Tag Archives: Ryan Kielczweski

boxing, ESPN Boxing, PBC on ESPN, Premier Boxing Champions

Miguel Flores Defeats Ryan Kielczweski by Unanimous Decision in Thrilling Main Event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN & ESPN Deportes From Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York

Leave a comment
 
Cuban Olympian Yordenis Ugas Wins by
Unanimous Decision Over Jamal James
 
Click HERE For Photos
Credit: Brett Carlsen/Premier Boxing Champions
Click HERE for Flores vs. Kielczweski Highlights
Click HERE for James vs. Ugas Highlights
 
VERONA, NY (August 13, 2016) – Undefeated rising contender Miguel Flores (21-0, 9 KOs) defeated exciting featherweight contender Ryan Kielczweski (25-2, 7 KOs) by unanimous decision (97-93, 96-94, 96-94) in the 10-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
In an action-packed fight during which both fighters threw over 750 punches, the Houston native Flores was slightly more fluid and able to do enough work on the inside to keep his unblemished record intact.
Flores said, “I thought I would hurt him with body shots, so we did a lot of work down there tonight. I think my movement was the difference. Ryan said I couldn’t move, but I showed him and everyone else that I can.”
As Flores appeared to be stealing the early rounds, Kielczweski stepped on the gas at the midway point, throwing punches in bunches and landing regularly throughout the second half of the bout.
Kielczweski said, “I thought we fought a great fight tonight for the fans. I started a little slow, but I really picked it up in the fifth round.”
The increased activity was a little too belated to salvage the fight for the Quincy, MA native.
Kielczweski added, “I was gaining steam in the second half of the fight. I can’t say that I won, but I thought it could have been a draw. It was a good fight though, and I will be back.”
An excited Flores said, “It felt great to get this win tonight. I boxed and banged it out with (Kielczweski). He had some pop, and in the last round he got me with a good body shot, but we are used to tough fights like this. I like it like that. This is fun to me. We will watch the video and correct what I know were a lot of mistakes, but I believe I’m ready for the next level. I’m ready for the top contenders.”
Televised coverage kicked off with Olympic bronze medalist Yordenis Ugas (16-3, 7 KOs) defeating contender Jamal James (20-1, 9 KOs) by unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 96-94) in a technical 10-round welterweight showdown.
Three days ago, James stepped in to replace undefeated welterweight Bryant Perrella, who was forced to withdraw from tonight’s bout because of an injury to his left thumb. James was coming off just 27 of days rest following his July 16 split decision victory over Wale Omotoso.
Ugas fought last 825 days ago when he lost his second consecutive bout, the third defeat of his career. However, Ugas showed no sign of ring rust on Friday night as he casually controlled the action against James.
Ugas, a five-time Cuban National Champion, used his tremendous experience and was able to neutralize James’ height advantage.
“We focused on the body because (James) was tall,” said Ugas. “So we planned on chopping him down, and that’s what I did.”
Although Ugas had initially been preparing for his long-awaited comeback against the left handed Perrella, he had no difficulty with the orthodox James.
Ugas added, “I followed my corner’s instructions and won round by round. I felt very consistent in there tonight.”
Knowing that he’d come up short, James said, “I thought it was a good fight. (Ugas) brought it tonight. I was fighting his fight unfortunately. I started to outpoint him late, so I should have started earlier with my combinations and countering. I was trying to knock him out and I should have just boxed.”
James added, “I have no excuses though, I am a grown man and could have said ‘no’ to taking this fight. But fighting is what I do. Other fighters are not doing what I did tonight. Sure, if I had more time to prepare I might have done better, but I am a fighter.”
On his prospects moving forward, Ugas said, “After the long layoff, this is a new beginning for me, and now I am looking for a big opportunity in my next fight. It felt good to get back to fighting.”
A resilient James summed things up adding, “A fight like tonight makes me hungrier to get back in the gym and get myself ready to come back again better than ever.”
# # #
The card was promoted by King’s Promotions.
For information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KingsBoxing, @ESPNBoxing and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/premierboxingchampions.  Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on ESPN is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
boxing, ESPN Boxing, PBC on ESPN, Premier Boxing Champions

Miguel Flores Training Camp Quotes & Photos

Leave a comment
Unbeaten Featherweight Takes on Once-Beaten Ryan Kielczweski In
PBC on ESPN & ESPN Deportes Main Event Friday, August 12
From Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York
Click HERE For Photos Hosanna Rull/Team Flores/Premier Boxing Champions
 
VERONA, NY (August 9, 2016) – Unbeaten rising contender Miguel Flores has wrapped up training camp and is set to take on the toughest of his pro career as he faces once-beaten Ryan Kielcsweski in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes Friday, August 12 from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features a welterweight showdown between unbeaten contender Bryant Perrella and Cuban Olympian Yordenis Ugas.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $60 for ringside, $35 and $25, and are on sale now (may be subject to additional fees). Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, by calling 877-833-SHOW or by visiting the Turning Stone Box Office.
Flores has picked up two victories on 2016 and will enter the ring again looking to put himself squarely in the crowded pool of featherweight contenders when he takes on Kielcsweski in the main event on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Here is what Flores had to say about his matchup, training camp and more:
 
