|
|
Lossis Archives: Keith Thurman
Erickson Lubin & Jorge Cota Clash in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator in Primetime Battle on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS Presented by Premier Boxing Champions
|
|
Unbeaten Brooklyn Fan Favorite Heather Hardy Returns to Take on Former Title Challenger Helen Joseph in Undercard Action Saturday, Lub peb hlis ntuj 4 ntawm qhov chaw Barclays hauv Brooklyn
|
|
Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia Press Conference Quotes & Photos
|
|
Melson Reflects on Career; Next Fight For a Seat in US Congress
New York, NY (Lub ib hlis ntuj 17, 2017) – Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson may be the only fighter in boxing history not in the sport for financial gain and even came out of retirement for one final match to raise funds for others.
A multi-time champion as an amateur that defeated future pro standouts Keith Thurman, Charles Hatley, and Deandre Latimore, Melson had a different vision of what boxing would do. Tus 2003 West Point graduate and Army Reserve Officer used boxing as a vehicle and a voice for causes close to his heart throughout his 18 fight career, donating 100% of the money he earned in the ring.
Overall, Melson helped raise $400,000 between his boxing purses and charity galas. The majority of the funds was for Team Fight to Walk, ib 501(C)3 which raises funds and awareness for a clinical trial focused on to curing Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries. He also donated one of his purses to a childhood friend that had a son battling brain cancer and another to Big Vision, which helps people battle drug addictions among young adults.
Fighting for causes was his ultimate passion, but the literal fights were often very difficult. Melson spent the first few years of his professional boxing career traveling from his New York City residence to New Jersey where he worked for Johnson&Johnson as a medical device sales rep. When he was preparing for a fight, he’d run on his lunch break, train in the evening after working a full day and often run again in the middle of the night to help cut weight. At the same time, Melson served in the U.S. Army Reserve, having military duties one weekend a month and two weeks a year.
tsis tas li ntawd, Melson would teach fitness classes at Equinox Fitness to earn extra money and regularly traveled to public schools providing motivational speeches to students for free. The exhausting schedule was hard for Melson, who suffered multiple injuries including a stretched brachial plexus which temporarily paralyzed his right arm during his fight against Donald Ward, multiple tears in his left rotator cuff, kidney stones due to dehydration and a fracture in his left orbital bone. Still, he made weight for every fight in his career and finished 15-2-1 nrog 4 wins by knockout, winning the WBC USNBC junior middleweight title against Mike Ruiz in May 2015.
Melson believed his championship winning performance would be his last bout as lingering injuries from boxing still bothered him and a laundry list of other commitments occupied much of his time. He came out of his unofficial retirement for one final match last November against Courtney Pennington. Melson’s fight financially assisted the aforementioned Big Vision, an organization which he works very closely with that has a mission of helping young adults battling drug addictions return to sobriety. Unfortunately, Melson took extreme measures to cut 30 pounds nyob rau hauv 8 weeks and entered the ring devoid of energy, losing via 7th round stoppage.
Following the fight, Melson officially announced his retirement and plans to run for U.S. Congress in 2018. Promoter Lou DiBella, who promoted most of Melson’s fights including his career finale, said to the crowd at the Foxwoods Casino “I’ve never promoted a better man than Boyd Melson.”
Overall, Melson is satisfied with his boxing career and is greatly appreciative for the incredible support from the boxing community.
“When I turned pro, I had no idea how far or long professional boxing would take me. This is a brutal sport not just physically but mentally as well. There were many days where I wanted to stop fighting for a number of reasons, but it was on those days that I had to always remind myself that I needed to fight to help others. The causes I fought for and continue to fight for outside of the ring are as important as anything in my life. Through boxing, I made many great friends and am incredibly thankful for that. I also appreciate everybody that donated to Team Fight to Walk or Big Vision as well as all the media that helped raise awareness for these great causes by covering my career.”
With the gloves hung up, Melson’s focused on running for United States Congress, advancing his career in the US Army Reserve, assisting others in need and continuing his growing career as a public and motivational speaker.
