[truebluefan]

Harding Injured, Pulls Out of George Bout​

Citing a "thumb injury", Eric Harding has pulled out of the feature bout on Thursday, Dec. 6th against 15-2-2 Shaun George. "We're all extremely disappointed that Harding is not fighting," stated Hall of Fame Boxing President Donna Brooks. "This was going to be Shaun's 'coming out' party and showcase his numerous talents. Needless to say Shaun is thoroughly disgusted with this turn of events, however the December 6h show at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark will go on as scheduled. We ve been fortunate to secure a quality replacememnt for Shaun on such short notice in Jackson, Tennessee's Thomas Reid. Reid is always in there fighting, and in his last 2 bouts, fought area stars James McGirt Jr. and Contender finalist Jaidon Codington."

"He's has been in with seasoned, world class boxers such as Prince Badi, Yusef Mack, Montell Griffin, and defeated knockout artist James Butler, he's a durable veteran and will be in there fighting the whole 10 rounds", added Brooks.

The show also features young rising stars Alex Perez of Newark, 7-0, NY's 4-0 Ronny Vargas, Butler, NJ heavyweight Scott Fairlamb, John Walsh of Irvington making his pro debut and former amature standout, Jorge Diaz, 1-0. Tickets are still available at $35., $50. and $75. Doors open 6:30pm, first bout 7:30pm. For more information call Hall of Fame Boxing at (973) 872-1062.

 

[truebluefan]

Tavoris Cloud Returns on December 14

Undefeated and world ranked light heavyweight Tavoris Cloud of Tallahassee, Florida will return to the ring at DECEMBER FURY on Friday, December 14th at Cicero Stadium, it was announced today by Dominic Pesoli, President of 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING.

Advance tickets for DECEMBER FURY are available 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 5:30pm with the first bell at 6:30pm.

Cloud, 16-0 with 15 knockouts, is currently world ranked # 10 by the IBF and # 14 by the WBO.

In his most recent battle, Cloud knocked out Jose Luis Herrera in the fifth round at Chicago’s Congress Theatre on August 24th. The full bout including the devastating KO can be viewed at YouTube.com.

Speaking from his training camp in Miami, the 25 year old Cloud spoke of his knockout of Herrera, “We were both similar in skills so it was a good matchup. After he cut me with the head butt in the 4th round, I stepped on the gas in the 5th and drilled him with an overhand right which caused the stoppage. I’m not sure it was my best performance, I’ll leave others to judge that after viewing the bout.”

Continued Cloud, “I’m getting better each time out but I don’t really consider myself a knockout artist. I’m more of a pressure fight and that with my power in both hands, my array of punches and my solid chin I’m ready for anyone at 175.”

In regards to his specific plans for the future the modest Cloud stated, “I’m happy to be in the rankings of the IBF and WBO and I’m ready to fight anyone ahead of me. There’s no one specific, if they’re above me I want to get in the ring with them and find out whose better. I’m expecting 2008 to be a big year for me and I’m more than ready for it.”

More information on Cloud’s fight at DECEMBER FURY will be announced shortly.

The massive nine bout DECEMBER FURY is headlined by a ten round featherweight battle featuring two time world title challenger Orlando Salido, 28-9-2 (18KO’s) of Sonora, Mexico squaring off against Hector Julio Avila, 39-3 (36KO’s) of the Dominican Republic.

The co-main event is a ten round lightweight bout between Mexico City‘s Miguel “EL ANESTESISTA” Huerta, 25-8-1 and Puerto Rican Daniel Alicea, 30-6-2 (22KO’s).

Also appearing on the DECEMBER FURY undercard in separate bouts are Chicago favorites Francisco Rodriguez, Victor Polyakov, Francisco Tafoya and Carl Davis along with newcomers Eric Estrada and Greg Dziubek.

The Master of Ceremonies for DECEMBER FURY will be Lupe Contreras, the internationally recognized voice of Latino boxing.

 

[truebluefan]

Prize Fight signs hot prospect Fernando Guerrero

Memphis, TN - Christmas has come early for Memphis based promoters Prize Fight Boxing, with the signing of red-hot amateur prospect and much sought after 20 year old middleweight Fernando Guerrero to a multiyear promotional contract.