MIGUEL FLORES
On fighting in his first main event on ESPN…
“I’m very thrilled to be fighting in my first main event on ESPN because I know many boxing fans from around the world will be tuning in.  I feel I bring an exciting style to the ring that the fans will enjoy.  It’s fights like this, on a major TV network like ESPN, that take your brand to another level.  So the goal is to perform at my best ability and bring even more excitement to the featherweight division.”
On his recent training camp…
“Training camp has been very hard, but I know that hard work will pay off when it’s all said and done.  I’ve had a lot of time to prepare for this fight so I’ll be at my best.  My longtime trainer, Aaron Navarro, and my strength and conditioning coach, Edward Jackson, have been pushing me really hard.  Together as a team, we will be ready to shine this Friday.”
On his matchup with Ryan Kielczweski…
“Kielczweski is a very tough opponent.  He’s a very good boxer with a tremendous amount of skill.  He only has one loss, which was a split decision, so to me, he could easily be an undefeated fighter. With that being said, I know I have to be at my best.”
On the landscape of the featherweight division…
“The featherweight division is loaded with great fighters.  Carl Frampton, Leo Santa Cruz, Gary Russell, and all the other title holders are very skilled fighters. With each win, I’m inching closer to facing all of them.”
On fighting on the East Coast for the first time in his career…
“All my fights have been in Texas with the exception of a couple.  So traveling to the East Coast will be something new for me.  I plan to get there a few days early to get acclimated to the climate.  Kielczweski is from Massachusetts, which is not far from the venue, so I know I’ll be up against all his hometown fans.  I’m not worried about it.  I just want to put on a great show, win this fight and capture all his fans in the process.”
For information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KingsBoxing, @ESPNBoxing and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/premierboxingchampions.  Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on ESPN is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
boxing, ESPN Boxing, PBC on ESPN, Premier Boxing Champions

Undefeated Featherweight Miguel Flores Battles Exciting Contender Ryan Kielczweski in Main Event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN & ESPN Deportes Friday, August 12 From Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York – 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Leave a comment
 
Plus! Rising Welterweight Contender Bryant Perrella Battles Cuban Olympian Yordenis Ugas in Co-Main Event
 
Tickets on Sale Now!
 
VERONA, NY (July 18, 2016) – Undefeated rising contender Miguel Flores (20-0, 9 KOs) takes on exciting once-beaten featherweight contender Ryan Kielczweski (25-1, 7 KOs) in the 10-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes Friday, August 12 from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features a welterweight showdown between unbeaten contender Bryant Perrella (14-0, 13 KOs) and Cuban Olympian Yordenis Ugas (15-3, 7 KOs) in 10-rounds of action.
“Fighting on ESPN is incredible because you know that fans from all around the world will be tuning in,” said Flores. “My opponent is a very skilled fighter, so I’ll be at my best when we step in the ring on August 12. Expect me to go to war and bring a lot of action to those who will be watching.”
“It’s always exciting to be fighting on ESPN, especially in the main event,” said Kielczweski. “Training is going well and I’ve been traveling around to get great sparring. I don’t know much about Flores other than that he’s undefeated for a reason. If I perform on August 12 hopefully something big will come next that leads me towards a title. It’s going to be an exciting night and an electric fight.”
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $60 for ringside, $35 and $25, and are on sale now (may be subject to additional fees). Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, by calling 877-833-SHOW or by visiting the Turning Stone Box Office.
An undefeated fighter from Michoacan, Mexico, but fighting out of Houston, Flores has not lost since turning pro in 2009 at just 17-years-old. The 23-year-old had a big 2015 beginning in May with a victory over German Meraz and followed up by wins against Juan Ruiz, Carlos Padilla and Alfred Tetteh. He started 2016 with a headlining win over Mario Briones at The Dancehall in January and dominated Ruben Tamayo over 10 rounds in May. Now he will face the toughest test of his career in his east coast debut.
A runner-up in the 2008 National Golden Glove tournament, the 26-year-old Kielczweski looks to work his fourth-straight victory on August 12. Born and raised in Quincy, MA., he bounced back from his first defeat to deliver a first round knockout over Anthony Napunyi in May 2015 and followed that up with a victory over veteran contender Rafael Vazquez in October of last year. Most recently, he dominated Mario Macias in an April bout.
Fresh off of a second round stoppage over previously unbeaten David Grayton in PBC on ESPN action in June, the 27-year-old Perrella looks to take down another quality opponent when he enters the ring on August 12. Fighting out of Fort Meyers, Florida, the welterweight, who has trained with world champion Keith Thurman, enters this fight on an 11-bout streak of stopping his opponents inside of the distance.
                                                            
A sensational Cuban amateur, Ugas picked up a Bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics and also owns Gold medals from the 2005 World Amateur Championships and 2007 Pan American Games. Now fighting out of Miami, the 29-year-old owns victories over Cosme Rivera, Kenny Abril and Adan Hernandez.
The host of this exciting event of champions, Turning Stone Resort Casino is known as a venue for some of the best action-packed boxing events.  In fact, boxing legend Mike Tyson selected Turning Stone Resort as the venue for his world debut as a promoter, Mohammad Ali’s daughter Laila Ali made her boxing debut at Turning Stone, Floyd Mayweather Jr. promoted his televised fight card at the Upstate New York resort, and just last year, Turning Stone landed the epic battle between Ruslan Provodnikov and Lucas Matthysse, a “fight of the year” contender, over arenas in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Miami.  The August 12th fight will mark Turning Stone’s 19th nationally-televised boxing event, cementing the resort as a destination for legendary knockout fights.  Located in Upstate New York, Turning Stone is an award-winning destination resort, offering world-class amenities including four hotels, 21 restaurants and dining options, two luxurious spas, 120,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, five beautiful golf courses, and several bars, cocktail lounges and nightlife venues.
For information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KingsBoxing, @ESPNBoxing and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/premierboxingchampions.  Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on ESPN is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
boxing, Showtime, Showtime Boxing

GARY RUSSELL JR. KNOCKS OUT PATRICK HYLAND TO RETAIN WBC FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY NIGHT ON SHOWTIME®

Leave a comment

Jose Pedraza Remains Unbeaten With Unanimous Decision Over Stephen Smith In IBF Junior Lightweight Championship

 

Catch The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Replay
This Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT On SHO EXTREME®

 

Click HERE For Photos From Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME

 

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (Apr. 17, 2016) – WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. retained his title with a remarkable TKO of Irishman Patrick Hyland Saturdayon SHOWTIME from Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.  In the co-feature, Jose Pedraza defended his IBF Junior Lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Stephen Smith.

 

Tonight’s event was a family affair with Russell Jr. working his brother Antonio’s corner during tonight’s undercard and boxing’s Smith brothers, including current WBO Super Welterweight World Champion Liam Smith, cheering from the crowd.