“I fell on my sword in order to compete in this last fight. The weight loss took the fight from my body, so I used every bit of strength in my mind to give whatever I had. I had one purpose for this last fight, and that was to raise awareness and money to help combat the heroin epidemic in Staten Island. I took a beating for this mission and I hope my example demonstrated the need to risk everything, even your body, when you believe it will help the lives of others suffering. Boxing has created a future that has continued to allow me to serve mankind now that I have left the ring as a competitor. I am on the board for the charities Boxer Inc., Stop Soldier Suicide, Team Fight To Walk, and hopefully Big Vision sometime soon. I was recently asked to join the 501c3 titled “The In Bed and Chair Recovery Foundation” so that I can serve on their board. They have a patented multi-faceted exercise apparatus which is meant for anyone who is confined to a wheelchair or a bed. They’ve asked me to help raise money through donations so that they can provide their unit, free of charge to groups of people in need such as disabled veterans and children battling cancer. There is a lot of pressure I continue to put on myself through various commitments and organizations I’m involved with, but this is what makes my world go round as I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I continue to have more opportunities presented to me so that I can positively reach children through my words. Although I have only fought once in order to help create a larger awareness regarding the heroin epidemic in Staten Island, my mission for this cause has only begun. My goal is to begin offering my time to host free boxing clinics on the Island at Rustam’s Boxing Gym as well as one of Teddy Atlas’s boxing gyms. These clinics will be meant for heroin addicts, and the aim is to knockout heroin on Staten Island. My hope is to help Staten Island’s heroin addicts fall in love with boxing and have that as a vehicle to help overcome the addiction. These human beings are sick but they’re are not criminals. Sometimes people who are sick are not able to be healed on their own and when that happens it is upon us as human beings to come together to help heal them.”
Melson is currently on military orders at Fort Meade, Maryland for 9 weeks in total. He is in school there being trained for his new duty as a Public Affairs Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. Upon completing training in March, Melson will be looked at in April for a much welcomed promotion to the rank of Major. When he is finished, Melson looks to take his political aspirations to the next level.
If elected, Melson’s mission will involve helping many aspects of human beings’ daily lives with a focus on battling bullying, sickness and disease, poor health care for veterans, veteran suicide, heroin addiction, racism, hunger and unemployment.
“Every part of my journey these past 6 years as a professional boxer has led me to my decision to run for U.S. Congress in 2018. I hope to make my official announcement some time in 2017. Various celebrities and generals have given me their words that they will stand by my side in the public during this run. I am tired of being the human being always asking for help and never being the one asked for help. My mission is to bring the type of fight I brought every fight into the ring and implement it while serving the people as an elected official. I’m confident I can be very effective in using my abilities to help improve the lives of human beings that I am responsible to and for. Most importantly, I need to inspire the hearts and minds of those necessary to help get me elected.”
Melson is also proud to announce that the cause that brought him to boxing, Team Fight To Walk, should have FDA Approval to conduct the clinical trial here in the United States by this Fall. Melson, along with Christan Zaccagnino and publicist Matt Yanofsky have raised $400,000 to help conduct this clinical trial. The trial will consist of 27 Spinal Cord Injured human beings in total. It will divide the 27 into three groups of nine treated between the University of Newark Hospital in New Jersey along with Mount Sinai and Long Island Jewish Hospitals in New York.
The study presented to the FDA was published in May of 2016 in the Medical Journal “Cell Transplantation,” with its results being heavily investigated by American physicians. All reviewing physicians agreed with the results, a requirement in order to be published. This exact study conducted in China resulted in 15 out of 20 Spinal Cord Injured patients, as a group paralyzed an average of 7 xyoo, now able to walk at least 10 meters with the help of a walker. The results also showed that 12 out of these same 20 had their bladder and bowel functions restored. Melson, Zaccagnino and the rest of Team Fight to Walk believe this is the beginning of our long awaited cure for Spinal Cord Injuries in the United States.
Fans can keep up with the latest on Boyd and contact him via Twitter @Boydmelson, Facebook at Boyd Melson, and Instagram @BoydMelson
Thurman vs Porter topples all comers as PBC’s Fight of the Year
|
|
Box Fan Expo to be present at the 54th Annual WBC Convention in Hollywood, Florida
|
||
|
ABNER MARES OUTPOINTS JESUS CUELLAR TO WIN FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
UNBEATEN JERMALL CHARLO RETAINS IBF BELT WITH
FIFTH-ROUND KNOCKOUT OVER NO. 1 JULIAN WILLIAMS
ON SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®
Sergey Lipinets, Erickson Lubin Triumph on SHOWTIME BOXING on FACEBOOK LIVE
IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua Retains Crown
With Third-Round KO over Eric Molina on SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL
Watch The Replay Monday, Dec. 12, tom 10 p.m. LI/PT on SHO EXTREME®
Nyem qhov OS To Download Photos
Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME®
LOS ANGELES (Dec. 10, 2016) – Abner Mares (30-2-1, 15 KOs) scored an impressive, upset 12-round split decision over defending champion Jesus Cuellar (28-2, 21 KOs) to capture the WBA Featherweight World Championship and become a four-time boxing titlist Hnub vas xaum in the main event of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader.
