Boxing Trend
Sunday, April 30, 2006
  WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: Hatton vs. Collazo
Ricky Hatton vs. Luis Collazo headlines World Championship Boxing fight card May 13th

Promoters Art Pelullo/Banner Promotions and Dennis Hobson and Robert Waterman/Fight Academy will present a sensational world championship fight card on Saturday, May 13, 2006, at the TD Banknorth Garden, located on Causeway Street in Boston's Downtown North section.

The main event will be televised live on HBO's "World Championship Boxing" series.In the 12-round main event, World Boxing Association and The Ring jr. welterweight world champion Ricky "Hitman" Hatton, 40-0 with 30 knockouts, of Manchester, England, will move up in weight and challenge WBA welterweight world champion Luis Collazo, 26-1 with 12 knockouts, of Brooklyn, New York.

Now 27 years old, Ricky's outstanding performances last year stood head and shoulders above those of any other fighter. He was named "2005 Fighter of the Year" by The Ring, the Boxing Writers Association of America, and ESPN.com.From TheRing-online.com, December 21, 2005: The Ring is pleased to announce that it has selected Ricky Hatton as 2005's Fighter of the Year. Hatton is the first-ever British boxer to receive the award since its inception in 1928.

Hatton earned top honors by stopping long-reigning junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu at the end of the 11th round on June 4 in Manchester, England. In his second bout of the year on November 26, Hatton knocked out WBA junior welterweight titleholder Carlos Maussa in the ninth round in Sheffield, England.

"Not only did Hatton take the title away from one of the greatest 140-pounders of all-time and make his first defense against a highly rated challenger, he did it in the sort of entertaining and definitive manner that attracts fans and fills venues," said The Ring's Editor-in-Chief Nigel Collins.

Collazo, now 25 year old, won the WBA world title in April, 2005, with a 12-round decision against defending champion Jose Antonio Rivera in Rivera's hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts. A talented lefthander, Luis successfully defended the title last August with a seventh-round TKO win against former WBC lightweight world champion Miguel Angel Gonzalez.

In the co-featured 12-round fight which will not be televised, International Boxing Federation featherweight world champion Valdemir Pereira, 23-0 with 15 knockouts, of Sao Caetano Do Sul, Brazil, will make his first title defense against former former European, British, and Commonwealth super bantamweight champion Esham Pickering, 29-4 with 11 knockouts, of Newark, England.

Pereira won the title on January 20 with a 12-round unanimous decision against Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym of Thailand.An exciting lineup of supporting bouts is planned to complete the event.

All bouts are subject to change without notice.
 
Saturday, April 29, 2006
  WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER
WBA Super Welterweight Champion Alejandro "Terra" Garcia vs. No. 3 Contender/Former WBA Welterweight Champion Jose Antonio "El Gallo'' Rivera

IBF Junior Bantamweight Champion Luis "El Demoledor" Perez vs. No. 1 Contender Dimitri "The Baby'' Kirillov Saturday

May 6, 2006, At 9 p.m. ET/PT DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts

NEW YORK - Home sweet home. In some major sports, home field advantage is huge and often can be the difference between winning and losing. Not so in the sweet science, however, where performance and what one does in the ring counts most.

"Once the bell rings, it is just you and your opponent," said Alejandro "Terra" Garcia (25-1, 23 KOs), who defends his World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight belt against local favorite and former world welterweight champion Jose Antonio Rivera (37-4-1, 24 KOs) Saturday, May 6, 2006, on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast). "Rivera may have a big crowd rooting for him, but I still have my fists. They are the great equalizer.''

In front of what will be a raucous setting at the DCU Center at Worcester, Mass., and millions more watching on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, Garcia will make the first defense in his second stint as WBA 154-pound champion. In an exciting junior bantamweight world title fight that will open the telecast, talented southpaw Luis "El Demoleder" Perez (23-1, 15 KOs) defends his International Boxing Federation (IBF) belt against mandatory challenger and No. 1 contender Dimitri "The Baby" Kirillov (28-2, 10 KOs). The world championship doubleheader is promoted by Don King Productions.

"Having a big crowd of people on hand to support you is great, but what good is it if you give them nothing to cheer about?" Garcia asked.

Garcia, of Tijuana, Mexico, was reinstated by the WBA as its 154-pound champion when Travis Simms refused to give him a rematch. The only defeat in Garcia's career came when he was dethroned by Simms on a controversial, one-punch fifth-round knockout on Dec. 12, 2003.

Entering the fifth round of the battle of unbeaten super welterweights, Simms led, 39-37, on two of the scorecards and was even on the other. Garcia seemed to be coming on. However, with 1:39 to go in the stanza, Simms caught Garcia with a sharp left hook to the jaw. The challenger followed with a stiff right uppercut that nailed Garcia squarely on the chin. The fighters fell into a brief clinch with their arms resting around each other. The referee, who was behind the action, yelled "break" from a distance.

Garcia dropped his hands as he waited for the referee to step in and separate him from Simms.
Simms, however, beat the referee to the punch. As the boxers took a step back, Simms hit Garcia with a picture-perfect left hook flush on the chin. Garcia fell toward the canvas, out cold before he slammed on the floor. With his right glove folded over his face, Garcia never moved as the ref counted him out.

"I got careless," Garcia said. "I know I am supposed to protect myself at all times, but I was only doing what the referee told us to do when he went over the rules before the fight.
"Simms hit me on the break. The ref started to separate us and I stepped back and relaxed. I did not think it was a fair punch. I wanted a rematch, but Simms never gave me one.''
After winning his next fight, Garcia captured the WBA interim 154-pound crown with a ninth-round TKO over Rhoshii Wells on May 21, 2005, in Chicago.

In his last start, Garcia retained the interim belt with a 12-round unanimous decision (118-108 and 117-110 twice) over Luca Messi on Aug. 13, 2005, in Chicago. The bout represented just the second time that the young Garcia had exited a ring victorious without knocking his opponent out.

Shortly after the victory over Messi, the WBA declared Garcia its 154-pound world champion.
Garcia captured the WBA title the first time with a third-round KO over defending champion Santiago Samaniego on March 1, 2003, in Las Vegas.

Known as "Terra," which is short for "terrain," Garcia got the nickname because he said that he ate dirt all the time when he was a little boy.

It figures to be a down and dirty, exciting slugfest when Garcia defends against Rivera, of Worcester, by way of Philadelphia. Rivera, the WBA No. 3 super welterweight contender, will step up a notch in weight and make his first start since losing his WBA 147-pound crown to late substitute Luis Collazo on a 12-round split decision (115-113 twice and 113-115) April 2, 2005, in Worcester.

"I pushed the whole fight," said Rivera, who came up short in a thrilling, give-and-take contest that featured numerous exciting exchanges. "I do not know how Collazo got the split decision."
After losing in a major upset, Rivera will get a chance to win a second world title in his hometown. "This is a great opportunity. Garcia is coming to Worcester to defend his title,'' Rivera said. "I will be ready and prepared to take his belt. I do not think he is any more special than anyone I have fought.''

Rivera claimed the vacant WBA welterweight crown with a 12-round decision (116-111, 116-114 and 114-114) over previously unbeaten Michel Trabant (38-0) on Sept. 13, 2003, in Berlin, Germany. "I still get goose bumps just thinking what an amazing feeling I had after winning the title," Rivera said.

A class act and true working-class hero outside the ring, Rivera works as a court officer in the Worcester Juvenile Court and volunteers his time at a youth club. He was the Rotary Club's Worcester Citizen of the Year in 2005. "Boxing is what I do but there is more to life than boxing," he said.

As thrilling as Garcia-Rivera will be, the recently added Perez-Kirillov scrap may turn out to be the fight of the night. In Perez, fans will see one of boxing's most feared and crowd-pleasing boxer-punchers.

"Among the smaller weight champions, Perez is one of the most exciting in the world," Dan Rafael of ESPN.com said. "I have never seen him in a bad fight.''

Perez, of Managua, Nicaragua, is making the third defense of the IBF 115-pound crown he won with an upset 12-round decision over Felix Machado Jan. 4, 2003, in Washington, D.C., on SHOWTIME. In his last start, Perez retained his belt with an impressive sixth-round knockout over Luis Bolano on April 30, 2005. This will be Perez' fourth appearance in the United States, and his second on SHOWTIME.