 

A relentless Russell brought the main event to a quick halt by registering three knockdowns in the second round, the last of which forced referee Danny Schiavone to end the contest at 1:33.  From the first bell, the Washington, D.C. native came out swinging with his trademark hand speed and dangerous power.  Russell, a southpaw, successfully broke down—and knocked out—Hyland with multiple vicious right hooks.

 

“We stuck to the game plan. We stayed sharp,” said Russell Jr., who improves his record to 27 wins, one loss, 15 knockouts.

 

“I’m ready to fight anyone in the division – Santa Cruz, Lee Selby.  We are ready. But what I really want is [Vasyl] Lomachenko.  I don’t care if he moves up to 147 pounds.  I will go anywhere to get that fight,” Russell said.

 

“There aren’t many fighters who you instantly know are special,” said SHOWTIME Sports expert analyst Steve Farhood. “The combination of Gary Russell’s hand speed and accuracy instantly shows us that he’s special. That was plainly evident tonight and at times his hand speed was frightening.”

 

Pedraza (22-0, 12 KOs) remained disciplined and came out victorious during his second IBF 130-pound world title defense. A combination of timing, hand speed and good defense allowed the Puerto Rican native to dominate the 12-round championship fight.

 

“This definitely was a tough fight but the training really came to advantage in this fight,” Pedraza told SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray. “I knew he was a tough fighter so I was always aware.”

 

“I had better focus tonight. I had a better training camp,” said Pedraza, referring to his controversial split decision win over Edner Cherry two fights ago.  “I knew that Stephen Smith was a great fighter and even after the knockdown, we were very cautious not to rush in.”

 

“Pedraza won tonight with different weapons. Mostly right hands to the head,” said Farhood. “I had the fight even after eight rounds and once Pedraza dropped Smith in the ninth, he gained momentum that he never lost and he pulled away. It was an impressive performance but also an important one because it erased a lot of the negative criticism Pedraza received in his controversial win over Edner Cherry.”

 

Pedraza was the more accurate fighter, landing 50 percent of his power punches over the 12-round bout. The Sniper was able to pick his spots and pocket rounds once he figured out the distance.  Smith had his moments, but wasn’t active enough.

 

Brian Custer hosted the SHOWTIME telecast, with Mauro Ranallo calling the action, Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and former two-time world champion Paulie Malignaggi commentating and Jim Gray reporting. In the Spanish simulcast, Alejandro Luna called the blow-by-blow and former world champion Raul Marquez served as color commentator. The executive producer of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING was David Dinkins Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing.

boxing, Showtime, Showtime Boxing

GARY RUSSELL JR. vs. PATRICK HYLAND, JOSE PEDRAZA vs. STEPHEN SMITH  FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 16, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

Leave a comment
 
“I need to maintain control of the fight, close the distance, and maintain the jab. Complete dominance.” – 
Gary Russell Jr.
 
“To fight for the WBC title is everything I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid.”
 – Patrick Hyland
 
“I have been waiting a long time for this day to come and we are going to demonstrate to Smith that I am a weapon.” – Jose Pedraza
 
“I believe I have what it takes to fight anyone and nothing will keep me from becoming a world champion.” – 
Stephen Smith
 

Click HERE To Download Photos; Credit: Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME
 
NEW YORK (April 13, 2016) – WBC Featherweight Champion Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs), of Capitol Heights, Md., and Irish contender Patrick Hyland (31-1, 15 KOs), of Dublin, faced off at the final press conference Wednesday at Highline Ballroom in New York, as they approach this Saturday’s Featherweight World Title fight live on SHOWTIME® from the Fox Theater in Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast begins live at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME with IBF Junior Lightweight World Championship clash between unbeaten Puerto Rican Jose Pedraza (21-0, 12 KOs) and mandatory challenger Stephen Smith (23-1, 13 KOs), of Liverpool, England.
 
Here’s what the fighters had to say at Wednesday’s final press conference.
 
GARY RUSSELL JR.
 
(On Patrick Hyland…)
“First and foremost, I gotta tip my hat off to him. I heard him say he was being trained by his father. Me and my younger brothers are also trained by my dad. My father is my favorite superhero, so it is very hard to deal with a situation like this and to bounce back and to grind and put all the hard work and effort into it after all the heartache and loss, I gotta tip my hat off to him for that.
I know that anytime you have a fighter that trains for six to eight weeks and prepares for no one else but you, is a dangerous fight. He’s tall, he’s long, but we can take him. We’re going to handle it.”
(On returning from injury…)
“I feel good. I’m ready; I put the work in at the gym. Like I said earlier, I got cussed out several times and sometimes I left the gym feeling like the worst fighter ever. But, right now, we’re ready and we’re prepared to invest in my ability.”
(On what it means to have his brother Antonio on the card he’s headlining…)
“It means a lot. I’m looking forward to it. I’m actually more looking forward to watching my brother compete than my own fight. I will definitely be working his corner in that fight. It means a lot for us to be able to pass this information down from generation to generation and watch it grow and watch us build as a family and as a unit. It’s amazing.’
“He definitely has the potential to be the best. Him as well as Antuanne, who is now on the 2016 Olympic team. It’s all information passed down from generation to generation. I feel as though they definitely have the ability to be better than me. I would want them to be anyway.”
(On what he needs to win the fight…)
“I need to maintain control of the fight, close the distance and maintain the jab. Complete dominance; I want to touch the body early. He likes to move a lot, so we’re going to cut all that down.”
(On potential future opponents…)
“God willing, everything goes right come April 16, we would love to unify with Lee Selby. If I had my choice, I would go with Lee Selby first to unify. Immediately after that, I want Leo Santa Cruz and after that I need Lomachenko.
“I don’t care where [Lomachenko] moves. He can lose his next 10 fights, but before my career’s done he has to see me.”
PATRICK HYLAND
 