The American media has been slow to react to the buzz about Guerrero. But Prize Fight is looking to change all that when he steps into the ring for the first time as a professional on the successful fight series “Fights at the Fitz” Saturday, December 8, at the Fitzgeralds Casino in Tunica, Miss., as Prize Fight closes out yet another successful year of sold out fights.

The Dominican native, who moved to Salisbury, MD, at the age of eight with his family, has had an exceptional amateur career. Recently, Guerrero put on an impressive show at the U.S National Championships in Colorado Springs back in June 2007. Guerrero forced Terrance Hanaway of Lander, NY, to retire, stopped Donta Woods of Atlanta, GA, before going all the way to winning first place after an all out war against Shawn Porter of Cuyohoga Falls, OH.

“After watching Fernando fight in Colorado Springs I quickly realized he was the hottest prospect I had seen in years. He possesses the speed, power and skills to become a World Champion, I knew I had to make it a top priority to sign Guerrero to the Prize Fight stable. The process took five months, but with the help of Barry Hunter and Hal Chernoff, we were able to come to terms on a promotional agreement.

Under the tutelage of Barry Hunter, trainer to the super duo World Ranked and Prize Fight promoted Peterson Brothers, Fernando will be on a fast track to building his career,” stated Russ Young.

“We are obviously very excited to sign with Prize Fight, they have a great reputation as one of the best promoters in the business… we are looking forward to getting in the ring and fighting our way to the top, we could not be happier,” said manager Hal Chernoff.

Tickets available for purchase at the Fitz's gift shop priced at $35.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m. with the first fight at 7:15 p.m. For tickets call the Fitz at 1-800 766-5825 or Prize Fight Promotions 662 349-6263.

 

[truebluefan]

Arthur Abraham Promises Win Number 25

IBF middleweight champion King Arthur Abraham has vowed not to underestimate Wayne Elcock when the two lock horns in Switzerland on Saturday night. The duo today underwent a public work-out in Basle during which both fighters proved their skills. "I have prepared two different tactics," undefeated Abraham revealed. "Depending on how the fight goes, I´ll choose one. But it is my plan to keep Elcock at bay and let him tire during the early stages. Then I will try and go for the kill."

Abraham last defeated mandatory challenger Khoren Gevor with a spectacular 11th-round KO victory. It spelled his 24th victory in as many fights (19 KOs). The 27-year-old certainly knows that one punch can make the difference - one way or the other. "If I let my concentration slip, Elcock can win the fight with a single punch," Abraham stated. "But I won´t allow that to happen. I`m in top shape and ready for another victory."

In order to get to Basle in time, Abraham took an early Monday morning flight from Berlin to Switzerland. Once in the ring, he needed a while to shake off his fatigue. "Don´t worry," coach Ulli Wegner told the fans after the first practice round. "Arthur can punch much harder." And so he did in the following, pleasing the fans and his critical coach.

Wayne Elcock (18-2, 8 KOs) also looked in good form during the work-out. "I´m in great shape," he said. "I have trained harder than ever before." In his last fight in September, Elcock defeated former Abraham opponent Howard Eastman on points to win the British middleweight title.

 

[truebluefan]

Nagy Aguilera Added To Dec. 13 Roseland Card

NEW YORK CITY – Dominican-born heavyweight prospect Nagy Aguilera, New York’s newest rising star, will be in action again December 13 on the “Holiday Hits” pro boxing show, co-promoted by Ring Promotions and Cedric Kushner’s Gotham Boxing, at The Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan.

NABA middleweight champion “Mean” Joe Greene (16-0, 12 KOs), the 2004 National Golden Gloves Tournament champion and WBA No. 9 rated challenger, headlines in the 10-round main event.

WBC No. 20 rated lightweight Jorge “The Truth” Teron (18-0-1, 11 KOs), 3-time New York Golden Gloves champion, will be in the 10-round co-feature. Unbeaten middleweight Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (15-0, 12 KOs) takes on Troy “TNT” Lowry (27-7, 16 KOs) in an eight-round Special Middleweight Attraction.

