HOBOKEN, N.J. (Sept. 1, 2010) – Scotsman Willie “Hands of Steel” Limond, WBU Lightweight Champion, will be a plaid matador to Mexican bull -- 5-time world champion in three different weight classes, Erik “Terrible” Morales -- in their  September 11 showdown that headlines the “Mexican Fiesta” Pay-Per-View show live from Mexico City.

“”I know this is going to be a hard fight,” Limond said, “but I’m hoping to take the bull by the horns and put on a great performance for the fans in Mexico, USA and my Scottish fans back home.”

Limond (33-2, 8 KOs) will be fighting for the first time outside of the United Kingdom against living legend Morales (49-6, 34 KOs), rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Council, in an outdoor bull ring, Plazo de Toros, which is being set-up to seat 54,000 for “Mexican Fiesta.” Morales, who is the last to defeat the great Manny Pacquiao, will be shooting for his 50^th career win in the 12-round main event.

“Fighting Morales anywhere is a hard fight but to fight him on Mexican Independence Day makes it even harder,” Limond noted. “The man is one of my heroes. It will be an honor to share the ring with him and I’m hoping I can spoil the party.

“He has tons of experience, more knockouts than I have fights, and he is still a very dangerous fighter. If I were to win this fight it would be the highlight of my career and I think it could open major doors for big fights.”

“Mexican Fiesta,” presented by Grupo Empresarial Matiz, is being distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9 PM/ET – 6 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.

Limond nearly had his breakthrough fight in 2007, when he floored Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan, but Willie was unable to continue the fight after eight rounds, in which Khan took Limond’s British Empire belt. Limond has won his last five fights since losing to Khan.

“I have quite a fan-base in Scotland,” he added, “so a victory would be a massive thing for the Scots. I think it would go down in Scottish history as a great win for a Scottish fighter.”

Former WBC Light Flyweight Champion Edgar Sosa (39-6, 23 KOs) challenges WBC International Flyweight Champion Ryan Bito (18-6-3, 6 KOs), representing the Philapines,  in the 12-round co-feature on the “Mexican Fiesta” PPV card..

In a female super flyweight battle of champions, WBC titlist Ann Marie “La Guerrera” Torres (21-3-2, 13 KOs), of Mexico, defends her belt against WIBF and GBU champion Alesia “The Tigress” Graf (25-1, 9 KOs), of Germany, in a 10-round title bout.

Other exciting bouts will be shown, pending time availability, on the “Mexican Fiesta” PPV show.

For more information about the Morales-Limond PPV event go to www.integratedsportsnet.com.

Integrated Sports Media: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr. and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media distributed numerous International soccer matches showcasing teams like Real Madrid, Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA, as well as World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson, and Roy Nelson. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com. 

HOBOKEN, N.J. (August 26, 2010) – Five-time world champion in three different weight classes, Erik “Terrible” Morales, continues his heralded comeback September 11 headlining the “Mexican Fiesta” pay-per-view show live from Mexico City.

Morales (49-6, 34 KOs), rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Council, will also continue a tradition by fighting outdoors in the famous Plaza de Toros bull ring against WBU champion Willie “Hands of Steel” Limond (33-2, 8 KOs) for the vacant WBC Diamond Super Lightweight Championship.

“Mexican Fiesta,” presented by Grupo Empresarial Matiz, is being distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9 PM/ET – 6 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.

Morales, who is the last to defeat the great Manny Pacquiao, goes for his 50^th career win in the 12-round main event on “Mexican Fiesta” against Limond, of Scotland, in the eighth recorded professional boxing match at Plaza de Toros, which will be set-up to seat 54,000 for “Mexican Fiesta.”

French heavyweight champion Arthur Craven knocked out Jim “Black Diamond” Smith in the first Mexico City bull ring fight nearly 100 years ago, on September 15, 1918. Mick Moran won a pair of bouts there in 1947 and 1948, while International Hall of Famer Raul “Raton” Macias stopped Leo Espinosa in the 10^th round of their March 25, 1956 for the NBA World bantamweight title.

In 1989, Jorge “El Maromero” Paez retained his IBF featherweight title via a second-round knockout there of Jose Mario Lopez, and 5-time world featherweight titlist Manuel “Mantecas” Medina put Jose Vegas to sleep in the seventh round on the same card.