(On what gives him the sense of satisfaction in boxing…)
“To fight for the WBC title is everything I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid and all of the hard work that I have put in to get to this position to fight for it. I am happy and I am just living for it now for Saturday night.”
(On being the first Irish boxer since Barry McGuigan to hold a featherweight world title…)
“It’s a whirlwind and it’s great. I’m just a local lad from Johnstown in Dublin and to be fighting on the big stage and to be fighting for a major world title, and again to be named the second featherweight ever to win a world title would be just amazing; a real dream come true for myself.”
(On Gary Russell…)
“I know he’s got fast hands. He’s a great southpaw and a great boxer so I have to be at the best of my ability on Saturday night for that. I worked on a game plan in the gym to counter his hand speed and it all has to come together on fight night. I can do all this and say all that, but I just have to perform on Saturday night and put it in by doing everything I’ve worked on to become champion.”
JOSE PEDRAZA
 
(On training camp…)
“I am feeling really good, we’re in the last stretch of conditioning. It was a very long and intense training camp but we saw improvements in my abilities. I have been waiting a long time for this day to come and we are going to demonstrate to Smith that I am a weapon.
(On Stephen Smith…)
“Smith is a very good boxer, he has a lot of abilities and intelligence. He’s a boxer with very good defense, but we already utilize a variety of strategies to be able to neutralize all of his abilities.”
(On what he plans to demonstrate on Saturday…)
“With my abilities, come Saturday, I will demonstrate that I am above Smith and that I am at the level of what I am, a champion. Overall, I just want to put on a show and I hope that the fan base will enjoy this great card.”
(On what he learned from fighting Edner Cherry…)
“I learned what I have always said and what I have always done to this very day, which is never watching. I never watch too many videos of my opponent because on the day of the fight he could be a completely different fighter and I think that is what occurred then. Aside from that, he utilized a great strategy.”
(On his thoughts on other Puerto Rican boxers…)
“Actually I am a world champion just like Rocky Martinez; there are many Puerto Rican prospects. Like [Felix] Verdejo but I don’t consider him as a world title contender just yet. He hasn’t fought with a boxer of championship caliber but he is currently among the top fighters in Puerto Rico.”
(On other fights he may be interested in at 130 pounds…)
“I have always said that the less Puerto Ricans I fight, the better. If it is the last option, I will fight with Puerto Ricans too but aside from that Rocky [Martinez] the world champ, there’s Francisco Vargas, [Javier] Fortuna, to name a few that are at the top of my list.”
STEPHEN SMITH
 
(On his first time fighting in the U.S….)
“I’m excited. If you want to make a name in boxing, then you’re going to do it in the states and that’s what I plan on doing by becoming a world champion Saturday.”
(On what he knows about Pedraza…)
“Well, not quite a lot. I know his name from the amateur days. He’s well established, he’s an Olympian and he’s a talented man. To fight somebody consists of winning or not, it goes beyond tactics, beyond style and beyond skillset really. I believe I have what it takes to fight anyone and nothing will keep me from becoming a world champion.”
(On what he needs to do to get the victory…)
“It can be a different type of fight; we know he likes to switch it up and box from different stances. He’s obviously talented so it’s going to take a different set from each way but we know what to expect. I’ve gone over everything with my trainer Joe Gallagher and we’re ready to go.”
(On his brothers Liam and Callum being champions and what it could mean to potentially join them…)
“It’s special. Two weeks ago Liam and Callum won a European world title and it just gives me the confidence, the spirit to hike. I’m in a really good place mentally and I couldn’t be feeling better going into it. After my boot camp going successfully, it just makes you feel better going ahead to become a world champion.”
(On UK champions on the rise in the past year…)
“There’s a lot of history there and for myself and my family, so we do what we’ve always wanted to do and we’re looking to just keep moving forward.”
TRAINER JOE GALLAGHER
 
(On training camp…)
“It was good. Obviously it boiled up to Callum’s win. There’s a good momentum. Callum and then Stephen has his world title opportunity. It’s been a slow burning rise with Stephen but he’s got, as I call it ‘his World Cup final’ — something that is going to take heart and strength. His strength is going very well. Pedraza is a very good fighter, good orthodox, good southpaw, he can mix it up and we’re prepared for whatever style he wants to bring on Saturday.”
(On the process of preparing for a fighter like Pedraza…)
“It’s a nightmare. It’s hard enough when you’re fighting a quality orthodox or a quality southpaw, of which he is, but not only that. He can also box on the back foot and on the front foot so we’re varying sparring partners, we’re mixing up the sparring in between the rounds, switching stances, and whichever way Pedraza wants to fight at the end of the night, I’m sure we’ll have an answer for.”
(On how he feels the fight will play out…)
“I think that’s all up to Pedraza, looking back at a few of his fights, he boxes slow and gets off to a good start but then he seems to lose his way a little in rounds. When you watch him against [Andrey] Klimov, he started out very well, put him under manners very quickly and had him nearly beat by the fourth round but [Andrey] managed to stay in very well and boxed really well. He got to the middle rounds, lost his way a little bit, switched southpaw, so either way it’s going to be fascinating. We’ve just got to make sure we don’t get caught to early when he’s quick and he’s sharp and he’s trying to put manners in Stephen Smith and then take him into the deep waters like Edner Cherry.”
(His prediction…)
“Stephen Smith. Possibly by knockout. No, definitely by knockout.”
# # #
For more information, visit www.SHO.com/Sports, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @MrGaryRussellJr, @PajPunisher, @Sniper_Pedraza, @SwiftySmith, @LouDiBella, @FoxwoodsCT and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.
boxing, Showtime, Showtime Boxing

Former World Champion Chad Dawson, Featherweight Contender Ryan Kielczweski & Undefeated Prospects Antonio Russell & Carlos Gongora Highlight Undercard Action on Saturday, April 16 From Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.