In the co-feature from Galen Center on the campus of USC in Los Angeles, Jermall Charlo (25-0, 19 KOs) retained his IBF Junior Middleweight World title with an emphatic fifth-round knockout over previously unbeaten, top-ranked Julian “J-Rock” Williams (22-1-1, 14 KOs). (VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: http://s.sho.com/2hqXDr8)
Earlier in the day on SHOWTIME, unbeaten IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) knocked out Eric Molina (25-4, 19 KOs), of Weslaco, Texas, in the third round in Manchester, England. (VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: http://s.sho.com/2hqHTo8)
Mares, of Huntington Beach, Calif., by way of Guadalajara, Mexico, was victorious by the scores of 117-110, 116-111 thiab 112-115. Judge Kermit Bayless was the lone descender to score the hard-fought match for the Argentine. Mares scored the bout’s lone knockdown in the 11th round. Cuellar, of Buenos Aires, had an 11-fight winning streak end. (VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: http://s.sho.com/2hbJayp)
Mares, making his first start nyob rau hauv 16 months and first with renowned trainer Robert Garcia, executed a technically sound game plan and was the more accurate puncher than Cuellar, who was under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Freddie Roach for the first time in his career.
“I feel so good, it’s been a long time. I’m champion, baby,’’ said Mares, 31, a former WBC featherweight and super bantamweight world champion and IBF bantamweight world champion, who became Garcia’s 10th world champion. “We had the perfect game plan.
“I never doubted myself. I felt it in my heart. When I fought Leo (Santa Cruz) I beat myself because I fought the wrong fight. I fought smart hmo no. I thought it would be a unanimous decision, but at the end of the day I’m champion.’’
Cuellar is known as a devastating puncher, but he was unable to land his power shots or cut off the ring against Mares, who seemingly pocketed rounds with accuracy and a solid left hook. Mares floored Cuellar with a straight right in the opening minute of the 11th, sending Cuellar to the canvas for the third time of his career. The onslaught continued, with a resurgent Mares teeing off on Cuellar until he raised his hands following the final bell.
“They said he was a power puncher, they said he was going to knock me out, but I proved that I have some power, too,’’ said Mares, who dropped a majority 12-round decision to Santa Cruz in his last fight on Aug. 29, 2015. “I want Leo, I want (Carl) Frampton, I want anyone. I’m a champion. I’m not afraid of anyone.”
Cuellar stated his case for a rematch afterward.
“I thought the fight was pretty even until he threw me down, and that’s when he took control,” said Cuellar, who was making his third title defense. “He definitely had the boxing skills going today. I would have preferred a rough fight, but Mares had his skills today. I want a rematch. I gave him the opportunity and now I think it’s fair that he gives it to me.”
In the co-main event, Charlo dropped Williams three times, once in the second and twice in the fifth. Hmong/Williams, who had not lost a round in 10 consecutive fights, went down for the first time in his career from a strong counter left-hand midway through the second round.
Hmong/Williams, who established his counter right early, performed well for the next two rounds in the first title fight between undefeated 154-pound champions since Floyd Mayweather dismantled Canelo Alvarez nyob rau hauv 2013.
But Charlo decked him again with a brutal right uppercut midway through the fifth round that sent Williams collapsing face-forward onto the canvas. Williams got up, but he was clearly in trouble. Charlo floored him seconds layer with a left hook, forcing referee Wayne Hedgepath to instantly halt the contest at 2:06.
Charlo was ahead with scores of 38-37 on the three scorecards entering the fifth round in a highly skilled matchup between two fighters in their prime.
Afterward a fracas broke out in the ring between the fighters and their cornermen after Charlo wouldn’t acknowledge Williams’ congratulatory hand shake. Williams immediately stormed from the ring. The fans booed Charlo loudly throughout his post-fight interview with SHOWTIME reporter Jim Gray.
“I did what I was supposed to do, I’m very happy with my performance, I listened to my trainer,’’ said Charlo, the identical twin brother of WBC 154-pound titlist Jermell Charlo. “I trained hard for this fight, I stayed in the gym the whole time.
“No matter what, people have to respect my accomplishments. He just wasn’t on my level. I told everyone what I was going to do since the fight was announced. I knew I was going to win; he was badly hurt after the knockdown.