The most significant night of boxing at the Plaza de Toros in Mexico City was May 3, 1998, when future Hall of Famer Julio Cesar “J.C.” Chavez and Miguel Angel “Santa Tokyo” Gonzalez fought to a 12-round draw for the WBC lightweight belt. In another key match-up, 47-0 Ricardo “Finito” Lopez – another future Hall of Famer – and 24-0 Nicaraguan Rosendo Alvarez fought to an 8-round technical draw for the WBC & WBA minimumweight crowns. It marked the only blemish on Lopez’ eventual 51-0-1 (38 KOs) career record.

The last show held in the Mexico City bull ring was in 2004 as Chavez won a 10-round decision against former world champion Frankie “The Surgeon” Randall. Also on the same card, Marco Antonio “El Veneno” Rubio defeated Fitz Vanderpool in the opening round for the WBC International light middleweight title and in his eighth pro fight, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. – son of the aforementioned legend – knocked out Antonio Aquilar in the first round.

On Sept. 11, Morales joins Chavez, Lopez, Macias and Paez as bonafide Mexican boxing icons to have fought in the renowned Mexico City bull ring.

Former WBC Light Flyweight Champion Edgar Sosa (39-6, 23 KOs) meets European flyweight titlist Andrea Sarritzu (34-4-4, 12 KOs), of Italy, in the 12-round co-feature for the WBC International Flyweight Championship on the “Mexican Fiesta” PPV card..

In a female super flyweight battle of champions, WBC titlist Ann Marie “La Guerrera” Torres (21-3-2, 13 KOs), of Mexico, faces WIBF and GBU champion Alesia “The Tigress” Graf (25-1, 9 KOs), of Germany, in a 10-round title bout for the WBC World Cup Super Flyweight Championship.

A pair of 25-year-olds from Mexico City, WBC CABOFE lightweight champ Daniel “Tremendo” Estrada (23-1-1, 19 KOs) and WBC Continental Americas title-holder Rey Sanchez, square-off in a 12-round match for the WBC Silver Lightweight Championship.

WBC Youth Lightweight champion Ramon “Nino de Oro” Ayala (18-1-1, 8 KOs), a 21-year-old Mexico protégé of another Mexican fighting icon, Marco Antonio Barrera, defends his crown against Panamanian gatekeeper Armando “El Policia” Cordova, former NABA super featherweight champion, in a 10-rounder.

For more information about the Morales-Limond PPV event go to www.integratedsportsnet.com.

Integrated Sports Media: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr. and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media distributed numerous International soccer matches showcasing teams like Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA, as well as World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson, and Roy Nelson. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com. 

By Steve Cummings

Heavyweight Chris Arreola posted a 12-round unanimous decision win over Manuel Quezada in the main event of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights in Ontario, CA. Arreola (29-2, 25 KO's) scored two knockdowns in the ninth and another in the 12th on his way to a victory by scores of 118-107, 118-107 and 117-108.

It wasn't a dominating win by any means but it did put Arreola back on the winning side of the ledger after dropping his last fight to Tomasz Adamek by majority decision. The former title challenger spoke of injuries to both hands after the bout but the bigger problem seemed to be the fact that he came in at 256 pounds after claiming to have had a better training camp.

Quezada (29-6, 18 KO's) did his best work after being dropped twice in the ninth. Over the early rounds Quezada stood in and held his own with Arreola, despite not landing with enough authority to win many rounds.

When Arreola decked Quezada with a left uppercut in the ninth, it was the first real damage either fighter had done. Another knockdown followed from an accumulation of punches, but Quezada didn't appear to be seriously hurt.

After making it to the bell, Quezada came out for the 10th and had his best round of the fight to that point. Down the stretch there were several moments where Quezada sat down on his punches and got Arreola's attention, but it wasn't enough.

Arreola came out for the final round energized and scored another knockdown. Quezada, going past 10 rounds for the first time, made it to the bell and the fight went to the scorecards.

Arreola was the clear winner and threw what ESPN2 said was the third-highest number of punches for a heavyweight. But he wasn't exactly "The Nightmare" as his nickname claims. Quezada, meanwhile, showed that he could stand in there with the much-bigger heavyweight and, despite hitting the deck three times, he never was badly hurt.

If Chris Arreola were to get in ferocious shape he could overwhelm most of the heavyweights out there. And if Manuel Quezada could fire his punches with more authority and tighten up the defense against what is coming back, he could do considerable damage against the current heavyweigh crop.

Photo: Chris Farina\Top Rank

LOS ANGELES (July 27, 2010) – Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ and two-division world champion RAFAEL MARQUEZ, the pride of Puerto Rico and México, respectively, hosted a News Conference Luncheon announcing their highly anticipated world featherweight title fight on Tuesday in the Gold Ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles.