Leave a comment
 
Doubleheader of World Title Fights Featured on
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
(11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT)
 
MASHANTUCKET, CT (April 11, 2016) – A stacked undercard of action featuring former world champion “Bad” Chad Dawson (33-4, 18 KOs), featherweight contender Ryan Kielczweski (24-1, 7 KOs) and undefeated prospects Antonio Russell (5-0, 4 KOs) and Carlos Gongora (4-0, 3 KOs) comes to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT., on Saturday, April 16.
The event is headlined by a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader of world title fights: WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. battles Ireland’s Patrick “The Punisher” Hyland and IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza takes on top contender Stephen “Swifty” Smith from the UK, with televised coverage beginning live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.
Dawson will face the veteran Cornelius White (23-4, 17 KOs) in a 10-round light heavyweight bout, Kielczweski enters the ring for eight rounds of featherweight action,  Gongora competes in a super middleweight attraction while Russell takes on Leonardo Reyes (3-9, 1 KO) in a bantamweight fight.
Also entering the ring is popular super bantamweight contender Shelley Vincent (16-0, 1 KO) out of Providence, RI., who will have plenty of support behind her when she takes on New Mexico’s Elizabeth Anderson (4-7, 1 KO) in a six-round bout.
Rounding out the action are a pair of prospects making their pro debuts as Providence’s Anthony Marsella Jr. fights in a four-round junior welterweight match and Connecticut’s Mykquan Williams in a four-round welterweight contest. Williams is a highly touted local prospect who fought to a 45-13 amateur record including three gold medal performances at the Ringside World Tournament.
A former world champion at light heavyweight, Dawson returns to the ring looking for the 34th victory of his successful career. The 33-year-old owns victories over former world champions Bernard Hopkins, Antonio Tarver and Tomasz Ademek and most recently defeated Shujaa El Amin in December 2015. The veteran owns a 17-1 record in fights in his home state of Connecticut. He takes on the veteran White out of Houston who picked up victories in his last two starts over Marcus Oliveira and William Johnson.
A runner-up in the 2008 National Golden Glove tournament, the 25-year-old Kielczweski has become a staple fighting in his native New England. Born and raised in Quincy, Mass., he bounced back from his first defeat to deliver a first-round knockout over Anthony Napunyi in May 2015 and followed that up with a victory over veteran contender Rafael Vazquez in October of last year. During this camp, Kielczweski served as a chief sparring partner of the 126-pound champion Russell Jr.
Twice a National Golden Gloves runner up, Russell won the national championship in 2013 and he now looks to follow in the footsteps of his older brother and current 126-pound world champion Gary. A 23-year-old fighting out of Washington, D.C., Antonio has won four of his five fights inside of the distance. He faces the 22-year-old Mexican Reyes.
Fighting out of Brooklyn but originally from Esmereldas, Ecuador, Gongora was an Olympian in 2008 and 2012. Since turning pro in 2015, the 26-year-old has picked up four victories, including a fourth-round stoppage of Derrick Adkins in his most recent triumph in January.
For more information, visit www.SHO.com/Sports, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @MrGaryRussellJr, @PajPunisher, @Sniper_Pedraza, @SwiftySmith, @LouDiBella, @FoxwoodsCT and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.
boxing, NBC, Premier Boxing Champions

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBCSN RESULTS   GABRIEL BRACERO KNOCKS OUT DANNY O’CONNOR IN 41 SECONDS

Leave a comment
 
 
 JONATHAN GUZMAN MAKES IT 20-FOR-20
 
RYAN KIELCZWESKI DECISIONS VAZQUEZ IN WAR
 
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS
Photo Credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
 
LOWELL, Mass. (October, 10 2015) – Brooklyn welterweight Gabriel “Tito” Bracero(24-2, 5 KOs) came into hostile territory and knocked out hometown favorite Danny “Bhoy” O’Connor (26-3, 10 KOs) only 41 seconds into the first round, headlining tonight’s loaded Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBCSN card at historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Bracero, who handed O’Connor his first pro loss four years ago, used an overhand right that O’Connor, fighting out of nearby Framingham (MA) did not see coming.  O’Connor was out cold before he hit the mat.
“I worked on that punch for six weeks,” Bracero said after the fight.  “In my last fight, I fought a southpaw and made some mistakes.  I specifically worked on that punch because Danny’s a southpaw. I slipped to the side and threw the right.  This was the first time I went away to camp, away from my family.
“I’m just so humbled and grateful. I knew coming in here that all the pressure was on him (O’Connor); the crowd would try to take the beast out of me and put me on the defense.
Everything is going to work out (regarding his next fight).  I’ll let Tommy Gallagher andLou DiBella take care of my next fight.  I’m ready to go right back in the gym.”
O’Connor was taken by ambulance to the nearby Lowell General Hospital for observation.
Hometown hero “Irish” Micky Ward and National Hockey League Hall-of-Famer NBCSN analyst “Sugar” Ray Leonard returned to the same building in which he captured a National Golden Gloves Tournament title in 1973.
Undefeated Dominican super bantamweight KO artist Jonathan “Salomon King” Guzman (20-0, 20 KOs), fighting out of nearby Lawrence (MA), made it a perfect 20 fights, 20 KO wins via a ninth-round stoppage of a game Danny Aquino (17-3, 10 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature.
Guzman dropped Aquino, a Mexican native fighting out of Connecticut, in the second round.  The badly hurt Aquino, however, lasted until the ninth round when Guzman ended the show with a brutal left hook.  Aquino, another New England Golden Gloves champion who won his title in this very building, had never been stopped as a professional.
 
