Tag Archives: Mike Tyson
FRANCOIS BOTHA JOINS THE FNU COMBAT SPORTS SHOW
This week we had the pleasure of interviewing Francois Botha, AKA “The White Buffalo.” We discussed his new fitness venture, his hopes to rematch Mike Tyson and how he got his nickname, among a few other topics. Listen here:
Contact Rich at rich.bergeron@gmail.com if you’d like to be a future guest on the show or want to sponsor our podcast.
Undefeated lightweight prospect Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz No longer best kept secret after Tyson-Jones, Jr. PPV show performance
WORCESTER, Mass. (December 14, 2020) – Prior to his sensational performance on the recent Mike Tyson-Roy Jones, Jr. pay-per-view event, undefeated lightweight prospect Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz was boxing’s best kept secret. No more, though, as Ortiz firmly established himself as a rising star in front of countless fans among the 1.6 million PPV buys.
Ortiz flew from Boston to Los Angeles on Thanksgiving. He was driven to his hotel, where he immediately saw Jones, checked his weight, and walked to Staples Center. “I was comfortable from the start,” said the young fighter who was fighting for the first time as a professional outside of New England. “I was there to get the job done. I was on a mission. I walk to see the Staples Center and that was cool. I later took my run around the Staples Center and there were a lot of statues. It was beautiful. It was cool seeing the Lakers locker-room.”
The 24-year-old Ortiz (14-0, 8 KOs), the reigning World Boxing Youth World champion, knocked out Sulaiman Segawa (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a bruising body attack, hurting his opponent in the sixth round, and closing the show in spectacular fashion in the seventh for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) USNBC (U.S) Silver lightweight title. Segawa had never been stopped before as a professional.
Ortiz displayed his overall arsenal: stiff jab, lightning quick hands and feet, switching back and forth effortlessly from orthodox to southpaw stances, punishing hooks up and down, and the most lethal body shots seen from a New Englander since “Irish” Micky Ward.
“I was calm and cool before the fight,” Ortiz added. “I like to go into a fight, mentally, like it was a sparring session and I always do good. I started out in an orthodox stance, established my jab and used it a lot. I think I should have used it more and could have beaten him with it. I listened to my coach (Rocky Gonzalez) and he told me when to switch. Body punching is the No. 1 thing with Rocky. I may not have shown it nearly as much in other fights, but he drills that into me all the time. In the sixth round, he told me to go more to the body, not looking to catch him, and in the seventh I really hurt him to the body.
“Segawa was definitely tough. He had beaten a lot of guys, including a few he upset. Every fight is a stepping-stone and I’m my worst critic. I felt that I could have knocked him out in the second round, but I didn’t want to go off the game plan
Ortiz set-up Segawa from the opening bell, broke him down, and finished the show in grand style as Seqawa was hurt and trapped on the ropes, drawing kudos from highly respected people in the industry such as “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Teddy Atlas, and others. Ortiz’ fanbase grew exponentially as boxing fans rushed to sign up to follow Jamaine during and after his breakout fight.
“Once people saw me perform and my style,” Ortiz continued, “they liked me. I could have shown more and thrown more combinations. I really needed to fight in front of the world. I got 5,500 new Instagram flowers that night. I guess, I’m no longer the best kept secret in boxing.”
“Our main goal is to win a world title,” Gonzalez commented. “This was fun and a great opportunity, but the motivation to be world champion is stronger. He dealt with this fight as just another fight, and he followed our game plan.
“His body shots set up the ending. I’m always telling him about Micky Ward’s body shots. You know, boxing is a dance, a salsa. Boxers need to dance; I don’t think they should just be orthodox. They all need to fight the other way and when Jamaine switched stances in the third, he never let up. I’ve trained him hard. I’m always on him and what better way to shut me up than ending it like he did on pay per view? It was a drop the microphone moment!”
Ortiz is promoted by Jimmy Burchfield (Classic Entertainment and Sports) and advised by Richard Shappy and Eddie Imondi.
