us, saying Oliver was robbed, and that he deserved a rematch. Verdejo is looking for an opponent for his Puerto Rican Day eve fight (June 10) at Madison Square Garden. We’re certainly open to a rematch but I doubt they’ll risk fighting Oliver again.
“Flores is what Havoc Boxing Promotions is all about.  We’re still building our stable of fighters but people in the boxing industry should know by now that our fighters come to fight.  They’re all willing to fight anybody, anytime, anywhere, as long as it’s a fair deal for us.”
In addition to Flores, Havoc also promotes 22-year-old Dominican Republic featherweight prospect Yohan “La Fiera” Vasquez (19-1, 16 KOs), who is ranked No. 14 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), as well as a pair of Colombian fighters, super bantamweight Wilner Soto (16-1, 8 KOs) and cruiserweight Santander “Cha Cha” Silgado (27-4, 21 KOs), who fought for the WBA world title in Russia and was ranked among the top 15 in the WBA and World Boxing Council (WBC) a few years ago.
“We’re rebuilding the Havoc Boxing brand to also showcase our promotional division,” Diaz continued.  “We have some talented, hungry fighters who we keep as busy as possible, moving them into position for major fights, like Flores versus Verdejo, including two world title shots so far. We’re getting close to crowning our first world champion.  Havoc Boxing is much more than boxing’s best design and merchandising company.  The future is Havoc!”
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @HavocBoxingNYC
Instagram:  @havoc_ceo

Nicaraguan lightweight Oliver Flores Live underdog vs. No. 1 ranked  Felix Verdejo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tomorrow night at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico
(L-R) — Felix Verdejo (135 lbs.) &
Oliver Flores (134 lbs.)

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (February 2, 2017) – Live underdog Oliver “Trombita” Flores has prepared to shock the boxing world tomorrow night (Friday, Feb. 3), albeit it in hostile territory. challenging undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino lightweight champion Felix “El Diamente” Verdejo in the 10-round main event at Robrerto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

A rising star in a universarlly recognized boxing hotbed,  Verdejo (22-0, 15 KOs) represented Puerto Rico in the 2012 Olympics, losing in the quarterfinals to two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko, who is the reigning WBO super feathereight world champion.  The 23-year-old will be fighting in front of a passionate hometown crowd in San Jose, risking his WBO No. 1 contender status and impending world title shot against current champion Terry Flanagan.   He’s also scheduled to fight June 10th on Top Rank’s major Puerto Rican Day card at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden.
Havoc Boxing-promoted Flores (27-2-2, 17 KOs), however, is looking forward to spoiling Verdejo’s party and bringing joy back to his native Nicaragua.
“We accepted this challenge because we believe Oliver will rise to the occasion,” Flores’ promoter Rob Diaz (Havoc Boxing) said.  “He hadn’t fought for more than a year because several fights we lined up fell through.  So, we decided to move him up to lightweight to challenge a great prospect like Verdejo.  This is a tremendous opportunity for Oliver.  He’s not concerned about fighting Verdejo in Puerto Rico.  Oliver has effectively fought on the road throughout his career because he’s a true warrior.  He has a real chance to shock the boxing world tomorrow night and we’re confident that he will bring his best into the ring. Oliver is one of the best kept secrets in boxing but fans all over the world will know his name after tomorrow’s fight.”
In his last fight on New Year’s Eve of 2015, Flores unsuccessfully challenged then-World Boxing Association (WBA) Super world super featherweight champion Takashi Uchiyama (23-0-1) in Tokyo, getting stopped in the third round.
Flores’ only other pro loss was in 2012 to current WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel Berchelt, while his two draws were both on the road in Mexico and Costa Rica.
Flores (pictured to right on the scale) is a past WBA Fedebol lightweight title holder, as well as former World Boxing Council (WBC) FECARBOX and International Boxing Federation (IBF) super featherweight champion.  He has proven to be a dangerous, upset-minded opponent having defeated previously unbeaten boxers Marcos Mojica (12-0-2), by way of unanimous decision, and Gabriel Dorado (9-0) via a first-round knockout.
A victory over Verdejo should position Flores for another world title shot in the not too distant future.
INFORMATION:
 
Website:  www.TeamHavocUSA
Twitter: @HavocBoxingNYC
Instagram:  @Havoc_CEO