“I just want to tell Julian Williams, I’m sorry. Leading up to this fight Julian talked, and I held it in. I did what I had to do to become the champion of the world and I deserve my respect. He disrespected me all the way up to the fight. I made the fight happen; I gave the fans what they wanted to see. I stayed at 154 pounds, although I do want to move up to 160, just to fight someone the world said I couldn’t beat.
“I said I don’t want your congratulations; I want your apology. I don’t care what they say, I knocked him out. No matter what they say about me I’m going to continue to work hard. I did what my trainer told me to do, I stayed in there and bang the shot came home. I’m never disrespected this dude, never, until I knocked him out.
“Yes, I want to unify. I want to prove I’m the best junior middleweight in the world, none of them are on my level.”
Williams offered no excuses. “I just got caught,’ he said. “I was fine after the second round and kept going. He just caught me. He wasn’t too big. He just caught me.
“I didn’t care about any of that [post-fight drama]. I just wanted to win.”
Charlo-Williams was the fourth 154-pound title fight on SHOWTIME in 2016.
In one off the fights streamed earlier Hnub vas xaum on FACEBOOK LIVE, Sergey Lipinets (11-0, 9 KOs) knocked out Lenny Zappavigna(35-3, 25 KOs) to become the mandatory challenger for the IBF Junior Welterweight World Title.
After flooring Zappavigna midway through the fourth, Lipinets finished off the Australian with an overhand right in the eighth in a closely contested and bloody affair.
“Yes, this was my toughest fight, it’s bloody and rugged but no problem for me,’’ Lipinets said. “This was an eliminator and now I want my next fight to be for the world championship. Julius Indogo has the IBF title and now I’m the mandatory.
“I’m very happy with my performance. We’ve worked on adjusting during fights and that worked very well for me hmo no. I was hoping for the knockout but my trainer said to keep working and the stoppage will come.”
“I left it all in the ring,’’ Zappavigna said. “I fought my heart out and I came here to give it my best. Even though I’m disappointed with the loss, I am at peace with the result because I know I couldn’t have done anything else.
“I wish Sergey all the best in his world title fight.
“I know my fans are behind me and I’m bringing pride back to Australia. I know I was in control of the fight, but my Australian ‘white line fever’ kicked in and I tried to take his head off.”
In the opening bout on Facebook Live, talented undefeated middleweight Erickson Lubin (17-0, 12 KOs) knocked out previously once-beaten Juan Ubaldo Cabrera (23-2, 15 KOs) tom 2:09 of the second round.
“He was a little awkward in the first round,’’ Erickson said. “I set him up with my jab and I knew I hurt him in the second. That’s when I knew it was time for him to go.
“I think that fight definitely proves that I’m in the discussion as one of the top up and comers in the sport, but I don’t feel any pressure. I’m back in the gym on Monday.
“I want to be undisputed champion. I want all of the belts. Give me the Charlos, Julian Williams, any of them.
“I’ll take whoever is in front of me next, but those names and put them in bold letters and you know I’ll be front and center for that Charlo-Williams fight.”
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader and SHOWTIME INTERNATIONAL telecast will re-air on Monday, Dec. 12, 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME. The fights were promoted by Ringstar Sports and TGB Promotions and sponsored by Corona.
# # #
For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports thiab www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, @PremierBoxing, @JesusCuellarBOX, @AbnerMares, @FutureOfBoxing, @JRockBoxing, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports thiab www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions.PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
JESUS CUELLAR vs. ABNER MARES, JERMALL CHARLO vs. JULIAN WILLIAMS WEIGHTS, PHOTOS & COMMISSION OFFICIALS
Tomorrow/Hnub vas xaum Live on SHOWTIME®
From Galen Center On The Campus Of USC In Los Angeles
Nyem qhov OS For Photos From Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® – 10 p.m. LI/7 p.m. PT
WBA Featherweight World Championship – 12 Rounds
Jesus Cuellar – 124 Pounds
Abner Mares – 126 Pounds
Referee: Jack Reiss; Judges: Kermit Bayless (Calif.), Max DeLuca (Calif.), Dave Moretti (Nev.)
IBF Junior Middleweight World Championship – 12 Rounds
Jermall Charlo – 153 ½ Pounds
Julian Williams – 154 Pounds
Referee: Wayne Hedgepeth; Judges: Eddie Hernandez (Calif.), Patrick Russell (Calif.), Zachary Young (Calif.)