The fighters were joined by their teams, including promoters Bob Arum, Ivan Rivera, Gary Shaw and Fernando Beltran.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with PR Best Boxing, Zanfer Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions and SHOWTIME, the Lopez-Marquez world championship fight will take place Saturday, Sept. 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be televised live on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will be making his second defense of the featherweight title he captured in January.  He previously held the WBO junior featherweight crown during a two-year reign which included five successful title defenses, four by knockout.

Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs), of México City, has held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight and World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight titles. He'll be looking to join his brother Juan Manuel as the only brothers to win world titles in three different divisions. Marquez returns to the ring after knocking out arch rival Israel Vasquez in the third round of their May 22 championship bout to even up their historic series at 2-2.

Here’s what the principals had to say on Tuesday.

JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ

“For me this is a great honor to fight a fighter the caliber of a Rafael Marquez. When you fight the best you become the best and this is the opportunity for me to become the best. To fight a guy at this level it is my chance to show everybody what I’m capable of doing. I’m really looking forward to this fight.

“Me and (Felix) Tito (Trinidad) are good friends and we talk a lot. You know, I can’t believe it when he calls me and talks to me and says he wants to be my friend. He was my idol and now all of a sudden he’s my friend.

“I’m here for the fans. They are the ones that made me and I want to give them the best show I can. Whenever I go into the ring I’m always thinking of my fans.

“I know I’m going to have to go in there smart and fight intelligently. You can’t just go in there and trade with this guy. You have to know when to strike.”

Regarding his legacy:

“The fans will ultimately decide that. I just want them to remember me.”

RAFAEL MARQUEZ

“I am very prepared for this. In my career I have only fought the best fighters out there and that’s what I will continue to do. I feel I’m fighting one of the best in Juan Manuel Lopez.

“Who wouldn’t like to be remembered as one of the best ever? I think I will be remembered as a warrior fighter who fought the best. When I’m all finished I would like to be a guy who is remembered as one who always put his entire heart into a fight. I have loved this sport since I was a little kid and I just want people to think of me as someone who always gave their all.

“I feel the best at this weight, 126. I feel better than 118 and better than 122. This is also just my opponents’ third fight at 126. So no, I do not regret this decision to fight at this weight.

On the fight being held the weekend of Mexico’s Independence Day:

“There will be a lot of Mexican fans in Las Vegas celebrating that weekend. I will be very patriotic and represent by holding up the Mexican flag.”

“I know they say (Lopez) has big punching power, but I have faced big punchers like Vazquez. I know he is younger also. But age has nothing to do with anything in this sport. It all depends on how you take care of yourself and how you prepare yourself for the fights. And that is the key. Age will not make a difference.

“This fight will end by knockout. And I’m going to win.”

BOB ARUM

“What we have with this fight is the pride of Puerto Rico against the pride of Mexico taking place at the Palace of Boxing, the MGM Grand Garden Arena at MGM Resorts International.

“I remember the first time I ever saw JuanMa. He must have had one pro fight and he was there telling me, ‘I want to fight for a world title.’ It’s one thing to be a great fighter. It’s another thing altogether to be as charismatic a fight as JuanMa is. His compatriot Tito Trinidad was that type of fighter and JuanMa is of the same make and mold. He is beloved by the Puerto Ricans who live on the islands and those who also live here in the continental United States.”

GARY SHAW

“This fight has the ability to have a great trilogy and beyond just as Marquez-Vazquez had. This is a very meaningful fight for Marquez as he could be part of the first brother team to hold three world titles.”

By Steve Cummings

John Molina Jr. (21-1, 17 KO's) fell behind against unbeaten Hank Lundy only to pull off some late-round heroics to earn a TKO11 on Friday night in Lincoln, RI. With the win, Molina lifted the WBO NABO lightweight title.

Lundy (18-1-1, 10 KO's) outboxed Molina convincingly for most of the fight but it made him too cocky and he got caught with a huge right hand in the eighth round that sent him down hard. Lundy got up with a little over a minute left in the round and ran for his life to make it to the bell.

The vaunted power of Molina proved to be the difference in the fight as he tracked his opponent down in the 11th round to force the stoppage. Referee Ricky Gonzalez waved off the bout at the 2:18 mark, to the disappointment of the Lundy camp. Lundy had his back to the ropes while Molina was firing power shots.