Kirillov, of St. Petersburg, Russia, has won five straight fights, including a 12-round decision over Reinaldo Lopez in an IBF elimination bout in his last outing on Sept. 10, 2005, in Moscow, Russia. Kirillov, who is making his U.S. debut, is no stranger to fighting on the road. Besides his homeland, he has boxed in five different countries - Belgium, Spain, England, Denmark and Japan. Kirillov is getting his second shot at a world title. In his first, he dropped a close 12-round decision to World Boxing Council (WBC) 115-pound champ Masamori Tokuyama on Jan. 3, 2004, in Osaka, Japan.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING's Steve Albert and Al Bernstein will call the action from ringside with Jim Gray serving as roving reporter. The producer of the SHOWTIME telecast will be Ray Smaltz with Bob Dunphy directing.
 
Friday, April 28, 2006
  CALVIN BROCK TO SERVE AS ESPN2 “FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS” IN-STUDIO GUEST
BLOOMFIELD, NJ (April 27, 2006) – Undefeated top-10 heavyweight contender Calvin Brock will appear in-studio on the April 28 broadcast of ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights”, it was announced today by Main Events CEO Kathy Duva. Brock will discuss his upcoming June 24 bout against fellow-undefeated heavyweight contender Timur Ibragimov (21-0-1, 13 KO’s).

Brock (28-0, 22 KOs) has stopped four of his last six opponents. In his last bout on Feb 25, 2006, the 31-year-old Charlotte, NC native frighteningly annihilated Zuri Lawrence with a single left hook that immediately knocked Lawrence unconscious and sent him crashing to the canvas (TKO 6). The bout opened the Fernando Vargas-Shane Mosley HBO PPV broadcast. Brock is ranked in the top-10 by all three major sanctioning bodies and by The Ring magazine.

ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” telecast begins at 8:00 pm ET.

The June 24 Brock-Ibragimov 12 round showdown will serve as the main event of the “UNDEFEATED . . . BUT NOT FOR LONG” doubleheader that will be broadcast on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark” series, beginning at 10:00 P.M ET/PT. The opening bout pits the hottest young fighter in the world, undefeated WBA #5 welterweight Joel Julio (27-0, 24 KO’s), against undefeated WBA #2 welterweight Carlos Quintana (22-0, 18 KO’s) in a 12 round WBA Welterweight Eliminator. Caesars Palace’s Open-Air Roman Amphitheater will serve as the site for the highly-anticipated doubleheader.

For more info: Main Events (973) 893-9100
Donald Tremblay
 
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
  HBO Latino Launches New Boxing Series, Generación Boxeo
Debuting Exclusively, Thursday, April 27April 24, 2006

Regarded as the network leader in the telecasting of professional boxing, HBO Sports introduces a new, exclusive Spanish-language boxing series that will launch on HBO Latino, Thursday, April 27 at 10 p.m./ET/PT. Five additional boxing events will be presented in 2006.

The Generación Boxeo series, an innovative and dedicated original program created for HBO Latino, will feature the best young Latino fighters, behind-the-scenes interviews and round-by-round Spanish-language commentary by Raul Marquez and Mario Solis.

“The Generación Boxeo series captures the action, spirit and fury of the ring for boxing enthusiasts,” said Adrion Porter, director, Brand Development at HBO. “This is another great opportunity for us to continue the event-level type of sports programming that “Oscar De La Hoya Presenta Boxeo De Oro” did on HBO Latino previously.”

The April 27th event will feature the delayed broadcast of three fights: Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., son of legendary Mexican champion Julio Cesar Chavez, against undefeated challenger Tyler Ziolkowski in a junior welterweight bout; unbeaten Mexican-American Juan Diaz defends his lightweight title against Jose Miguel Cotto, brother of Puerto Rican boxing sensation Miguel Cotto; and Mexican Jorge Arce, considered one of the best young fighters of the moment, takes on veteran and two-time champion Rosendo Alvarez of Nicaragua in a flyweight title fight.

Currently available in 45% of HBO’s cable households, HBO Latino is a dedicated Spanish-language channel designed to reflect the diversity of Latino culture in the country. HBO Latino features U.S. premieres of Spanish-language movies and documentaries; music videos; and original short-form programming, such as “Habla,” that spotlights entertainment and cultural issues; plus a mix of popular Hollywood films and the best of HBO’s originals.

Along with Generación Boxeo, boxing coverage on HBO Latino includes HBO’s flagship World Championship Boxing series, with live ringside Spanish-language commentary, and the critically acclaimed HBO Boxing After Dark.

Contact Info:Jodie Hauptmann212-512-5431
 
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
  ANTONIO ESCALANTE HEADLINES WAR BY THE SHORE
IN CHICAGO ON FRIDAY MAY 12TH
UNDEFEATED PROSPECT ABNER MARES IN CO-MAIN
SPECIAL ATTRACTION RITA FIGUEROA IN WOMEN’S TITLE BOUT--ACTION PACKED UNDERCARD FEATURES FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ, BARBARO ZEPEDA AND JOSE MANUEL ORTEGA


TICKETS NOW ON SALE BY CALLING 312-226-5800

Fight of the Year winner Antonio Escalante returns to Chicago on Friday, May 12th to face Juan Ruiz for the WBO/NABO Super Bantamweight title at the Aragon Ballroom as the headline bout for WAR BY THE SHORE, it was announced today by Dominic Pesoli, President of 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING.

WAR BY THE SHORE is presented by 8 Count Productions and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions along with Miller Lite and TCF Bank.

El Paso native Escalante, 17-1-0 (7) battled Chicagoan Jose Hernandez in an internationally televised war for the ages on January 27th at Cicero Stadium winning a ten round unanimous decision. Ruiz of Santa Clarita, California is coming off a twelve round decision over Priest Smalls on November 12, 2005 in which he captured the title.

The Aragon Ballroom is located at 1106 W. Lawrence Avenue on the northside of Chicago. Doors for this event will open at 6pm, with the first bell scheduled for 7pm. Tickets starting at $25 are available in advance by calling 312-226-5800.

Said Pesoli of the main event, “We’re thrilled to partner with Oscar in bringing Antonio back to Chicago. Since his war with Jose in January, I’ve gotten a huge amount of calls from fans wanting to know when both guys will be back on our shows. Ruiz is a very tough kid who’s won some big bouts over guys like Smalls, Cristobal Cruz, Philip Payne and Dustin Kim. His win over Smalls was for the title and this is his first defense of the belt.”

“There’s not much I can add to Escalante’s rep. For a 20 year old kid, he’s got a lot of poise and the fans at the fight with Hernandez were overwhelmed by both guys’ skill and heart.”

The co-main event of the evening will be a ten round bout featuring undefeated super bantamweight prospect Abner Mares. Mares, 8-0 (5KO’s), a native of Jalisco, Mexico now fighting out of Hawaii Gardens, California recently won an eight rounder over Omar Adorna on February 24th at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. He was also a member of the 2004 US Olympic Team.

In a special feature attraction of the evening, Chicagoland’s most popular female boxer, Rita Figueroa, 7-0 (3KO’s) will face Fort Worth native, Rita Serrano, 3-2 (1KO) in an eight round bout for the WIBA Federlatina Lightweight Title.

Also on the card are bouts involving featherweight Barbaro Zepeda, bantamweight Francisco Rodriguez and welterweight Jose Manuel Ortega.

Added Pesoli, “Tickets are going to move fast for this show, we had a huge crowd at our last event at the Aragon Ballroom on March 17th for David Diaz. Our fans want quality events and highly competitive matches and that’s what we do best.”

To view the seating chart and poster for this event or for more information on 8 Count Productions and the 6,000 square foot JABB Boxing Gym, please visit http://www.8countproductions.com/ and http://www.jabbboxinggym.com/

For more information on Antonio Escalante and Abner Mares please visit the Golden Boy Promotions website at http://www.goldenboypromotions.com/.

Additional information on this event will be announced very shortly.

CREATING CONTENDERS SINCE 1997

Bernie Bahrmasel
Publicist/8 Count Productions
http://www.8countproductions.com/
bbahrmasel@aol.com
 
Sunday, April 23, 2006
  Professional boxer Franchesca Alcanter, Child Seek Network and Athlete Representative Krysti Rosario team up to “Fight For The Missing ”

On April 26, 2006 pro female boxer Franchesca Alcanter, the ChildSeek Network and Athlete Representative on the National Board of Directors for USA Boxing Krysti Rosario will bring the faces of missing children to the ring.