Two-time New York Golden Gloves champion Aguilera (4-0, 2 KOs), raised in Puerto Rico and fighting out of Newburgh (NY), is matched with Darryl Holley (6-5, 1 KO) in a 6-rounder. “I first came across Nagy when I was looking for a sparring partner about two months before my fight with (Evander) Holyfield,” Nagy’s advisor and former world heavyweight contender “Big” Lou Savarese said. “I was told about a good heavyweight in Newburgh, which is about 1 ½ hours north of New York City. It’s a beautiful place, right on the Hudson River, but a rough suburb. I was taken back after sparring with Nagy and wondered why I hadn’t heard of him. He was only 20 at the time (Aguilera is now 21) and said he only had about 30-40 amateur fights. But he seemed more seasoned than that.

“Nagy is so fundamentally sound, but he was doing it working on a shoe-string budget, without the benefit of a strength-and-conditioning coach or eating properly. I introduced him to John Silverman, who is now his manager, and today Nagy has those edges. Nagy has great physical attributes (6-3, 230 pounds) and -- it’s odd to say about a 21 year old -- but he doesn’t really do anything wrong because he’s so technically solid. Nagy later told me he had 137 amateur bouts having started boxing very young in Puerto Rico before moving to the Bronx about five years ago. Mentally, I’ve never see a fighter so relaxed before a fight – he sleeps in the locker-room! His timing is starting to come around; two fights ago he knocked out (right out of the ring) a guy (Tyrone Smith) who had never been stopped and in his last fight, he floored an opponent (Elfair McKnight) who had never been down before. Nagy almost knocked him out, too.”

Also fighting on the undercard are New York State lightweight champion Freddy Soto (9-3-2, 5 KOs), light welterweight Jeremy Bryan (1-0), Canadian bantamweight Noriko Kariya (7-2-1, 1 KO), and Long Island heavyweights Darrel Madison (7-1, 3 KOs) and Elfair “The Wyandanch Warrior” McKnight are matched-up.

Tickets are priced at $150.00, $100.00, $75.00 and $50.00. Call Ring Promotions (516.313.2304) or Gotham Boxing (212.755.1944) to purchase tickets or for more information. Doors open at 6:30 PM, first bout at 7:30 PM.

 

[truebluefan]

A British Invasion Dawns on Las Vegas

LOS ANGELES – It’s the big battle before the huge war. On the eve of Ricky Hatton’s WBC and Ring Magazine welterweight championship showdown against Floyd Mayweather Saturday night, his countrymen will be fighting in force Friday night against hard-nosed battlers from around the world on a card aptly titled “BRITISH INVASION: THE U.K. VS. THE WORLD, ” at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas and televised live across the United States on Telefutura’s Solo Boxeo (9 p.m. ET/PT).

In the televised co-main event, presented by Golden Boy Promotions, undefeated Manchester native John Murray (21-0 12 KOs) fights in a 10-round lightweight bout against Mexico’s hard-hitting Miguel Munguia (16-9, 13 KOs) that should be a barnburner. Additional U.K. stalwarts in action on this night of world-class professional boxing will include unbeaten Scottish rising star Craig McEwan (8-0, 6 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight bout against Los Mochis, Mexico’s Alfredo Contreras (6-2-1, 1 KO); Salford lightweight Lee Meager (21-2-1, 8 KOs) who will step in with Mexico City’s Jose Gonzalez (14-4, 6 KOs); Walsall’s Martin Gethin (10-0-1, 4 KOs), who will take on Nicaragua’s Ramiro Rivera (4-5, 3 KOs); London middleweight Jimmy Campbell (10-1, 7 KOs) who will battle New Jersey’s Richard Pierson (5-1, 3 KOs) in a six rounder; and Wolverhampton’s Dean Harrison (9-0, 1 KO), who will match wits and fists with the Dominican Republic’s Ramon Guevara (8-13-2, 6 KOs).