SHOWTIME BOXING ON FACEBOOK LIVE – 8 p.m. LI/5 p.m. PT
IBF Junior Welterweight World Title Eliminator – 12 Rounds
Sergey Lipinets – 139 ¾ Pounds
Lenny Zappavigna – 139 ½ Pounds
Middleweight Bout – 10 Rounds
Erickson Lubin – 157 Pounds
Juan Ubaldo Cabrera – 159 Pounds
Daim pib rau cov kev tshwm sim nyob, which is promoted by Ringstar Sports and TGB Promotions, are on sale and are priced at $35, $50, $75, $150 thiab $200. To purchase tickets go to www.galentix.com.
For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports thiab www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, @PremierBoxing, @JesusCuellarBOX, @AbnerMares, @FutureOfBoxing, @JRockBoxing, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports thiab www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
SHOWTIME SPORTS® TO OFFER MULTI-CAMERA COVERAGE OF UNDERCARD FIGHTS ON FACEBOOK LIVE PRECEDING SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® THIS SATURDAY, DEC. 10
Hosted By Scott Hanson and Mark Kriegel, SHOWTIME BOXING on Facebook Live Features Sergey Lipinets vs. Lenny Zappavinga in a Jr. Welterweight Title Eliminator; And Unbeaten Prospect Erickson Lubin vs. Juan Ubaldo Cabrera
NEW YORK (Dec. 8, 2016) – SHOWTIME Sports will offer multi-camera, fully-produced boxing coverage on Facebook Live rau Hnub vas xaum, Dec. 10 (8 p.m. LI/5 p.m. PT), providing fight fans with high-quality access to live undercard bouts preceding that evening’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader. The unique two-fight offering is the first timethe network has offered live boxing coverage exclusively on Facebook Live.
SHOWTIME BOXING on Facebook Live, from Galen Center on the campus at University of Southern California, features the 12-round IBF Junior Welterweight Title Eliminator between undefeated contender Sergey Lipinets (10-0, 8 KOs) and Lenny Zappavigna (35-2, 25 KOs). Also featured is a 10-round middleweight matchup between undefeated Erickson Lubin (16-0, 11 KOs) and once-beaten Juan Ubaldo Cabrera (23-1, 15 KOs).
Scott Hanson, known for his work as host of NFL RedZone and PBC on SPIKE, will call the action alongside best-selling author and Sports Emmy Award winning reporter Mark Kriegel.
SHOWTIME Sports also will live stream the final press conference on Thursday and the official weigh-in on Friday via Facebook Live. Hnub Saturday live streaming fights will be available to the U.S. audience only.
The December 10 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast is headlined by a featherweight world championship showdown between two of the best 126-pound fighters in the world, WBA titleholder Jesus Cuellar and former three-division world champion Abner Mares. The live SHOWTIME telecast begins at 10 p.m. LI/7 p.m. PT with a matchup of undefeated rising stars, IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion Jermall Charlo taking on top-rated contender Julian “J-Rock” Hmong/Williams. tsis tas li ntawd, earlier in the evening, SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL will bring you the IBF Heavyweight World Championship fight between undefeated champion Anthony Joshua and American challenger Eric Molina on Hnub vas xaum, Dec. 10, live on SHOWTIME 5:30 p.m. LI/2:30 p.m. PT.
SHOWTIME BOXING on Facebook Live is an extension of SHOWTIME BOXING on SHOWTIME EXTREME, the industry standard for live undercard boxing coverage. Both offerings provide bonus bouts to viewers at home, delivering an experience that was previously available only to fans in arena. Via Facebook Live, viewers are afforded the unique opportunity to interact with the boxing community during the event in real time.
The live stream is a prime example of Showtime Networks’ cutting-edge sports coverage. SHOWTIME Sports was the first to distribute a heavyweight world champion fight via multiple online portals including YouTube and Facebook (WBC Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder vs. Artur Szpilka, Jan. 2016) and Facebook. SHOWTIME Sports was the first to release a full fight in 360-degree Virtual Reality (Daniel Jacobs vs. Peter Quillin, Dec. 2015; VIDEO:http://s.sho.com/1ZxBh1Z).
Over the past two years, SHOWTIME Sports has grown its digital presentations and franchises, providing innovative content across seven social platforms unique to audience interests. Among new reoccurring digital series are THE REVEAL with Mark Kriegel, featuring exclusive and in-depth interviews with boxing’s emerging stars, FIGHT NIGHT, a short-form- 60 or 90-second capsules-capturing intimate, all-access moments surrounding a fight.