The event will take place at

Buffalo Run Casino
8520 S Highway 69A Miami Oklahoma
(918)542-7140
http://www.buffalorun.com/showplace.htm

Team Alcanter will be bringing attention to missing teen Kathy Schmitt Kathy ran away from protective care custody Jul 24, 2003 from Woodward, Oklahoma. When a child goes missing it is important to keep their story and information in the public eye. This will be Alcanter second Fight For The Missing. In March she took the cases of Ashley Martinez to the ring.

Franchesca being a public figure knows that she can assist in the search for missing children by lending her name and support in the effort to locate them.

It is our hope and hers that by doing so other pro boxers will join us and “Fight for the Missing”.

Franchesca, known as the "Chosen One" by her fans will meet with Ashley's parents. Buttons and fliers of Ashley will be handed out.

Franchesca is from Kansas City Missouri and has been fighting since 1999. Her uncles and grandfather were fighters so it is in her blood.

Franchesca worked as a model and at one time was Miss Hawaiian Tropic. She later became a round card girl which brought her to the ring. It was then she realized where she wanted to be and began working toward a career in boxing.

Krysti Rosario is the Athlete Representative on the National Board of Directors for USA Boxing.

The ChildSeek Network is a non-profit 501c (3) organization based in Oregon that assists families and law enforcement in the search to bring missing persons home.

ChildSeek Network fosters community involvement through education, events, and resources.

For more information contact the Child Seek Network at (503)685-9382 or 503-957-9963 or Krysti Rosario at Bxingirl@aol.com

Contact Information:
Judy Maher
PO Box 1902
Wilsonville, Oregon 97070
(503) 685-9382
Cell (503) 957-9963
E-mail:http://www.seek@childseeknetwork.com
http://www.childseeknetwork.com/newsite/fight.htm
Child Seek Network is a 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit Organization
 
Friday, April 21, 2006
  “BACK TO THE FUTURE III” ON MAY 11
Undefeated featherweight Jason Litzau to headline card

BLOOMFIELD, NJ – Main Events returns to North Bergen’s Schuetzen Park for “Back to the Future III”, the third in a series of planned boxing events in north Jersey, it was announced today by Main Events CEO Kathy Duva. The main event features a 10 round featherweight contest between undefeated WBA #13 ranked featherweight Jason Litzau (17-0, 15 KO’s) and awkward Nepalese southpaw Debind Thapa.

Tickets, priced at $150 (VIP), $50, and $25, can be purchased by calling Main Events at (973) 893-9100. The $150 VIP ticket entitles the owner to a dinner, drinks, and a “Meet and Greet” with boxing celebrities in attendance.

Litzau (17-0, 15 KO’s) is ranked #13 by the WBA. In his last bout on Jan 28, 2006, the 22-year-old St. Paul, MN impressively stopped former world title challenger Carlos Contreras on the Arturo Gatti-Thomas Damgaard undercard (TKO 6). Contreras had gone the distance with world champions Johnny Tapia and Lehlo Ledwaba, and with world title challengers Art Simonyan and Adan Vargas. Litzau has stopped 10 opponents n the first round.

“I chose Thapa as an opponent because he is as unorthodox as he is,” says Litzau. “In order to be a world champion and be one of the sport’s elite fighters you have to beat all styles. This is an excellent learning experience for me”

Thapa (20-5-1, 11 KO’s) once challenged for the NABF super flyweight and NABF super bantamweight titles.

The following fighters will also appear on the May 11 card:

Allen Litzau (10-1, 6 KO’s) has won his last nine bouts, five by knockout. The 24-year-old St. Paul, MN native competes at featherweight.

Wayne Johnsen (11-1, 6 KO’s) is a 28-year-old light heavyweight from Lyndhurst, NJ. In his last bout on March 10, 2006, Johnsen stopped Clifton Robertson in five rounds at Schuetzen Park (TKO 5).

Alex Perez (4-0, 3 KO's) is a 23-year-old junior middleweight from Newark, NJ who has stopped three of his four opponents. He is a former NJ Golden Gloves Champion.

Henry Crawford (9-0-1 3 KO’s) is an undefeated 25-year-old welterweight from Paterson, NJ who captured the most impressive win of his career on Nov 30, 2005, at Schuetzen Park when he destroyed Tony Grygelko in one round (TKO 1).

Jerson Ravelo (15-1, 10 KO’s) represented the 2000 Dominican Republic Olympic Boxing Team. The 28-year-old light heavyweight lives in Newark, NJ. He has won his last two bouts, and has stopped six opponents in the first round.


For more info: MAIN EVENTS (973) 893-9100
Donald Tremblay
 
  WOMEN'S BOUTS ADDED TO LIGHTNING STRIKES
Two action packed women’s bouts featuring four undefeated female prospects have just been added to the LIGHTNING STRIKES April 21st professional boxing card at Cicero Stadium, it was announced today by Dominic Pesoli, President of 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING.

Cicero Stadium is located at 1909 S. Laramie, just minutes from the Eisenhower and Stevenson Expressways. Doors for this event will open at 7pm with the first bell at 8pm. Tickets, starting at $30 are on sale in advance by calling 312-226-5800.

Stated Pesoli, “These are all very tough skilled women with heavy hands. Our crowds have really enjoyed seeing Rita Figueroa’s battles and our matchmaker Jerry Alfano has done a great job matching up these girls. Of the eight bouts these women have been in, seven have ended by knockout. I expect to see a high level of action as soon as the bell rings”

Continued Pesoli, “The whole card is well matched and that’s what our fans want. We’ve done five professional shows this year, three at Cicero Stadium. The crowds there have been terrific and we’re very appreciative for their continued support.”

“Omar and Emmanuel have both fought on our shows before and they’re both in against hard punching tough guys. The Binkowski/Walker fight should be a slug fest from the opening bell. The other two Polish kids are very solid prospects over there.”

‘Finally, I can’t forget Michael Walker. Last year Jimmy Gonzalez and him put on the best six round fight we’ve seen in Chicago in many years. He just beat Kendall Gould on our show at The Grand Victoria Casino in Rising Sun, Indiana last month and looked terrific knocking him out in the seventh round.”

The full fight card and records are as follows

Michael Walker, 10-0-1 (8), vs. TBA, middleweights, eight rounds
Art Binkowski, 14-1-2 (9) vs. Tipton Walker, 13-12-1 (6), heavyweights, six rounds
Omar Reyes, 2-2 vs. Darby Smart, 9-3 (4), featherweights, six rounds
Emanuel Hernandez, 5-2 (1) vs. Jeff Curran, 1-0 (1), super lightweights, six rounds
Rafal Jackiewicz, 19-8 (10) vs. TBA, welterweights, six rounds
Nora Reyes, 1-0 vs. Stacey Reile, 2-0 (2), featherweights, four rounds
Christina Christian, 4-0 (4) vs. Tachany Evans, 1-0 (1), heavyweights, four rounds
Damian Jonak, 2-0 (1) vs. Mike Hatfield, 0-1, super welterweights, four rounds

To view the seating chart and poster for this event or for more information on 8 Count Productions and the 6,000 square foot JABB Boxing Gym, please visit www.8countproductions.com and www.jabbboxinggym.com

TCF Bank is a subsidiary of TCF Financial Corporation (NYSE: TCB), a $12.7 billion Minnesota-based financial holding company. TCF Bank offers convenient deposit products, lending and business banking services at more than 235 full-service locations in the Chicago and Milwaukee areas, including stores inside most Jewel-Osco Stores and many Cub Foods Stores. Other TCF lines of business offer investment and insurance services, Express Trade Brokerage accounts, as well as mortgage products and services. For more information about TCF Bank or its products, call 1-800-TCF-BANK or visit the TCF Web site at www.tcfexpress.com. Equal Housing Lender. Member FDIC

CREATING CONTENDERS SINCE 1997

Bernie Bahrmasel
Publicist/8 Count Productions
www.8countproductions.com
bbahrmasel@aol.com
 
Thursday, April 20, 2006
  WBO Jr. Welterweight Championship COTTO vs. MALIGNAGGI
SAT., JUNE 10 at MADISON SQUARE GARDENLIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW!BATTLE OF THE UNDEFEATED!