Quincy (MA) featherweight Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (24-1, 7 KOs), who won two New England Golden Gloves championships at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, won a 10-round, hard fought decision over Brooklyn’s Rafael “Dynamite” Vazquez (16-2, 13 KOs).
Kielczweski out boxed Vazquez in the first four rounds, but Vasquez came charging back and opened a cut over Kielczweski’s right eye in the eighth and rocked the local fighter in the final 30 seconds of the fight  The judges had Kielczweski winning the entertaining fight by scores of 97-93 twice and 96-94.
FIGHTER QUOTES
GABRIEL BRACERO:
“God bless Danny O’Connor. He’s a champion. Just because he lost here today, I still tip my hat off to him. It takes a real champion to come in here and do what he does. I wish him the best.
“It’s an amazing feeling. The truth is, I was a winner before I walked in the ring. This is a dream come true. I have dreamed about this day for a long time. I made some mistakes in my prior fights, but I went back to the drawing board, went to camp, fixed my mistakes and came in here super focused today.
On what he said to O’Connor after the fight…
“My message to Danny was, after my last fight, after my last loss, I was down. I went through a depression. I told him not to let that happen to him. To pick himself back up, to be proud of himself. To go home to his beautiful wife and kids and enjoy life. I didn’t want the same thing to happen to him, that happened to me.”
JONATHAN GUZMAN:
“I proved that I can fight and I can punch. This fight was an example of what I can do.
“From the second round I fought with two hurt hands. It didn’t matter to my hands, I was going to stop him.”
RYAN KIELCZWESKI:
“Before this fight, I knew he could punch. I thought I avoided it for the whole fight, but in the 10th round, he got me. It felt pretty good to get rocked for the first time, just to know what it feels like.”
“I kind of started off slow, but in the middle rounds, I started putting my punches together, throwing four, five, six punches at a time and it was working. But he came back every time and started trading with me.
(On going 10 rounds…)
“It’s all the same. You’re just as tired after a four-round fight as you are after six, eight or 10.  You leave it all till the end of the fight. It all feels the same.
(On getting hurt in the 10th….)
“I didn’t know where my feet were. It was a strange feeling, I had no idea what that felt like. He caught me and I could see straight, but I felt myself going left and right.
“He’s a tough guy.  I really needed that fight.
“We knew he wasn’t much of a volume pincher.  It didn’t surprise us when he came on in the middle rounds.
“The blood wasn’t in my eye. I didn’t know I was cut until the referee came over.
“I like to entertain in the ring.  I don’t need to do this.  I do it because I like to fight and entertain.
“This was my favorite venue to fight in as an amateur.  I fought here 10-15 times as an amateur.”
RAFAEL VAZQUEZ:
“He was a slick fighter, he moved and he had great power. He was in great shape. He’s young, I will be 38 this year. No excuse, I moved up to 126 pounds to face him, I’m 122 pounds.
“I thought I won the last three rounds. Especially the ninth and tenth round. The tenth round was big. He maybe connected ten punches in the whole round. I rocked him. I hurt him. But, we’re fighting in his hometown, and I’m grateful to him for giving me the opportunity.”
Undercard
Polish heavyweight Adam Kownacki (12-0, 10 KOs), fighting out of Brooklyn, kept his undefeated record intact, turning in a workmanlike effort to win an eight-round unanimous decision (78-73 X 3) over Rodney Hernandez (8-3-1, 1 KO).
Irish junior lightweight Patrick “The Punisher” Hyland (31-1, 14 KOs), a 2012 Interim world featherweight title challenger, lived up to is nickname.  The Dubliner dropped toughDavid “El Finito” Martinez (18-7-1, 3 KOs) once on his way to a one-sided fight that ended at 18 seconds of the eighth round when Hyland caught Martinez with a vicious left hook.
Irish middleweight champion Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan (22-1, 15 KOs) outclassed light heavyweight veteran David Toribio (21-16, 14 KOs) and ended the fight with a second-round knockout. Former European champion Stephen “The Rock” Ormond (19-2, 10 KOs) dropped former world title challenger Michael “Cold Blood” Clark twice en route to an opening round victory by knockout.
New York lightweight prospect Titus Williams (3-0, 2 KOs) remained unbeaten, stoppingArthur Parker (1-14-2, 1 KO) in the second round, while two-time world title challengerFernando “El Vasco” Saucedo (57-6-3, 10 KOs) registered a second-round technical knockout over lightweight Carlos Fulgencio (19-7-1, 12 KOs) in the opening bout of the evening.
O’Connor vs. Bracero was promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphy’s Boxing.
boxing, NBC, Premier Boxing Champions

FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC LOSS OF HIS FATHER AND TRAINER IRISH CONTENDER PATRICK HYLAND CARRIES A HEAVY HEART AS HE LOOKS TO FIND SOLACE IN THE RING ON SATURDAY NIGHT

Leave a comment

 
RETURNS ON THE UNDERCARD OF PBC ON NBCSN AT LOWELL MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM IN LOWELL, MASS.
LOWELL, Mass. (10/9/15) – On Saturday night, Irish world-rated contender Patrick Hyland (30-1, 14 KOs) faces David Martinez on the undercard of the PBC on NBCSN  event from Lowell, Mass. The fight won’t be shown on television, Hyland views this is the most important fight of his career as he works his way back into world title contention.
The bout on Saturday night will be the first in a career that dates back to his days as a 9-year-old amateur in Ireland where his trainer, father and best friend Patrick Sr. will not be in his corner. Patrick Sr., better known as Paddy, tragically passed away in the spring of this year. Leaving the Irish boxing community shocked.
“I hear his voice in the back of my head every day. Every day. Especially in the gym though when I am training,” said Hyland Jr.
The loss of Hyland’s father came just weeks before Hyland’s wife Lorna gave birth to their first child, Callum, further adding to the significance of this fight.
“I challenged Javier Fortuna for the world championship,” said Hyland. “I won the Irish world title. I have fought at MGM Grand, the O2 Arena and Madison Square Garden. For me though, this is the most important fight of my career. Not only am I fighting for my newborn son, but I am fighting to keep my father’s legacy alive. He made me the man that I am today and the man that I want my son to one day become. Winning a world title was our dream that we had together. He was always pushing me and my brothers to be the absolute best that we can be, and I won’t stop until I get another crack at a world title.”
The bout on Saturday night will be Hyland’s fourth since the lone loss of his career, a highly entertaining 12-round decision for the interim featherweight title against now-reigning super featherweight champion Javier Fortuna.  Following the loss to Fortuna, Hyland was out of action for a year and a half, as he sorted through promotional issues. Hyland signed with DiBella Entertainment in June of 2014 and has since put together three impressive victories. Hyland believes that he will be knocking on the door to challenge for another world title in 2016.
“I have a great team behind me. My manager Brian Peters and promoter Lou DiBella are working hard,” continued Hyland. “As long as I continue to win and do what I need to do, I know they will get me the opportunity to prove myself and show that I am one of the best 126-pounders in the world. 2016 is going to be a big year for me and I fully expect to once again be challenging for a piece of the featherweight crown.”
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, are on sale and priced at $125, $85, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Special student, veteran and senior ticket prices also available. For tickets, visit www.lowellauditorium.com
# # #
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.nbcsports.com/boxing,www.lowellauditorium.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,  @LouDiBella, @DropkickMurphys, @MurphysBoxing, @DOC_Boxing, @TeamBracero, @NBCSports and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions,www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.Facebook.com/DropkickMurphys, www.facebook.com/MurphysBoxing and www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.
boxing, Premier Boxing Champions, Spike TV