Because of the uncertainty in boxing due to the pandemic, Ortiz’ 2021 schedule is unknown, but he isn’t boxing’s best kept secret anymore, “The Technician” is a bonafide rising star.
Undefeated lightweight prospect JAMAINE “THE TECHNICIAN” ORTIZ Hopes to Steal Tyson-Jones Junior Show
WORCESTER, Mass. (November 17, 2020) – Undefeated lightweight prospect Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz (13-0, 7 KOs), the reigning World Boxing Youth World champion, hopes to steal the show on the November 28th Mike Tyson-Roy Jones, Jr. pay-per-view card, presented by Tyson’s Legends Only League, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The 24-year-old Ortiz, fighting out of Worcester, Massachusetts, will fight on the undercard against Maryland southpaw Sulaiman Segawa (13-2-1, 4 KOs) in an 8-round bout for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) USNBC (U.S) lightweight title.
“I feel good and I’m ready,” Ortiz said. “I’m privileged for this opportunity to fight on the Tyson-Jones card and get good exposure. I hope to steal the show. As a kid, I followed them both, especially Jones. I tried to imitate him”
Like all fighters, the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected his career, although he has managed to train, albeit in various gyms and mostly by himself.
“It wasn’t too bad,” added Ortiz, who is an apprentice carpenter. “Not all of the facilities I use to train were open. Early on, I trained by myself, and did a lot of running. We were quarantined until late June, early July, but then I was able to get good sparring. So, overall, it wasn’t too much of a change.”
Ortiz is promoted by Jimmy Burchfield (Classic Entertainment and Sports) and advised by Richard Shappy and Eddie Imondi.
“We’re happy our fighter, Jamaine Ortiz, will be getting such great exposure and he will show the world what we already know here in New England,” Shappy commented. “Jamaine ‘The Technician’ Ortiz is a force that will have to be reckoned with.”
One of the best all-time…. 1988 Olympic silver medalist Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 9, 2020) – By any standards, U.S. Olympian and former unified World heavyweight champion Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe is inarguably one of the all-time greatest boxers, amateur and professional.
Born and raised in the infamous Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York, which also produced fellow World heavyweight championsMike Tyson and Shannon Briggs, Bowe started boxing at 13 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant Boxing Association Gym.
“I wanted to do everything Muhammad Ali did,” Bowe explained why he got into boxing. “He was my idol. I wanted to join the Marines, but I fell in love with boxing and stayed with it. I forgot about the Marines.”
Bowe developed his craft and became an outstanding boxer, compiling a 104-18 amateur record, highlighted by his controversial silver-medal winning performance at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.
A four-time New York Golden Gloves champion, Bowe also captured top honors at the 1986 Junior World Championships, along with a bronze medal at the 1987 Pan American Games, despite fighting in his final match with a fractured hand he hid from his coaches.
Bowe had a rivalry with Robert Salters, with whom he split four matches, but he defeated Salters, 3-2, in the U.S. Box-Offs to qualify for the 1988 USA Boxing Olympic Team. His Olympic teammates included Roy Jones, Jr., Ray Mercer, Kennedy McKinney andAndrew Maynard.
Controversary surrounded his Olympic championship fight against future World heavyweight champion, Canadian super heavyweight Lennox Lewis, who returned home with the Olympic gold medal. During his fight with Lewis, Bowe was deducted a point for a “ghost” head butt that never happened, and the referee gave Bowe a pair of disputed standing-eight counts, the last of which resulted in the stoppage of the fight in Lewis’ favor.
“That fight never should have been stopped,” Bowe commented. “I’m still happy about winning a silver medal. I still have it. And then I turned pro. My mother had 13 kids and I wanted to make my mother happy. I wanted to buy her a house. That’s what inspired me to box.”
“Bowe’s success as an amateur and professional has made him a household name amongst USA Boxing Alumni,” said Chris Cugliari, USA Boxing Alumni Association Director. “His combination of power and skill, along with his legendary battles with other USA Boxing Alumni at the pro ranks, establishes him as one of the greatest fighters that USA Boxing has ever produced.”