“He was swaying back and forth,” Molina remarked. “He was a good actor, too. I know I had him hurt and it was a good stoppage. He’s a very good, technically sound fighter. This was the hardest fight of my career. I have dynamite in both hands.”

“The stoppage was premature,” Lundy claimed. “I had the fight. It is what it is but I wasn’t hurt.”

Molina vs. Lundy was the main event of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights telecast.

FAIRFAX, VA (June 28, 2010) – Former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley of Washington, D.C. (36-13-1, 21 KOs) will fight Detroit southpaw Damian Fuller (30-7-1, 14 KOs) in the July 10^th co-main event at the Patriot Center, replacing Baltimore’s Tim “The Pitbull” Coleman (17-1-1, 4 KOs) who suffered a laceration on his head during training last Thursday that forced him out of the fight. 

The last-minute replacement worked out well for Corley who was lined up to face undefeated Dominican Francisco Contreras on July 2. However, that bout recently fell out providing him the opportunity to fight for the second time at the Patriot Center. Corley and Fuller were originally scheduled to fight as the co-main event on the September 26, 2009 Patriot Center card, but Fuller suffered an injury forcing him to withdraw. Corley went on to record an eight-round decision over Harrison Cuello. 

A Northeast D.C. native and former World Boxing Organization (WBO) light welterweight champion, Corley remains a strong force in the light welterweight division with an impressive resume that includes battles against Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Miguel Cotto, Zab Judah, Junior Witter, Randal Bailey and Devon Alexandria. In his last fight, he lost to top prospect Freddy Hernandez last February. 

The “No Excuses” card features nine action-packed fight headlined by popular junior middleweight contender, Jimmy Lange (31-4-2, 22 KOs) of Great Falls, VA taking on Jimmy LeBlanc (12-16-4, 4 KOs) of Weymouth, MA in the 10-round Main Event.  The undercard of the Ice Promotions event (www.jimmylangeboxing.com) presented by Valcourt Building Services (www.valcourt.net) will showcase some of the region’s top fighters: 

6 Rounds - Middleweight

Tony “Mo Better” Jeter (9-2, 8 KOs) of Columbia, MD vs. Lawrence Jones (3-2-1, 1 KO) of Reston, VA

6 Rounds – Middleweight

Jonathan Reid (34-12, 19 KOs) of Nashville, TN vs. Larry Brothers (7-33-3, 5 KOs) of Washington, DC

6 Rounds - Welterweight

Juan “The Savior” Rodriguez (4-0, 4 KOs) of Haymarket, VA vs. Dontre King (2-7-1, 1 KOs) of Cambridge, MD)

6 Rounds - Featherweight

“The Bolivian Queen” Jennifer Salinas (11-1, 4 KOs) of Manassas, VA vs. Nathalie Forget (2-1) of Montreal, Canada

4 Rounds - Middleweight

Zain “The Tiger” Shah (2-0, 2 KOs) of Chantilly, VA vs. Washington, DC’s Antonio Walls (2-3, 1 KO)

4 Rounds - Middleweight

Brandon Quarles (pro debut) of Alexandria, VA vs. Vince “The Beast” Batteast (1-2-1) of Annapolis, MD

4 Rounds – Welterweight

Todd “White Lightning” Wilson (7-0, 1 KO) of Falls Church, VA vs. Calvin Faggins (3-4-1, 1 KO) of Marshall, VA

Bouts are subject to change.

Doors open at 6:30 pm with the first fight set for 7:30 pm. Tickets cost $35, $50, $75, $125, $200, $300 and $500 (plus applicable service charge) and can be purchased through Ticketmaster by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com, calling phone charge at 703-573-SEAT, 202-397-SEAT or 410-547-SEAT or by visiting any Ticketmaster outlet, including the Patriot Center box office (703-993-3000).

Information:

Event - www.jimmylangeboxing.com

Facebook – No Excuses - Jimmy Lange Boxing http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125468057475711

Twitter – Follow Jimmy Lange at twitter.com/boxerjimmylange

By Steve Cummings

(Lindsay, CA) -Paul Mendez was a unanimous decision winner over Mario Ortiz in a super middleweight contest that was the main event of the Melee At McDermont in Lindsay, CA Saturday night. The six-bout card was promoted by Fernando Vargas’ Vargas Entertainment Promotions in association with Roy Englebrecht Promotions and drew an enthusiastic crowd of 1,072. The spectacular McDermont Fieldhouse was the venue for the first-ever boxing show in this Central California town.