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBCSN FIGHTER MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS

Leave a comment
  

 
Click HERE For Photos
Credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
 
BOSTON (October 8, 2015) – Fighters took part in a media workout today at Welch’s Gym in South Boston to kick off fight week for this Saturday night’s Premier Boxing Champions on NBCSN card at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, MA, headlined byDanny “Bhoy” O’Connor (26-2, 10 KOs) vs. Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (23-2, 4 KOs) with triple-header coverage starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, are priced at $125, $85, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Special student, veteran and senior ticket prices also available. For tickets visit www.lowellauditorium.com
See here what the participants had to say Wednesday:
DANNY O’CONNOR
 
“This is all about me fighting the process. Gabriel Bracero beat me but I really beat myself.  Just like training for this fight, we had a baby son.  Two weeks before our first fight, my first son was born and I didn’t know how to separate sport from such life-changing events.  I was 14-0 and fighting on Showtime. We just had a baby boy two weeks before this fight.  I want to prove to myself that I can beat this process.  Bracero is my redemption!
“This fight is me vs. me.  The time was right for this fight.  I was offered this fight five times during the past few years but the time wasn’t right.
“I was a scared little kid with no experience in our first fight.  I couldn’t handle the pressure, I didn’t even know it was there.  Now, I’m a mature man who is a husband and father.  I’m a totally different person.
“This fight could be in my living room.  I’m at peace in the ring doing what I love to do.  It’s great being back in the ring in Lowell, where I won the New England Golden Gloves title and I’m fighting on national TV, but the event is between the four corners and that’s what really counts.”
GABRIEL BRACERO
 
“I’m excited. I’ve trained for this fight like I’ve never fought Danny before.  I beat him but that was four years ago.  I can’t overlook him.  He has obviously made improvements and I did also to get where we are today.
“I’m more experienced. I moved to train in Orlando and get away from distractions.  I hit a few bumps and got incarcerated.  Tommy Gallagher (trainer) saved my lie.  He was there when I went to prison and there when I got out.  I added a new trainer to our corner, Alexander Lopes, but Tommy and my father, Kiro, are still there.  Tommy gives the orders and he likes what Lopez has done with me.
“Tommy Gallagher is my guardian angel.  He believed in me more than I believed in myself.  He had this vision before I did.
“Danny has become a better fighter.  I can’t take anything away from him, but I’m looking forward to putting on a spectacular performance Saturday night.”
JONATHAN GUZMAN
“I’m going to make it 20-for-20, yes!  I’m powerful because I make strong moves.  My left hook is my best punch. I can feel the power through my entire body when I hit somebody right.
“I don’t worry about my opponent or what he’s done in the past.
“Lawrence is my home now.  I will go back to the Dominican Republic in December for the holidays.  I feel like a Bostonian.  This is the sixth fight I’ve trained here for and I love the Boston Red Sox.”
DANNY AQUINO
 
“My last fight propelled me (upset by decision over Ryan Kielczweski).  It made me more confident in myself. My last fight was on ESPN and this one is on NBCSN.
“I don’t know too much about my opponent other than he has power that I’ll be looking out for.  A win over him should put me in the top 10 and that’s why I’m so motivated for this fight.
“I won the New England Golden Gloves championship in Lowell Memorial Auditorium in 2007.
“I train hard and I’m always in good enough shape to beat anybody.”
 
RYAN KIELCZWESKI
 
“I like fighting at home and this is one of my favorite venues.  I won the New England Golden Gloves there twice.
“I’ve trained for this to be the toughest fight of my career.
“(Vasquez) is tough with a lot of power.  He’s going come forward, but I’ll be able to out-box him.
“He’s rated in the top 10 of the world and a win should put me back in the top 10 fighting for a world title within the next year.”
 
RAFAEL VASQUEZ
 
“This is a great opportunity for me.  I think this fight will put me on the map fighting on national TV and showing fans what I’ve got.
“I’m a hungry, small fighter determined to win.  I fight for my wife, Sandra, who has stage-four cancer and my eight-year-old daughter, Kaline, who has autism.  It’s not just me fighting in the ring, it’s the Vasquez family.  With God’s grace, anything is possible.
“Ryan moves a lot. He uses the ring and boxes.  He lost to Aquino and I know he’ll be coming back to prove himself. “
GARY “SPIKE” O’SULLIVAN
 
“Boston is my second home.  I love it here.  The people are so nice and there are good gyms.
“I’m an exciting, entertaining fighter who always comes to fight.
“After I finish off Eubanks, I’ll be the No. 1 contender in the WBA and Golovkin can’t hold me off any longer.
“I watched a few clips of my opponent.  We have identical records.  We both knock people out, so I have to be careful.  I’d like to get in a few rounds, but when I hit people, they fall.”
 