MIGUEL COTTO TO DEFEND WORLD TITLE AGAINST TOP-10 CONTENDER PAULIE “MAGIC MAN” MALIGNAGGI MADISON SQUARE GARDEN JUNE 10, 2006 – LIVE ON PPV!
-----------------------------------------------
UNDEFEATED IRISH SENSATION JOHN DUDDY
TO MAKE FIRST DEFENSE OF WBC CONTINENTAL AMERICAS MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
---------------------------------------------
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL STAR
TOMMY ZBIKOWSKI’S PRO DEBUT!


NEW YORK, NY (March 29, 2006) – Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, present the biggest rumble New York has witnessed since the Jets took on the Sharks. World jr. welterweight champion MIGUEL COTTO, the pride of Puerto Rico, returns to Madison Square Garden to take on undefeated Top-10 contender PAULIE “MAGIC MAN” MALIGNAGGI of Brooklyn, N.Y., Saturday, June 10. Cotto vs. Malignaggi headlines a championship card, which will include six bouts on the Pay Per View telecast.

Highlighting this boxing pay per view extravaganza, in separate bouts, will be undefeated Irish middleweight sensation John Duddy, making his first defense of his WBC Continental Americas title; former world champion “The Flushing Flash” Kevin Kelley; undefeated lightweight contender and son of the Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.; undefeated Puerto Rican featherweight prospect Juan Manuel Lopez; and making his pro debut, Notre Dame defensive back Tony Zbikowski.

Tickets, priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50, are on sale now at the MSG Box Office, TicketMaster outlets & Ticketmaster phone (212/307-7171), and www.ticketmaster.com / www.thegarden.com.

This marks the second consecutive year Cotto, (26-0, 22 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, has headlined at the “Mecca of Boxing” on the eve of New York’s annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade. Last year, he knocked out Muhammad Abdullaev to retain his title in front of a huge crowd.

He faces a tough challenger in Malignaggi, (21-0), who promises he will dethrone Cotto and win the world title.

"I'm going to cash in on this opportunity; my legacy begins by beating Cotto for the WBO title," the outspoken Malignaggi said.

"I just don't want to be the next great Italian fighter, I want to be the next great fighter in the world. I've been under a microscope and 'dissed' by people, but I'm going to prove my detractors wrong.

"Cotto's coming to my house. He's going to find himself unwelcome with nothing there for him except knuckle sandwiches from me. I'm a fresh 21-0 without being in any wars. Cotto is 26-0 with a lot of mileage on him. I'm going to make him 26-1. (Ricardo) Torres put him down and (Chop Chop) Corley had him going. Cotto needed some hometown help from the ref to beat Corley."

Cotto responded, "Malignaggi sure talks a lot. Let's see what happens when we get into the ring. He calls himself the ‘Magic Man’ but on June 10 I’m going to perform a little magic myself and make him disappear."

Cotto is a powerful force who strikes with extreme power. He has defended his world title five times while earning "Puerto Rico Fighter of the Year" honors for the last two years in a row.
"We worked hard for many years to get to this level and I was very proud to receive the Fighter of the Year honor," he said.

Miguel won the WBO world title on September 11, 2004, with a sixth-round TKO against previously undefeated Kelson Pinto. Miguel is experienced against very strong opposition, and has beaten current or former world champions DeMarcus Corley, Randall Bailey, Carlos Maussa, and Cesar Bazan, as well as contenders Ricardo Torres, Muhammad Abdullaev, Kelson Pinto, Victoriano Sosa and Lovemore Ndou.

In Cotto's last fight on March 4 in Bayamon, PR, he TKO'd Gianluca Branco (36-1-1) at Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez and drew a capacity crowd that chanted, "Cotto…Cotto…" during the start of the undercard bouts and continued through the main event.

Miguel gave a strong performance and dominated the fight; he outworked Branco, worked the body well, and steadily wore him down; Branco was cut on his scalp by a clash of heads in the 5th round, and was swollen under his right eye and on the right side of his jaw in the 6th; Miguel landed a left hook to Branco's right shoulder in the 8th round, and Branco grabbed his shoulder in pain and turned away from the action; the referee stopped the fight at 0:49; after seven rounds, Miguel led by scores of 70-63, 69-64, 69-64.

After the fight, Miguel said, "I knew I had to take my time with Branco, I never wanted to be reckless. I felt I was putting enough pressure on him. I felt a lot stronger than him, I was breaking him down. It was just a matter of time. I started to work on him with the first ring of the bell. It wasn't an easy fight, it was a tough fight. He did not hurt me. He had his good punches, but this was our night. He came to try and use his style, to try to block and then punch. I think I looked better than September 24. I'm going to try to do this from now on. The fight with Ricardo Torres was a war, this was a boxing fight. Getting the win is the important thing."
For Additional Information (Media):

Lee Samuels, Top Rank: (702) 732-2717/(702) 378-1083
Ricardo Jimenez, Top Rank/Cotto: (909) 615-3436
Meredith Greenberg, DBE/Malignaggi: (212) 947-2577
Bill Caplan, Top Rank: (818) 515-1616 or (818) 831-0046
John Cirillo, Cirillo World: (212) 972-5337
Fred Sternburg, Sternburg Communications: (303) 740-7746/(303) 548-0707
Ed Keenan, Event Marketing and Communications: (609) 399-1330
Eric Gelfand, Madison Square Garden: (212) 465-6659
 
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
  BARRERA COMES TO CALIFORNIA
GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS’ BIGGEST MONTH EVER CONCLUDES WITH BACK TO BACK HBO MEGACARDS

LOS ANGELES – Golden Boy Promotions, in association with AEG, is ready to present perhaps the most explosive month in the history of the sweet science.

Beginning with a show on Saturday, May 20th, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and concluding with another epic card on Saturday, May 27th at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, some of the greatest fighters in the world – including Marco Antonio Barrera, Rocky Juarez, Jorge Rodrigo Barrios, Jhonny Gonzalez, Fernando Montiel, and Daniel Ponce DeLeon - will be displaying their wares for fight fans watching both live and on HBO.

“I’m amazed at the amount of talent and competitive matchups that we’re going to be able to provide to boxing fans in May,” said Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya, who kicks off the month with his own mega bout against Ricardo Mayorga on May 6th. “I’ve personally never seen a pair of shows like this back to back, and I’m excited that I’ll be able to just sit back and be a fan on both nights.”

The May 20th event at STAPLES Center, which will be televised live by HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:30pm ET / 7:70pm PT, features the return of the legendary Marco Antonio Barrera (61-4, 42 KOs), who will defend his WBC Super Featherweight world championship against 2000 US Olympic Silver medalist Rocky Juarez (25-1, 18 KOs) in a highly anticipated 12 round battle.

In the co-featured bout, Argentinean bomber Jorge Rodrigo ‘La Hiena’ Barrios (45-2-1, 32 KOs), one of boxing’s most exciting fighters, defends his WBO Junior Lightweight crown for the second time when he faces Hungary’s unbeaten Janos “The Bone Cracker” Nagy (23-0, 14 KOs).

Just seven days later, on an HBO Boxing After Dark televised card (10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT) at the Home Depot Center, two more world championships will be on the line. In a main event that has historical implications, WBO Bantamweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez (32-4, 28 KOs) - a concussive puncher with either hand – will get a stern challenge from one of boxing’s best, pound for pound, WBO Junior Bantamweight champ Fernando Montiel (32-1-1, 24 KOs), who will rise in weight to try to win his third world title in a different weight class.

Another WBO champion, Junior Lightweight king Daniel Ponce DeLeon (27-1, 25 KOs), will defend his title for the first time in the co-main event, when he takes on unbeaten Mexican prodigy Alejandro Barrera (18-0, 12 KOs).

Also featured on May 27th is an intriguing welterweight clash between highly regarded contenders Walter Dario Matthysse of Argentina and Paul ‘The Punisher’ Williams of Augusta, Georgia. Combined, these two 147-pound standouts boast a record of 52-0 with 43 knockouts. Unbeaten rising star Abner Mares (8-0, 5 KOs), a member of the 2004 Mexican Olympic team, will also be in action.