In the other televised co-main event 160-pound contenders Bronco McKart and Enrique Ornelas revisit their exciting battle from this past August in a 12-round rematch for the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) middleweight crown. McKart won their first fight via a razor-thin split decision. Also in action will be highly regarded U.S. amateur star Karl Dargan making his pro debut against Las Vegan Roberto Norris (1-0).

Tickets for “The British Invasion,” priced at $125, $75 and $50, may be purchased at any MGM Grand box office outlet or by calling MGM Grand at 702-891-7777. Fans also can obtain tickets at all Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Macy’s West at the Fashion Show Mall and Ritmo Latino), by calling Ticketmaster at 702-474-4000 or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the first bell will ring at 4:30 p.m.

 

[truebluefan]

Oleg Platov Gears Up For Danny Williams Bout

Oleg Platov will defend his IBF Intercontinental Heavyweight Title against Danny Williams on the Abraham undercard in Basle on Saturday night. The hard-hitting Ukrainian (26-1, 22 KOs) won the belt from former WBO heavyweight champion Henry Akinwande in November 2006 when he clinched a split decision. He is now eager to prove his class again against another experienced and highly-respected veteran. "Danny Williams is a very strong opponent," 24-year-old Platov said. "I watched his fights against Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko. It tells you something about his class. He is very dangerous."

Platov has already made one successful defense of his IBF title, stopping Colin Wilson in the tenth round of their meeting in Stuttgart back in April 2006. However, he knows that Williams will provide him with a much tougher challenge. "For me to reach the next level, I have to beat the best fighters," Platov added. "I have to defeat everyone to reach the top."

Williams (37-6, 30 KOs) wrote boxing history in July 2004 when he knocked out former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in the fourth round. He then proved a great chin and his heart in the clash with WBC champion Vitali Klitschko, who stopped him in the eighth round. It would not spell the only disappointment of Williams´ career as he lost to Matt Skelton and Audley Harrison last year before knocking out Scott Gammer in March 2007. "That was my opportunity to prove that I wasn´t finished and that you should never underestimate me," Williams said. "I am an unpredictable fighter and when people write me off I always come back."

Williams is eager to put himself back in the frame for a world title shot with a win over Platov. "I believe he is a very good fighter," he said. "He proved he is world class when he beat Henry Akinwande. I see this fight as a chance to climb in the rankings because Platov is ranked quite high. I have not stopped training since April and I am hungrier than ever for this fight."

 

[truebluefan]

Gary Woolcombe To Challenge For British Title

Santa Claus has come down Gary Woolcombe's chimney early. Woolcombe, who was preparing for an eight round bout on November 30, was given an early Christmas present when Jamie Moore's European title fight was cancelled.

Woolcombe will now challenge for the vacant British light middleweight title and co-headline the "Home Guard" bill at Robin Park Centre in Wigan, England on Saturday, December 8. The card will serve as the lead-in to Sky Sports' PPV broadcast of Ricky Hatton's WBC welterweight challenge to Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas.

At the age of 25, Woolcombe, 24-1 (9), relishes the opportunity to step up among the big names in the light middleweight division and grabbed the opportunity as soon as it was offered to him by promoter Frank Maloney. He's determined not to let his South London fans down, of which 150 will be making the journey up north to Wigan.

Woolcombe will face WBF titlist Marcus Portman, 18-5-1 (3), a southpaw from West Bromwich who has also asked for 100 tickets for his fans making the trip from his hometown.

Both combatants were already in training for fights and were inside the check weight limits comfortably when they were weighed last night.

Whoever wins this title can look forward to good paydays on the British scene and even a clash with ex-champion Jamie Moore in the near future.

Also on the card will be the first fight for the newly created British super flyweight belt, between Chris Edwards, 10-12-3 (3), and the undefeated young Jamie McDonnel, 8-0-1 (2).

Jamie, from Doncaster, is being tipped to become a star of the British lighter weight divisions, but Edwards, the tough little warrior from Stoke, has other plans and intends to throw a spanner in the works in the development of McDonnel.

The third title fight on the bill sees a Commonwealth welter championship contest between the talented reigning titlist Ali Nuumbembe, 18-2-1 (6), and one of Britain's most underrated fighters, Craig Watson, 11-1 (3), the man who had Amir Khan on his backside in Amir's last amateur fight.