USA Boxing Alumni Association
Created to champion lifelong, mutually beneficial relationships between USA Boxing and its alumni, –boxers, officials, coaches and boxing fans — The Alumni Association connects generations of champions, inspiring and giving back to USA Boxing’s future boxing champions, in and out of the ring.
The USA Boxing Alumni Association is open to anyone who has a love for boxing and would like to stay connected with amateur boxing. Members are granted access to a wide variety of special events hosted by the Alumni Association, including its annual USA Boxing Alumni Association Hall of Fame reception.
To join the Alumni Association, simply register at alumni@usaboxing.org for a $40.00 per year membership fee. New members will receive a T-shirt, keychain and e-wallet.
With legendary trainer Eddie Futch in his corner, Bowe became the first truly unified World heavyweight champion, winning the title belt for all four recognized major sanctioning bodies: WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO.
Bowe retired with an amazing 43-1 (33 KOs) pro record. He had a 5-1 (4 KOs) mark in world title fights, 7-1 (5 KOs) versus past world heavyweight champions such as Evander Holyfield (twice), Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tubbs, Bruce Seldon, Michael Dokes andHerbie Hyde.
Bowe later avenged his lone pro loss to Holyfield, winning two of three fights with the “Real Deal.”
“I’m very happy with my pro career,” Bowe added. “I beat Holyfield two times and I think it should have been three. I’m not a sore loser, but I was the World heavyweight champion. How did he win that fight? The challenger needs to take the belt from the champion, and he didn’t do that. I thought I won by a point, at worst, maybe it should have been a draw, but I shouldn’t have lost the fight. I did become the first to ever knockout Holyfield. My pro career wasn’t too bad. I kept working hard and became two-time World heavyweight champion.”
Now 51 and living in Maryland, Bowe has some advice for the American boxers trying to qualify for the 2020 Team USA Boxing Olympic Team.
“Just don’t think about it,” stressed Bowe, sounding like a Nike commercial. “Just do it! It worked for me. I showed up and didn’t think about it. And always finish strong.”
Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015, left his mark in amateur and pro boxing. Nobody can ever take that away from the big guy from Brownsville.
INFORMATION:
www.usaboxing.orgi
Twitter: @USABoxing, @USABoxingAlumni
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing
ABOUT USA BOXING: The mission of USA Boxing shall be to enable United States’ athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence, develop character, support the sport of boxing, and promote and grow Olympic style boxing in the United States. The responsibility of USA Boxing is not only to produce Olympic gold, but also oversee and govern every aspect of amateur boxing in the United States.
Two-Division World Champion Michael Spinks Confirmed for Sixth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Cinco de Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 2, in Las Vegas
Celebrated manager Jackie Kallen predicts unbeaten Mykquan Williams will be her sixth world champion
MANCHESTER, Conn. (February 12, 2020) – Women’s pioneer Jackie Kallen, the first and arguably most successful female manager in the boxing history, strongly believes unbeaten 21-year-old “Marvelous” Mykquan Williams (15-0-1, 7 KOs) will develop into her sixth world champion.
Williams, fighting out of East Hartford, CT, is the reigning the World Boxing Council (WBC) United States super lightweight champion.
“Mykey has a lot of the qualities as some of the greats in boxing,” Kallen said. “He has some of the flash and speed of fighters like Ray Leonard, and the training habits and dedication of Thomas Hearns and Mike Tyson. He also has a killer smile and good looks like Hector Camacho, Sr.
“Mykey can go all the way to a world title. He has the speed, attitude, and heart, along with exceptional boxing ability. He has been groomed perfectly by his trainer, Paul Cichon, who has kept Mykey true to his style, working hard to perfect his skill. Mykey trains hard, eats right, and takes the game seriously.”
“Jackie’s very experienced and knowledgeable in boxing,” Williams remarked. “She’s worked with some great, world-class fighters, so she knows the route to take for me to get there.”
Cichon added, “I sought out Jackie as our manager because of her love for the sports, as well as the knowledge of that she brings to the table. She’s very well respected, as she certainly deserves to be.”