Tickets for the May 20th event – Barrera vs Juarez - priced at $50.00, $75.00, $125.00, $200.00 and $300.00, are available at STAPLES Center box office, Ritmo Latino Stores or by calling 213-480-3232. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Tickets for the May 27th event – Gonzalez vs Montiel - priced at $25.00, $50.00, $75.00 and $150.00 are available at THE HOME DEPOT Center box office or by calling 213-480-3232. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information on Golden Boy Promotions, please visit our website at www.goldenboypromotions.com

CONTACTMarylyn AcevesGolden Boy Promotions213-489-5631Marylyn@goldenboyllc.com
 
Sunday, April 16, 2006
  "SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION" TO FEATURE UNDEFEATED PETERSON BROTHERS
Undefeated Junior Welterweight Lamont Peterson vs. "Mayhem'' Matthew Strode

Undefeated Junior Welterweight Anthony Peterson vs. Unbeaten Jermaine "Two Sweet" White

Friday, April 28, 2006, At 11 p.m. ET/PTFrom 4 Bears Casino & Lodge, New Town, North Dakota

NEW YORK - Brothers Lamont and Anthony Peterson of Washington, D.C., grew up homeless, but they feel right at home in the ring. The up-and-coming, unbeaten junior welterweights are a combined 32-0 with 20 knockouts.

Lamont, who at 22 is 14 months older than Anthony, is 16-0 with seven KOs.

Anthony is 16-0 with 13 KOs.

In their SHOWTIME debuts, the talented three-year pros will co-headline an excellent fight card Friday, April 28, 2006, on "ShoBox: The New Generation'' (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast). The bouts will represent the 11th time that the Petersons have appeared on the same fight card.

Both Petersons have been matched tough. Lamont will face Matthew Strode (20-1, 9 KOs) of Greensboro, N.C. by way of Philadelphia, in a 10-round bout. Anthony will meet Jermaine White (12-0, 7 KOs), of Gary, Ind., in an eight rounder.

The card will originate from the 4 Bears Casino & Lodge in New Town, North Dakota, and will be promoted by Brian Young's Prizefight Boxing. Two of 12 children, Lamont and Anthony are well-acquainted with the trials and tribulations of inner-city strife. By the age of 10, the brothers were left to fend for themselves on the mean streets of D.C. With their biological father in prison and their mother battling personal demons, the Petersons spent days washing windows of cars at intersections and nights sleeping in bus stations or breaking into a basement to find shelter.

For two years, they bounced between foster homes and lived in cars. Forced to survive on a day-to-day, meal-to-meal basis, their youth was effectively stolen.

"We lived in a big house we owned," Lamont said. "There were seven of us kids living with my mother and father. Then my father started getting into drugs. He got caught and went to jail. He wound up coming home to take the rent money. First the lights went out, then the water. So, we ended up living in a house without lights or water. "Eventually we got kicked out. The seven of us had to sleep in the station wagon for two or three days before we could get into a shelter home. After we lived there for two years, we ended up back on the streets. Some nights we walked the streets, some nights we stayed in greyhound stations. We did whatever we could to survive.''

Fortunately, the brothers now have a roof over their heads - they share an apartment - and their father is back in their life. Much of the credit for the Petersons making it through the most turbulent of times and getting to this point in their lives and careers goes to Barry Hunter, a trainer and confidant who met Lamont when he was 10 and Anthony was eight. Hunter treated the Petersons as his own sons.

Both blossomed under Hunter's watchful eye and today are well-spoken, humble, and joyous young men who also happen to be terrific fighters.

"One look at the Peterson brothers brings a single word to mind: class," ShoBox analyst Steve Farhood said. "Their boxing skills are superb, and they are technically sound. Lamont is so dominant as a boxer that he can dig his toes into the canvas to improve his power without leaving himself vulnerable.

All that is missing is fight-ending power.

"Being brothers might work against these guys because the public initially will have trouble separating them. Their styles are similar, they have been fighting on the same cards, and, at most, they are one weight class apart. "That aside, they belong on 'ShoBox' because any talk of sizzling prospects has to include the Peterson brothers.'' Lamont has been fighting for nearly half of his life. "I used to fight in the streets a lot." Lamont said. "My brother-in-law took me to the gym when I was 10 or 11 years old after my brother and I got out of foster care. I wanted to start boxing when I was eight, but we went into foster care for two years. They did not let us box there."

Both Lamont and Anthony, who are co-managed by Shelly Finkel and Brian Young, made it to the finals at the 2004 United States Olympic Trials before losing to the eventual U.S. representatives at 132 and 141 pounds. In a classy move, Lamont had elected to vacate his spot at 132 and move up to 141, freeing up a slot for his younger brother on the Olympic team. Lamont, the nation's top amateur boxer heading into the Trials, lost a disputed decision to Rock Allen. A five-time national Golden Gloves champion who compiled a 168-20 amateur record, Peterson was forced to be an alternate.

While the Petersons excelled in the amateurs, their styles seem more suited for the pro ranks. Behind a stiff jab and solid body work, both dole out punishment in a methodical, workman-like fashion.

"When Lamont and Anthony first came into the gym, I never trained them like a regular junior or amateur," Hunter said. "They used to get into trouble when they were younger fighting in the juniors because they fought so much like pros."

While a championship remains the ultimate goal, a higher ideal appears to resonate in each step the Petersons take.

"We are not in this for the money'' Anthony insisted, "or even the history books. We are doing it for the kids from where we come from. Because we come from nothing, we can show the kids there is a way out. You can do it if we can do it.'' The drive to succeed on multiple levels fuels both fighters.

It is this willingness to give back which may serve as inspiration when the Petersons face adversity on the championship level.

"My brother and I always knew that we should never give up," Lamont said. "No matter how hard it is -- we went through harder things. So we will never give up.''


The telecast represents the 75th in the "ShoBox" series, which debuted on SHOWTIME in July 2001. "ShoBox" features up-and-coming prospects determined to make a mark and eventually fight for a chance at a world title. A number of fighters who have appeared on the series have gone on to become world champions, including Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Juan Diaz, Leonard Dorin, Joan Guzman and Scott Harrison.

Nick Charles will call the action from ringside, with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of the telecast is Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan producing.

For information on "ShoBox: The New Generation" and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts, including complete fighter bios, records, related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME website at http://www.sho.com/boxing.
 
  HBO SPORTS PRESENTS AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT OF HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE ACTION
WHEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: CHRIS BYRD VS. WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO IS SEEN LIVE SATURDAY, APRIL 22, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

HBO heads overseas for a heavyweight title showdown when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: CHRIS BYRD VS. WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO is seen live from the SAP Arena in Manheim, Germany on SATURDAY, APRIL 22 at the special times of (5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT) with a second broadcast on HBO at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) the same evening.

The HBO Sports team of Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant will be ringside for the event, which will be closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

HBO2 playdates: APRIL 23 (8:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m.) and 25 (11:00 p.m.).

All times ET/PT.In a rematch that appears like the completion of a trilogy, title-holder Chris Byrd (39-2-1, 20 KOs) from Las Vegas, NV takes on Ukrainian native Wladimir Klitschko (45-3, 40 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round heavyweight title fight.

Byrd, making his third trip to Germany to fight a heavyweight named Klitschko, initially faced off and defeated Vitali Klitschko in April of 2000, confirming Byrd's ability to rise to the challenge at hand.

In October of 2000, he went back to Germany and absorbed a loss at the hands of Wladimir, who had vowed to avenge the family loss. Byrd, a native of Flint, Mich., is currently on a nine-fight winning streak during which he captured the title status he currently enjoys.Wladimir, 30, who was detoured by two losses in his last eight fights, is on a three-bout winning streak and is looking to regain a title for the Klitschko family, which has become enormously popular in the German boxing world.

Vitali, who held a world title, retired at the close of 2005 from a string of injuries. Now younger brother Wladimir has a chance to shine in the spotlight against one of the craftiest professionals on the scene.
 