Watson is a throwback and once he receives a phone call from his promoter, all he asks is "where do I have to turn up and what weight do I have to be"? He never asks to see a tape or asks his opponent's record; he just loves to fight.

This fight could be the show stealer of the whole card.

Frank Maloney Promotions presents "Home Guard" featuring Gary Woolcombe vs. Marcus Portman for the British light middleweight title, Chris Edwards vs. Jamie McDonnel for the British super flyweight title and Ali Nuumbembe vs. Craig Watson for the Commonwealth welterweight title along with full undercard at Robin Park Arena in Wigan, England on Saturday, December 8, 2007.

 

[truebluefan]

Steve Moliter To Face Ricardo Castillo on 1/19

Orion Sports Management and Casino Rama are pleased to present the Rumble at Rama III on Saturday, January 19th, 2008 in which the undefeated champion "The Canadian Kid" Steve Molitor will make the third defense of his I.B.F. World Junior Featherweight Title.

In the Title Match of the night, reigning champion Molitor (25-0, 10 kos) will defend his current I.B.F. World Junior Featherweight Title against Ricardo "Piolo" Castillo (33-4, 22 kos) of Mexico. Molitor captured the title on November 10th, 2006 in Hartlepool, England from the previously unbeaten Michael Hunter, with a devastating 5th round knockout.

He mounted his first successful defense of the title, here at home during the Rumble at Rama I on July 14th against South Africa's Takalani Ndlovu in a crushing 9-round victory. His second successful defense took place during the Rumble at Rama II on October 27th against Thailand's Fashung "3K Battery" in a grueling 12-round unanimous decision that saw the champ throw crushing blows and quick combinations.

"This is just incredible to have the opportunity to defend this title once again in front of my hometown fans. I cannot wait for January 19th to get here and I will not disappoint", promised the champ, Steve Molitor.

Molitor's Manager, James Jardine adds, "We are delighted to return to Casino Rama and we are thrilled that they have decided to continue with this exciting partnership".

In addition to the Title Match, the Rumble at Rama III will also feature a number of undercard bouts, including a heavy weight fight.

TSN will televise the event live on January 19th beginning at 9:30pm ET from coast to coast. It will also be available in High Definition on TSN HD.

"Again, we feel privileged to team up with Casino Rama and TSN to bring an event of this stature to the boxing fans from across Canada", said Allan Tremblay, President of Orion Sports Management.

Held in Casino Rama's state-of-the-art 5,200 seat Entertainment Centre, this match is the third of many such planned boxing events. "The first two boxing events hosted here showcased Casino Rama as the premier place in Ontario to see an outstanding title fight" said Jeff Craik, Vice President of Marketing, Casino Rama. "We fully expect The Rumble at Rama III to be just as successful and are anticipating an exciting night for boxing fans".

The Rumble at Rama III taking place on Saturday, January 19th, 2008 will begin at 7:00pm with the undercard bouts, with the main Title Match taking place at 9:30pm and broadcast live on TSN and TSN HD.

Tickets for this event will be $125, $75, $50 and $25. An exclusive advanced ticket purchase for Players Passport(TM) Club Members(i) begins Sunday, December 9th at 12 noon, in-person only at the Casino Rama Box Office. Please note that a limited number of tickets are available for this advance on-sale.

Tickets for the Rumble at Rama go on-sale to the general public on Tuesday, December 11th at 12 noon, and will be available in-person at the Casino Rama Box Office, all TicketMaster locations, by calling (416) 870-8000 and online at Casino Rama. Ticket prices do not include applicable taxes or service charges.

 

[truebluefan]

Floyd Mayweather Jr: "It Won't Go The Distance"

LAS VEGAS - "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather, and Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton both arrived at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for "UNDEFEATED!" for the WBC and Ring Magazine welterweight championship at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and live on HBO Pay-Per-view. Here is what the fighters had to say as they met with media members in town early to cover this mega-bout.

"PRETTY BOY" FLOYD MAYWEATHER

"This is another fight for me and I am totally prepared to do what I have to do Saturday night to beat Ricky Hatton.