Boxing has dramatically changed since Kallen covered her first fight for a Detroit daily newspaper in 1978. The card showcased Hearns and Mickey Goodwin. She became an instant fan and wrote about boxing on a regular basis. A legendary trainer/manager based in Detroit, Emanuel Steward, hired her as a publicist for his famed Kronk Gym. Some of her best friends to this day are fighters who she worked with back then. She and Hearns still get together.
After serving as Kronk’s publicist for a decade, Kallen decided to branch out and she started managing fighters. Her first client was heavyweight Bobby Hitz, who today is a successful promoter and restaurateur in Chicago. She went on to manage a group of Who’s Who fighters, including world champions James Toney, Bronco McKart, Tom “Boom Boom” Johnson, Pinklon Thomas andNonito Donaire.
Kallen, who overcame sexism in the boxing industry, is best known, perhaps, for her working relationship with Toney, largely because her life during that period was the inspiration for the popular 2004 movie, Against the Ropes, starring Meg Ryan as Kallen.
“Boxing today is a totally different animal,” she explained. “That’s not to say it’s better or worse, just different. There used to be more gyms in every city, heavy amateur programs, lots of shows on television networks, and enough local club shows to keep a young fighter active. I had guys back then who fought 8 to 10 times a year, which, of course, is almost impossible in 2020.
“There wasn’t as much information available on opponents either. If you were lucky, you could buy a tape. If the fighter hadn’t been on television, though, you were out of luck. There was no Internet, so there was nothing like BoxRec to check opponents’ records. You just had to believe the matchmaker. I had fighters expecting to fight a 14-4 guy who found out at the weigh in that he was actually 16-0.”
Boxing, likely the second-oldest profession, has continued to survive, albeit often on a roller-coaster ride.
“Today’s fighters are not as quick to fight each other as they were in the days of Hearns/Hagler/Leonard/Duran,” Kallen noted. “Back then, fighters wanted to really fight to be the best they could be. I see fighters today being more analytical and taking less chances.
“There are also more sanctioning organizations today. Back then it was most the WBA, WBC and IBF. Not to mention there was never one person who managed dozens and dozens of boxers at the same time. The game has definitely changed!”
Kallen, though is still heavily invested in the sport she loves. Confident Williams will be her next world champion, her dream is to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with Toney.
“In 1992,” Kallen concluded, “I was named ‘Manager of the Year’ and my love for the sport has never waned. As long as there is talent out there needing guidance, I will stay active.”
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @MarvelousMyke, @JackieKallen
Instagram: @M.mkw_, @jackie.Kallen
Facebook: /MykquanWilliams, /PaulCichon, /JackieKallen
tony penecale’s Box Fan Expo Ringside report
By: Tony Penecale
Quick video intro here:
https://www.facebook.com/TornadoTP/videos/10156003723726436/
Last weekend’s middleweight title showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs also featured the annual Box Fan Expo, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The amazing memorabilia on display and live amateur boxing action complemented an array of past and present world champion fighters available for quick meet and greets.
As a lifelong boxing fan, it was a shame that I only had a little over two hours to spend at the event before heading back to the T-Mobile Arena for the start of the undercard bouts. The time I was able to spend was thoroughly enjoyable. The prices were reasonable to meet these fistic legends and have a few moments to talk and take photos. The average $20 -$25 price for a photo op was significantly less than what would have been lost at the casino in a single roulette spin.
James Toney was there in a suit, proving that he can even make plaid look stylish. For a guy known for a surly nature, he was very accommodating and mentioned he will be in Philadelphia for a live show on June 7 and hopes to see me there.
In the booth next over was Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Al Berstein, who I had the privilege of interviewing in 2011. When told of my admiration of his classy work and being a fan since his days with Barry Tompkins on ESPN’s Thursday Night Fights, he was humble and appreciative.
The line to meet Roy Jones Jr. was long but worth the wait. While the time to talk with Roy was short, I was able to mention what an honor it was to meet one of the greatest performers of my generation and how I sat only a few feet from him when he was on the Creed II set.