Saturday, April 15, 2006
  8 Count Productions announces spring schedule
LUCIANO PEREZ RETURNS TO THE RING ON THURSDAY, APRIL 27TH

“MACHO” MIGUEL HERNANDEZ FACES FORMER WORLD CHAMPION RAUL MARQUEZ ON SATURDAY, APRIL 29TH

WAR BY THE SHORE HITS THE ARAGON BALLROOM ON FRIDAY, MAY 12TH

BETTER BOYS FOUNDATION BENEFIT, FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS 2006--AMATEUR BOXING AT THE PARK WEST THEATER ON FRIDAY, MAY 12TH

JOSE HERNANDEZ AND MIKE GONZALEZ BACK IN ACTION ON CYSTIC FIBROSIS BENEFIT SHOW ON SATURDAY, MAY 20TH AT THE ARAGON BALLROOM

FOURTH INSTALLMENT OF FIGHT CLUB RETURNS TO THE PARK WEST THEATER ON FRIDAY, JUNE 2ND

FREDDY CUEVAS BATTLES JOHN DUDDY IN NEW YORK CITY ON SATURDAY, JUNE 10TH

DAVID DIAZ HEADLINES AT THE ARAGON BALLROOM ON FRIDAY, JUNE 16TH

Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING has announced a massive spring schedule of events featuring Chicagoland’s most popular fighters.

Said Pesoli, “It’s an incredibly busy time and our crowds continue to grow, our fight cards this year have been terrific with fantastic bouts and we’ve had a chance to showcase Macho, Luciano and Freddie on other shows in Louisiana, New York City and California. We’ve already done six pro shows and one Fight Club event and sponsored the Chicago Golden Gloves for three weeks and the rest of the year shows no let up.”

Continued Pesoli, “The announcements I’m making today are just what we’ve confirmed for the spring, I’ve got quite a few other things which should be finalized shortly.”

The previously announced LIGHTNING STRIKES event scheduled for Friday, April 21st at Cicero Stadium features the following fights;

Michael Walker, 10-0-1 (8), vs. TBA, middleweights, eight rounds
Art Binkowski, 14-1-2 (9) vs. Tipton Walker, 13-12-1 (6), heavyweights, six rounds
Omar Reyes, 2-2 vs. Darby Smart, 9-3 (4), featherweights, six rounds
Emanuel Hernandez, 5-2 (1) vs. Jeff Curran, 1-0 (1), super lightweights, six rounds
Rafal Jackiewicz, 19-8 (10) vs. TBA, welterweights, six rounds
Nora Reyes, 1-0 vs. Stacey Reile, 2-0 (2), featherweights, four rounds
Christina Christian, 4-0 (4) vs. TBA, heavyweights, four rounds
Damian Jonak, 2-0 (1) vs. TBA, super welterweights, four rounds

Cicero Stadium is located at 1909 S. Laramie, just minutes from the Eisenhower and Stevenson Expressways. Doors for this event will open at 7pm with the first bell at 8pm. Tickets, starting at $30 are on sale in advance by calling 312-226-5800.

On Thursday, April 27th, Chicagoland knockout artist, Luciano “El Mohicano” Perez, 13-3-1 (12) heads to the San Miguel Casino in Highland, California to take on Los Angeles native, Calvin Odom, 14-8 (10) in a ten round welterweight fight. Perez is coming off a SOLO BOXEO broadcast sixth round knockout of Carson Jones on February 17th at Cicero Stadium on the 8 Count Productions’ HEART AND SOUL event.

On Saturday, April 29th, WBC United States Middleweight champion “MACHO” Miguel Hernandez, 19-3 (9) takes on former world champion Raul “El Diamante” Marquez, 35-3 (24) in a scheduled 10 round middleweight bout at the Coushetta Casino and Resort in Kinder, Louisiana.

On Friday, May 12th, 8 Count Productions teams up with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions to present “WAR BY THE SHORE” an internationally televised SOLO BOXEO De Miller event at the Aragon Ballroom featuring the return to Chicago of super bantamweight Antonio Escalante, 11-1 (7) of El Paso, Texas in a ten round bout against Santa Clarita, California native Juan Ruiz, 21-2 (6). Escalante’s last bout was a Fight of the Year candidate against Jose Hernandez on January 27th on the 8 Count Productions RING OF FIRE event at Cicero Stadium.

Also featured on the “WAR BY THE SHORE” event is hot super bantamweight prospect and 2000 Olympian Abner Mares, 8-0 (5) in the ten round co-main event. In an eight round special attraction bout, Chicago’s most popular women’s fighter, Rita Figueroa, 7-0 (3) will take on Fort Worth native Rita Serrano, 3-2 (1) for the Women’s International Boxing Association, FEDARLATINA Lightweight Title.

Other Chicagoland favorites on the card include light heavyweight Mike Nevitt, super featherweight Barbaro Zepeda and welterweight Jose Manuel Ortega.

The Aragon Ballroom is located at 1106 W. Lawrence Avenue on the north side of Chicago. Doors for this event will open at 6pm, with the first bell scheduled for 7pm. Tickets starting at $25 are available in advance by calling 312-226-5800.

Also on Friday, May 12th, 8 Count Productions will present the finest in Chicagoland amateur boxing, FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS 2006, a benefit for the Better Boys Foundation. Tickets can be obtained in advance by calling 773-277-9582.

On Saturday, May 20th, featherweight warrior Jose Hernandez, 19-3 (13) will return to the ring at the Aragon Ballroom in an eight round attraction as part of the ROCK AND BOX benefit for cystic fibrosis. Also undefeated hot lightweight prospect Mike Gonzalez, 6-0 (6) will be featured in a six round bout. Tickets for this event can be obtained by calling Matt Johnson at 847-494-0536.

On Friday, June 2nd, JABB Boxing Gym will present the fourth installment of FIGHT CLUB, Chicagoland’s finest white collar amateur boxing series. Advance tickets are now on sale by calling the 8 Count Productions’ office at 312-226-5800.

On Saturday, June 10th, “CLASSY” Freddie Cuevas, 25-8-1 (17) travels to New York City to face unbeaten middleweight prospect John Duddy, 16-0 (14) at the legendary Madison Square Garden in a ten round bout. The Cuevas/Duddy bout will be televised on Pay Per View as part of the Miguel Cotto/Paulie Malignaggi, super lightweight championship showdown event.

On Friday, June 16th, lightweight David Diaz, 30-1-1 (16) will headline a huge evening of professional boxing at the Aragon Ballroom in a ten round bout. Diaz is coming off a ten round unanimous decision over Silverio Ortiz on March 17th on the 8 Count Productions’ MADNESS IN MARCH event.

Much more information on these events will be announced very shortly.

For more information on 8 Count Productions and the 6,000 square foot JABB Boxing Gym, please visit http://www.8countproductions.com/ and http://www.jabbboxinggym.com/

CREATING CONTENDERS SINCE 1997

Bernie Bahrmasel
Publicist/8 Count Productions
http://www.8countproductions.com/
bbahrmasel@aol.com
 
Friday, April 14, 2006
  Showtime adds cruiserweight bout to Garcia-Rivera card
IBF No. 1 Cruiserweight Contender Steve "U.S.S." Cunninghamvs.IBF No. 2 Cruiserweight Contender Guillermo "El Felino" Jones Saturday, May 6, 2006, At 9 p.m. ET/PTDCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts


NEW YORK (April 10, 2006) - The top two cruiserweights in the International Boxing Federation (IBF), Steve "USS" Cunningham (19-0, 10 KOs) and Guillermo "El Felino" Jones (33-3-2, 26 KOs), will collide for the IBF cruiserweight crown.

The belt became vacant when O'Neil Bell was stripped for not defending against Cunningham, his mandatory challenger.

Cunningham, of Philadelphia, is ranked No. 1 in the IBF, No. 2 in the WBC and WBO, and No. 4 in the WBA. A talented boxer-puncher, who was an All-Navy Military champion, is trained by the legendary Richie Giachetti.

Cunningham is coming off a fifth-round TKO over Lloyd Bryan on Jan. 7, 2006, but his biggest win came when he outpointed former world champion Kelvin Davis across 12 rounds in an IBF eliminator Sept. 3, 2005.

Cunningham also owns a victory over Jones. In a good, close fight on April 2, 2005, he recorded a 10-round split decision win by the scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 93-97. Jones, of Colon, Panama, is 11-1-1 in his last 13 starts. He has won two straight against former cruiserweight titleholders since falling short to Cunningham.