STEPHEN ORMOND
“My first four fights were here in the US.  Boston is like my second home.  The people are so nice.  Boston is a real fight city.  I can’t wait for these people to see me in the ring.
                                                                                                                        
“I saw my opponent fight last year in Boston.  He’s an experienced guy with a lot of fights.  He fought for a world title a long time ago.
“With Ken Casey behind me, an impressive victory will get me a title shot.  I’ll take any of them. I was one fight away, losing a qualifier.  My grandmother passed away the day of my fight.  I’m ready now!”
#          #          #
The Saturday, Oct. 10 edition of Premier Boxing Champions on NBCSN, promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, features a O’Connor(26-2, 10 KOs) and Bracero (23-2, 4 KOs) rematch in a 10-round welterweight super middleweight showdown, Jonathan “Salomon King” Guzman (19-0, 19 KOs) Danny Aquino (17-2, 10 KOs) in a 10-round super bantamweight match up, and Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (23-1, 7 KOs) meets Rafael “Dynamite” Vazquez (16-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout to open the PBC on NBCSAN broadcast at 8:00 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.nbcsports.com/boxing, www.lowellauditorium.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,  @LouDiBella, @DropkickMurphys, @MurphysBoxing, @DOC_Boxing, @TeamBracero, @NBCSports and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions,www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.Facebook.com/DropkickMurphys,www.facebook.com/MurphysBoxingand www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.
boxing, NBC, Premier Boxing Champions

DANNY O’CONNOR VS. GABRIEL BRACERO II, RYAN KIELCZWESKI VS. RAFAEL VAZQUEZ CONTINUES BOSTON VS. NYC RING RIVALRY

Leave a comment
 
PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBCSN
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 FROM THE LOWELL MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM IN LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS
8 P.M. ET/5 P.M. PT
 
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
 
LOWELL, Mass. (October 6, 2015) – The great Boston vs. New York City sports rivalry continues Saturday, October 10 in the ring on national television with northeast bragging rights on the line as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBCSN comes to historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts.
The Boston home team sends out welterweight Danny “Bhoy” O’Connor (26-2, 10 KOs) and featherweight Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (23-1, 7 KOs), respectively, against Brooklyn invaders Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (23-2, 4 KOs) and Rafael “Dynamite” Vazquez (16-1, 13 KOs).
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, are on sale and priced at $125, $85, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes.  Special student, veteran and senior ticket prices also available. For tickets, visit www.lowellauditorium.com.
O’Connorwill be seeking revenge for 2011 loss to Braceroin the 10-round main event, while Kielczweski faces the toughest test of his career versus Vasquez in their 10-round bout to open the NBCSN broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
In the other scheduled televised fight, undefeated Dominican super bantamweight KO artistJonathan “Salomon King” Guzman (19-0, 19 KOs), fighting out of nearby Lawrence (MA), takes on Connecticut’s upset-minded Danny Aquino (17-2, 10 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature.
Boston vs. New York is a classic matchup that has dominated sports headlines in the northeast for years as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox waged countless wars while the New England Patriots faced the New York Giants in two Super Bowls and continued their longtime rivalry with the New York Jets. The rich tradition of this rivalry has also spilled into the ring as many top fighters from each region have faced-off over the years.
The first significant Boston vs. NYC fight goes back to 1927 at Yankee Stadium, when Jack Dempsey stopped Jack “The Boston Gob” Sharkey in the seventh round of their heavyweight title eliminator to challenge world champion Gene Tunney.  Controversy surrounded this fight as Sharkey, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, fought his boxing idol, Dempsey, who along with Babe Ruth ruled Manhattan during America’s Golden Age of Sports in the 1920s.  Sharkey out-boxed Dempsey for six rounds until, complaining to the referee about Dempsey’s low punches, he was knocked out cold with a picture-perfect left hook.
Another legendary heavyweight champion from the Boston area, Rocky Marciano, wouldn’t have retired with his famous 49-0 record if one round or another were scored differently against Bronx favorite Roland LaStarza in 1950.  Marciano took a questionable 10-round decision from LaStarza at Madison Square Garden. Three years later at the Polo Grounds, Marciano successfully defended his world title, knocking out LaStarza in the 11thround of their 1953 Fight of the Year.
A pair of Hall of Fame heavyweights from Brooklyn, Floyd Patterson and “Iron” Mike Tyson, respectively, knocked out Boston’s Tom McNeeley and his son, Peter McNeeley.  McNeeley dropped Patterson once but he hit the deck 11 times before finally succumbing in the fourth round of their 1961 title fight in Toronto.  His son, Peter, lost by first-round disqualification to Tyson who was fighting for the first since being released from prison.
A fireman from Boston with brittle hands, Paul Pender, twice defeated arguably the consensus Greatest of All-time, Harlem’s “Sugar” Ray Robinson, not once but twice by 15-round split decisions in 1960 world middleweight title fights at the Boston Garden.
“Marvelous” Marvin Hagler, a transplanted New Jersey fighter who lived in Marciano’s hometown of Brockton, Mass., felt ripped off when he was given a draw in his first world title fight against Brooklyn’s defending champion Vito Antuofermo in Las Vegas. Two years later in 1981, Hagler captured the coveted crown at the Boston Garden as Antuofermo retired after four rounds.
Even Lowell’s “Irish” Micky Ward had a New York City rival in Brooklyn’s Zab Judah, who he dropped a hard-fought 12-round decision to in 1998.  For many years Judah said Ward was the toughest opponent he ever fought.
More recently, Irish Olympian Kevin McBride, fighting out of the Dorchester section of Boston, ended Tyson’s career in 2005 with a sixth-round TKO victory that left the boxing world in shock, and Boston heavyweight John Ruiz – the only Latino heavyweight champion of the world – won a 2008 fight in Mexico against Harlem’s Jameel McCline by 12-round decision in a world title eliminator.
On October 10, O’Connor, Bracero, Kielczweski and Vazquez will have their opportunity to not only represent their hometowns, but to etch themselves into the annals of the rivalry.
# # #
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.nbcsports.com/boxing,www.lowellauditorium.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,  @LouDiBella, @DropkickMurphys, @MurphysBoxing, @DOC_Boxing, @TeamBracero, @NBCSports and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports,www.Facebook.com/DropkickMurphys,www.facebook.com/MurphysBoxingandwww.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.