While the line to meet the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard was exceptionally long, you could see he was truly enjoying himself, flashing that million-dollar smile and doing his famous fists-raised photo op with fans. Unfortunately, with time running short, I did not have the opportunity to meet one of my favorite fighters growing up. I would have loved to have shown him a photo when I was four-years-old, swinging away on the Sugar Ray Leonard punching bag I was given.
A few feet away was one of Sugar Ray’s most-famous rivals, the great Thomas “Hitman” Hearns. While the Hitman has shown some slowing as he has aged, he still proves to be an imposing figure, but he now replaces that fearsome glare with a warm smile.
Also coming up to meet Thomas Hearns was current IBF Super-Featherweight Champion Tevin Farmer, a fellow Philadelphian, who I’ve had the opportunity to watch grow from a 7-4-1 journeyman boxer to a 29-4-1 world champion.
My visit wouldn’t be complete without stopping to see “The Pazmanian Devil” Vinny Paz, always one of my favorite action fighters and charismatic personalities. Instead of a handshake, he greeted me with a big hug and expressed disappointment that my dad didn’t join me at the expo.
In the short time frame, it was impossible to meet all of the great fighters there including Michael Spinks, Riddick Bowe, Errol Spence, Anthony Dirrell, and Earnie Shavers. With it being Cinco de Mayo weekend, the lines for some of the Mexican legends wrapped around the convention center floor. Mikey Garcia, Marco Antonio Barerra, Erik Morales, and Juan Manuel Marquez all proved to be exceptionally popular. But nothing compared to the roar of the pro-Mexican crowd when the great Julio Cesar Chavez was introduced.
Attending this event was a dream come true and I could only wish I had more time to spend at the event. Everything was so professionally done and those in attendance were beyond accommodating.
Kudos to Box Fan Expo for such an exceptional event.
Listen to our radio show episode from earlier this week for more insight from Tony “The Tornado” Penecale about this event.
Full Gallery:
BOXING ICON AND 8-TIME WORLD CHAMPION THOMAS HEARNS CONFIRMED FOR 5TH ANNUAL BOX FAN EXPO, DURING CINCO DE MAYO WEEKEND, SATURDAY MAY 4, IN LAS VEGAS
SHOWTIME® TO AIR EPIC WILDER vs. FURY HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE BOUT THIS SATURDAY AT 9 PM ET/PT
ALL ACCESS: WILDER vs. FURY EPILOGUE Premieres on SHOWTIME Immediately Following The Delayed Telecast of the Dramatic Main Event
Photo Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME
The thrilling Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury heavyweight blockbuster, a sure-fire Fight of the Year candidate, will air on SHOWTIME this Saturday, December 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The WBC Heavyweight World Championship bout between the 6-foot-7 unbeaten American champion Wilder and 6-foot-9 challenger Fury originally aired live on SHOWTIME PPV® on Saturday, December 1 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
On Saturday, both Wilder and Fury made strong cases for 2018 Fighter of the Year honors. Wilder faced the two toughest opponents of his career this year including a spectacular knockout win over Cuban slugger Luis Ortiz in a Fight of the Year candidate in March. Fury, the lineal heavyweight champion, returned from a two-and-a-half-year layoff to score two wins in a span of 10 weeks before facing Wilder. On Saturday, he miraculously withstood a devastating, final-round knockdown that appeared to knock him out cold. Fury rose dramatically and continued to fight until the final bell to cap an effort that will go down as one of the greatest comeback stories in all of sports.
The SHOWTIME presentation of the Wilder vs. Fury, a bout that has been hailed as “…the greatest night for boxing in the U.S. in recent memory,” by Yahoo! Sports, will be immediately followed by the premiere of ALL ACCESS: WILDER vs. FURY EPILOGUE. The networks’ Emmy Award winning Epilogue reveals the drama of fight night from a unique perspective and introduces viewers to the rarely seen aftermath of world championship prizefighting. ALL ACCESS: WILDER vs. FURY EPILOGUE goes behind the scenes, into the locker rooms, corners and inner circles as Fury aims to complete a storybook comeback and Wilder looks to continue his reign as the “baddest man on the planet.”