In his last start, Jones scored a fourth-round TKO over Wayne Braithwaite on Sept. 3, 2005, in Cleveland on SHOWTIME. On May 21, 2005, Jones registered a fourth-round TKO over Davis in Chicago. Jones twice fought for the WBA junior middleweight title, but has been campaigning as a cruiserweight since 2002. He fought to a controversial 12-round draw against WBO cruiserweight champ Johnny Nelson on Nov. 23, 2002.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING's Steve Albert and Al Bernstein will call the action from ringside with Jim Gray serving as roving reporter. The producer of the SHOWTIME telecast will be Ray Smaltz with Bob Dunphy directing. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING celebrates 20 years of hard-hitting, explosive programming in 2006.
 
Monday, April 10, 2006
  ART BINKOWSKI VS. TIPTON WALKER JUST ADDED TO FULLY LOADED LIGHTNING STRIKES CARD
AT CICERO STADIUM
TICKETS ON SALE NOW BY CALLING 312-226-5800

Polish heavyweight prospect Art Binkowki will face tough Benton Harbor, MI native Tipton Walker in a special attraction bout just added to the LIGHTNING STRIKES April 21st professional boxing card at Cicero Stadium, it was announced today by Dominic Pesoli, President of 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING.

Cicero Stadium is located at 1909 S. Laramie, just minutes from the Eisenhower and Stevenson Expressways. Doors for this event will open at 7pm with the first bell at 8pm. Tickets, starting at $30 are on sale in advance by calling 312-226-5800.

Binkowki, “The Polish Warrior” is making his return to the ring after a 10 month layoff which saw him portray Corn Griffin in the award winning Cinderella Man movie last year, the story of heavyweight champion Jim Braddock. Braddock’s TKO stoppage of Griffin in the third round on June 14, 1934 at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Long Island City, NY is an integral part of the movie as both fighters had been down in the second round.

Binkowski’s portrayal of Griffin was noted by Hall of Fame trainer Angelo Dundee and Academy Award Winners Ron Howard and Russell Crowe for it’s authenticity.

Although Binkowski, 14-1-2 (9KO’s) has fought previously in Chicago, this is his first appearance on an 8 Count Productions’ event. His last bout in Chicago was a draw with fellow contender with Charles Hatcher on November 24, 2004.

Walker, 13-12-1 (6KO’s) is returning to the 8 Count Productions’ ring in which his last appearance was a fourth TKO destruction of then highly regarded Chicago contender Chris Thomas.

Said Pesoli of the matchup. “Art’s been off for a while with the movie but he’s in tough right off the bat with Walker. This is a terrific matchup, both guys are very heavy handed and will be throwing hard leather from the opening.

It’s a real fight fans bout, as it’s only a six rounder, they’ll be throwing bombs early and often.”

Continued Pesoli, “Art’s been a solid prospect for a while and a big draw to the Polish fans here in Chicago. Walker’s annihilation of Thomas was the night Jorge Paez fought on our show at DePaul and we had about 3,500 fans there that night. While they no doubt enjoyed seeing Paez, I’m sure they still remember the hard punching Walker.”

The Binkowski/Walker fight is part of an eight bout action packed card at Cicero Stadium.

The full fight card and records are as follows

Michael Walker, 10-0-1 (8), vs. TBA, middleweights, eight rounds
Art Binkowski, 14-1-2 (9) vs. Tipton Walker, 13-12-1 (6), heavyweights, six rounds
Jorge Gonzalez, 4-0 vs. Rashad Holloway, 3-1 (2), super welterweights, six rounds
Omar Reyes, 2-2 vs. Darby Smart, 9-3 (4), featherweights, six rounds
Emanuel Hernandez, 5-2 (1) vs. Jeff Curran, 1-0 (1), super lightweights, six rounds
Rafal Jackiewicz, 19-8 (10) vs. TBA, welterweights, six rounds
Nora Reyes, 1-0 vs. TBA, featherweights, four rounds
Christina Christian, 4-0 (4) vs. TBA, heavyweights, four rounds

To view the seating chart and poster for this event or for more information on 8 Count Productions and the 6,000 square foot JABB Boxing Gym, please visit http://www.8countproductions.com/ and http://www.jabbboxinggym.com/
 
Sunday, April 09, 2006
  GATTI TO BATTLE WORLD WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION CARLOS BALDOMIR JULY 22, FOR WELTERWEIGHT TITLE
***APRIL 12 NYC PRESS CONFERENCE***

WHO: CARLOS BALDOMIR, WBC Welterweight Champion, 42-9-6, 12 KOs, Santa Fe, Argentina

ARTURO “Thunder” GATTI, 40-7, 31 KOs, Three-Time World Champion, Jersey City, NJ

WHAT: Press conference to announce their July 22 WBC Welterweight Championship bout. 1-on-1’s will be available.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 12, 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Argentine Pavillion, 32 West 46th (between 5th & 6th Ave.), Manhattan
(212) 921-0835

WHY: Arturo Gatti, boxing’s most exciting fighter and one of its most popular stars, returns to the ring July 22 when he battles WBC world-recognized linear welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, it was announced today by Main Events CEO Kathy Duva. (Baldomir is also recognized as The Ring magazine’s welterweight champion and will be presented with The Ring’s Championship Belt at the press conf).

Main Events is promoting the evening of boxing, in association with Sycuan Ringside Promotions of San Diego and Caesars Atlantic City. The 12-round championship bout will be broadcast on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing” series.

Tickets, priced at $400, $250, $150, $100 and $ 50, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

For more info.: Donald Tremblay, Main Events: (973) 893-9100
Michael Marley, Sycuan Ringside Promotions: (917) 853-4484
Ed Keenan, EMC: (609) 399-1330
 
Saturday, April 08, 2006
  GATTI REPAIRS LIGAMENT IN RIGHT HAND CLEARED TO RETURN TO RING
BLOOMFIELD, NJ - Boxing superstar Arturo Gatti underwent minor elective surgery to repair the torn ligament in his right hand that has caused him problems in his past few bouts, it was announced by Main Events CEO Kathy Duva.

Gatti chose February for the elective surgery so that he would be ready in plenty of time for his June/July return to the ring on HBO.Gatti’s manager Pat Lynch reports that Gatti’s ligament was re-attached by Dr. Charles Malone at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, NY.

Lynch also said that Malone cleared Gatti to fight.

In his last bout on January 28, 2006, Gatti (40-7, 31 KO’s) stopped undefeated Danish welterweight Thomas Damgaard (TKO 11).
 
Thursday, April 06, 2006
  8 COUNT PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS LIGHTNING STRIKES
ON FRIDAY, APRIL 21ST AT CICERO STADIUM
ACTION PACKED CARD WITH 8 FIGHTS FEATURING
CHICAGOLAND FAVORITES JORGE GONZALEZ, OMAR REYES
AND EMMANUEL HERNANDEZ,
POLISH NATIONALS RAFAL JACKIEWICZ AND PAWEL KOLODZIEJ,
FEMALE PROSPECTS NORA REYES AND CHRISTINA CHRISTIAN
SPECIAL ATTRACTION MIDDLEWEIGHT MICHAEL WALKER
TICKETS ON SALE NOW BY CALLING 312-226-5800

Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, along with Miller Lite and TCF Bank present LIGHTNING STRIKES, a terrific evening of professional boxing on Friday, April 21st at Cicero Stadium.

Tickets, starting at $30 are on sale in advance by calling 312-226-5800.

Cicero Stadium is located at 1909 S. Laramie, just minutes from the Eisenhower and Stevenson Expressways. Doors for this event will open at 7pm with the first bell at 8pm.

Said Pesoli, President of 8 Count Productions, ‘This is our fourth show this year at Cicero Stadium and the crowds have been terrific for each show. They’ve seen great fights and this event has much more of the same. We’ve got a wide array of fighters from local favorites like Jorge, Omar and Emmanuel. Then we’ve got four fighters making their 8 Count Productions’ debut including Rafal and Pawel from Poland both of whom are very tough and highly skilled guys.”

“Then we have two female boxers I’m very happy to have on our show, Nora Reyes and Christina Christian. They’re both undefeated and they’re both very good fighters. I think our fans will take to them just like they have to Rita Figueroa.”

“Finally, we’re bringing back Michael Walker, he’s a very tough kid who had a war with Jimmy Gonzalez last summer on our show at the Aragon. Our fans still talk about that fight and what a brutal fight it was. He recently knocked out Kendall Gould on our show at The Grand Victoria Casino in Rising Sun, Indiana and is looking to keep on moving up in the rankings.”