"All my other opponents said they were going to beat me too and I'm still undefeated.

"When have you ever heard Ricky Hatton talk trash before. He won't say it to my face but in front of the cameras he is really acting up. We did a five-city tour and the only time he talked tough was when he was home in Manchester. Now he's talking on HBO's 24/7 too. You know what I call him—a camera gangster. If I'm going to talk about you I am going to do it to your face, right in front of you.

"His mother probably wants to tell him, "go in there and kill him" but the dad stopped her from going that far. I personally would never say anything about his mother or father. My grandmother, who raised me, told me never to speak badly about anyone else's parents. I wouldn't respect him like that no would my mother ever say anything like that about one of my opponents.

"The fight won't go the distance. I can promise you that

"I just am happy that I have been able to make a nice life for my family. My kids are happy, my grandmother who raised me is living a good life and my mother is well provided for. I don't have to worry about anything else. It's just who I am.

"Ricky Hatton has never faced anyone with any talent like I have. All those British fans coming to the fight are going to have the chance to be part of the "Floyd Mayweather Experience."

RICKY "THE HITMAN" HATTON

"A lot can be said before the fight and he has been saying all kinds of things, but all he's doing is lying to the papers.

"The reason I came to fight in the US in the first place was to get a fan base and here we are at the grand arrivals and I'm getting all of the cheers. Not one person cheered for Floyd, they are all my fans. We are here in his hometown, in Las Vegas, and not one fan in the crowd. He seems like a confident man, but I think he's a bit insecure. This is his hometown and if I got booed in my hometown of Manchester, I would hate that kind of reception.

"When the talk of his hand being hurt surfaced and that the fight might be canceled, it was all squashed immediately so it never had the chance to sink in with me.

"He's had all of these excuses, Dancing with the Stars, his hands, his shoulders, 24/7, etc but I just throw it over my head, I want to fight the best Floyd Mayweather there is, he says he's the best, so I want the best on Saturday.

"He's training as hard as ever, and he's in great shape, but I don't think he thinks I'm as good as I am.

"I think in the Castillo fight a lot of people say I did better than Floyd and then others say Castillo had seen better days, but I've never seen one fight where Floyd has taken the bull by the horns and gone after him and that's what he's got to do on Saturday.

"He calls me all kinds of name, Ricky Fatten, says that I only fight the "has beens," none of that stuff matters to me.

"Floyd has barely scrapped by through the skin of his teeth on a couple of occasions. In the fight with Oscar, Oscar died in the last six rounds of the fight and Mayweather only won that fight by the skin of his teeth because of that."

 

[TommyGunn]

IBF middleweight champion King Arthur Abraham has vowed not to underestimate Wayne Elcock when the two lock horns in Switzerland on Saturday night. The duo today underwent a public work-out in Basle during which both fighters proved their skills. "I have prepared two different tactics," undefeated Abraham revealed. "Depending on how the fight goes, I´ll choose one. But it is my plan to keep Elcock at bay and let him tire during the early stages. Then I will try and go for the kill."

Abraham last defeated mandatory challenger Khoren Gevor with a spectacular 11th-round KO victory. It spelled his 24th victory in as many fights (19 KOs). The 27-year-old certainly knows that one punch can make the difference - one way or the other. "If I let my concentration slip, Elcock can win the fight with a single punch," Abraham stated. "But I won´t allow that to happen. I`m in top shape and ready for another victory."

In order to get to Basle in time, Abraham took an early Monday morning flight from Berlin to Switzerland. Once in the ring, he needed a while to shake off his fatigue. "Don´t worry," coach Ulli Wegner told the fans after the first practice round. "Arthur can punch much harder." And so he did in the following, pleasing the fans and his critical coach.

Wayne Elcock (18-2, 8 KOs) also looked in good form during the work-out. "I´m in great shape," he said. "I have trained harder than ever before." In his last fight in September, Elcock defeated former Abraham opponent Howard Eastman on points to win the British middleweight title.

i think we're getting this one on sky boxoffice this saturday, AA is a great fighter to watch so i think my boy elcock is in trouble.