Continued Pesoli, “Our matchmaker Jerry Alfano continues to do a great job making our fights. Our fans don’t want to see mismatches and we have no interest in promoting them. He’s made the bouts already for Jorge, Omar, and Emmanuel and they’re all in tough. We’ll announce the rest as soon as they’re finalized.”

The full fight card and records is

Michael Walker, 10-0-1 (8), vs. TBA, middleweights, eight round
Jorge Gonzalez, 4-0 vs. Rashad Holloway, 3-1 (2), junior middleweights, six rounds
Omar Reyes, 2-2 vs. Darby Smart, 9-3 (4), featherweights, six rounds
Emmanuel Hernandez, 5-2 (1) vs. Jeff Curran, 1-0 (1), junior welterweights, six rounds
Rafal Jackiewicz, 19-8 (10) vs. TBA, welterweights, six rounds
Pawel Kolodziej, 12-0 (7) vs. TBA, cruiserweights, six rounds
Nora Reyes, 1-0 vs. TBA, featherweights, four rounds
Christina Christian, 4-0 (4) vs. TBA, heavyweights, four rounds

To view the seating chart and poster for this event or for more information on 8 Count Productions and the 6,000 square foot JABB Boxing Gym, please visit www.8countproductions.com and www.jabbboxinggym.com
 
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
  8 COUNT PRODUCTIONS SPONSORS 2006 CHICAGO GOLDEN GLOVES
8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING is once again proud to sponsor the Chicago Golden Gloves tournament for the second year in a row, it was announced today by Dominic Pesoli, President of 8 Count Productions.

Said Pesoli, “8 Count Productions is very happy to play a role in the development of these amateur fighters. Numerous pro fighters that our fans see at our events were Chicago Golden Glove champions, guys like David Diaz, Jose Hernandez, Rudy Cisneros, Jorge Gonzalez and Jimmy Gonzalez were all very successful amateurs.” “Many of the current participants train at our place, JABB Boxing Gym and our team looks forward to supporting them at St.
Andrews.”

The Chicago Golden Gloves runs through Friday, April 7th.

For more information on ordering tickets and the schedule of bouts, please visit their website at www.chicagogoldengloves.com For more information on 8 Count Productions including their next event, THUNDER STRIKES at Cicero Stadium on Friday April 21, please visit their website at www.8countproductions.com

Additional information on the 6,000 square foot JABB Boxing Gym, home to Chicago’s finest pro and amateur boxers, can be obtained by visiting their website at www.jabbboxing.com

CREATING CONTENDERS SINCE 1997

Bernie BahrmaselPublicist/8 Count Productionswww.8countproductions.com bbahrmasel@aol.com
 
Monday, April 03, 2006
  SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING PRESENTS DIEGO CORRALES-JOSE LUIS CASTILLO 3
WBC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

WBC Lightweight Champion Diego "Chico" Corrales vs. Former Two-Time WBC Lightweight Champion Jose Luis Castillo Saturday, June 3, 2006, At 9 p.m. ET/PT From Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

NEW YORK - It is official! Diego "Chico'' Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo are signed, sealed and ready to deliver once again LIVE on SHOWTIME Saturday, June 3, 2006 (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

The world's most talented and courageous lightweights will collide in their eagerly awaited rubber match for Corrales' World Boxing Council (WBC) title at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 12-round world title bout will be co-promoted by Top Rank, Inc., and Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, in association with Caesars Palace and Wynn Las Vegas. Let the questions begin.

Can Castillo make 135 pounds? Can Corrales bounce back after getting knocked out in their last meeting? Did Castillo have an unfair advantage in the rematch? Is Corrales completely healed from a rib injury that caused their Feb. 4 fight to be postponed? Can Castillo perform with more intensity than he did in his most recent outing? How much does Corrales have left? Can the third chapter end with a clear winner and without controversy? Most importantly, who is the most talented lightweight boxer in the world?

Stay tuned to America's No. 1 Boxing Network. All of your questions will be answered when the 20th anniversary celebration of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING continues on June 3. Simply, it doesn't get any better.

"I fully expect this fight to be a rerun of the original in both action and result," said Gary Shaw. "This will not just be Chico's coronation, but Castillo's retirement. Corrales-Castillo 3 will successfully defend its title as fight of the year!"

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum added: "This is a real fight, an exciting world title fight between two great champions who have explosive knockout power. Fight fans throughout the world will be anxious to see this showdown of big punchers."

Corrales (40-3, 33 KOs) won the historic first bout against Castillo - and the near-unanimous 2005 Fight of the Year -- when he dramatically rallied from the brink of defeat to register a memorable 10th-round TKO to unify the title and capture the WBC lightweight belt on May 7, 2005.

Castillo (54-7-1, 47 KOs) won the brief, but brutal sequel on Oct. 8, also at Thomas & Mack, with an impressive and sudden fourth-round knockout. Despite losing the rematch, Corrales came away with both his world title belts because Castillo failed to make the 135-pound limit and one of his camp members was caught trying to tamper with the scale at the weigh-in.

"I feel fine. My rib is fine," Corrales said. "I would be lying if I said I was not thinking about Castillo and whether he can make 135 pounds, but I have to prepare as if he will make the weight easily and be at full strength. "What has happened in the past is history. We have each won once. Now, it comes down to who wins on June 3. I respect Castillo and I think he respects me, but it is time to get down to business one more time. This is what boxing is all about. I cannot wait for June 3.''

Said Castillo: "I said after our last fight that if they wanted to make this like the 'Rocky' movie series, I did not care. I will fight Corrales five or six times. I am not worried about the weight, or making the weight. It won't be easy, but I will do it. "Corrales comes forward and wants to fight. I love his style. On June 3, we will give the fans another great fight.''
 
Sunday, April 02, 2006
  HOLYFIELD TO ENDORSE GRANT BOXING PRODUCTS
New York --- Evander Holyfield, four time world boxing heavyweight champion, has signed on to endorse a brand new line of Grant Boxing equipment that will be available at retail.

Grant Boxing, Inc. began when owner Grant Elvis Phillips, at 28 years of age, established himself as the youngest trainer and manager of a world champion in professional boxing ever.

In 1996, he began making custom products for high-profile fighters. Phillips soon cultivated world-class athletes such as Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather, Winky Wright and Laila Ali as loyal customers.

Grant Boxing, Inc., manufacturer, marketer and licensor of the hand crafted boxing equipment and apparel, recently teamed with Century Incorporated, to license and market Grant products on a retail level. Century is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of individual contact sports equipment.

Under the promotion agreement, Grant products will make their retail debut by hitting stores with an upscale line of boxing equipment and accessories offered nationally by Century. To learn more about this exciting new product line please call Century at (800) 654-4701.

"It is truly an honor to have such highly esteemed boxing professionals promote Grant products. Now the world will be introduced to the highest quality gloves available, deemed the best equipment out there by remarkable fighters," Phillips said.
 
Saturday, April 01, 2006
  BALDOMIR-GATTI TICKETS TO GO ON SALE
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (March 30, 2006) – Tickets for the highly-anticipated Carlos Baldomir-Arturo Gatti WBC World Welterweight Championship will go on sale to the public on Saturday, April 1 at 11:00 am ET, it was announced today by Main Events CEO Kathy Duva.

Main Events is promoting the evening of boxing, in association with Sycuan Ringside Promotions of San Diego and Caesars Atlantic City.

The 12-round championship bout will be broadcast on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing” series.

Tickets, priced at $400, $250, $150, $100 and $ 50 can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420.

Baldomir (42-9-6, 12 KOs) shocked the universally recognized welterweight champion Zab Judah Jan. 7, 2006, to win the welterweight title (W 12). The 34-year-old Santa Fe, Argentina, native has not lost a bout in more than five years, compiling an 18-0-2 record in his past 20 bouts.

Gatti (40-7, 31 KOs) is a two-time world champion who is responsible for several of the top non-heavyweight live gates in the history of Atlantic City, NJ. The 33-year-old Jersey City, NJ, resident by way of Montreal, Canada, dismantled undefeated Danish bruiser Thomas Damgaard in his most recent bout Jan 28, 2006, (TKO 11). Gatti has won six of his past seven bouts and is ranked No. 2 by the World Boxing Council and No. 6 by The Ring magazine.

For more info: Main Events: (973) 893-9100 Donald Tremblay
Sycuan Ringside Promotions: (917) 853-4484 Michael Marley
 
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