Several local fighters were featured on the card, including Mendez from nearby Delano and Stephan Rubalcava and Rigo Espinoza from Lindsay. Vargas was in attendance as well, greeting the audience from the ring before the show and mingling with the fans afterward.

Paul Mendez UD4 Mario Ortiz – super middleweights

Super middleweight Paul Mendez (5-1, 20 KO’s) outpointed Mario “Mania” Ortiz (9-10-1, 7 KO’s) with a more polished game, landing accurate shots throughout the fight on the onrushing Ortiz. Ortiz had a big moment in the third round, landing a powerful right hand to the head. Mendez was rocked back into a corner and then was pushed to the canvas, but it was ruled a slip. Ultimately, Mendez, of Delano, CA, was too skilled for the gutsy, hard charging Ortiz and won by scores of 40-36, 39-37 and 39-37.

The best exchange of the night came just before the final bell as a full-on brawl broke out while the packed house roared. Ortiz got the toe-to-toe battle he wanted but it was too late.

Despite the solid showing, Mendez wasn’t satisfied.

“I could have been better,” he lamented after the fight. “I should have gone in for the kill. But I’ll be better next time. I’ll go for the kill early.” He added that he is only 21 years old and he will get better.

Paul Mendez expects his next fight to be on July 23 on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights.

Anthony Wheaton SD4 over Oscar Godoy - welterweights

Anthony Wheaton of Long Beach, CA evened his pro record at 2-2 with a wildly entertaining split decision win over Oscar Godoy. The welterweight contest was a back and forth affair with both fighters having their moments. The winning formula for Wheaton (2-2, 1 KO) was to stay in close against the rangy Godoy (1-1).

Each fighter adjusted as Wheaton won the first round, Godoy came out strong in the second, and Wheaton got back on his game in the third. The fourth round was competitive until the final bell. Official scores were 39-37 Godoy, 39-37 Wheaton and 39-37 Wheaton. Very entertaining fight.

Adolfo Gonzalez UD4 over Stephan Rubalcava – welterweights

Southpaw Adolfo Gonzalez roughed up hometown fighter Stephan Rubalcava with a very skilled effort that earned the Salinas fighter a unanimous decision. Gonzalez won his pro debut by landing precise punches in combinations against the pressure of Rubalcava. Gonzalez landed to the head and body with both hands and earned the one-sided win on all three scorecards.

On going to his opponent’s home turf to make his pro debut, Gonzalez said “I just worked real hard, tried not to worry about any of that and I came in prepared to fight.”

There was a boisterous following from Salinas in attendance that combined with Rubalcava’s following to rock the house throughout the bout. And there was a little more motivation for Gonzalez as well.

“Hearing that Fernando Vargas was the promoter really pumped me up,” he said.

Jose Leon UD4 over Jacob Alvarez – junior middleweights

Jose Leon won this battle of pro debuters after surviving a nasty cut from an unintentional headbutt in the first round. Leon (1-0) pressed his attack on the southpaw Alvarez (0-1) through all four rounds. With both fighters looking gassed down the stretch, Leon was able to mount his attack and win the last two rounds. Official scores were 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37.

The cut, which looked terrible shortly after it happened, ended up not being a factor after good work in the corner of Leon. By the third round the blood flow had stopped.

Both fighters had their mouths open over the second half of the fight which would seem to indicate that they were breathing pretty hard. Alvarez, of Hesperia, CA, landed solid shots in isolated moments but it was the sustained work of Leon that won him the rounds.

David Clark KO2 over Jose Garcia

The most thrilling action of the night came in a super bantamweight contest that ended early. David Clark, fighting out of Los Angeles, scored a second-round knockout of southpaw Jose Garcia to improve his pro record to 2-1 with 2 KO’s. It was a slugfest from the opening bell with both fighters doing damage with their power hand. The left of Garcia (0-1) found the mark while Clark was connecting with his right. The action was fast for the entire three minutes and when the bell sounded to open the second round, it heated up even more.

Early in the second round, an odd sequence happened where an off-balance Garcia actually had his gloves touch the canvas, but the referee didn’t rule it a knockdown and the action continued. Seconds later Garcia was down for real. He got up and the fight resumed with heavy punches being thrown by both fighters. Another knockdown came on a huge right hand from Clark but Garcia got up again. Finally Clark landed a brutal left hand while Garcia was leaning on the ropes and the Visalia fighter slumped slowly to the canvas. The fight was waved off at the 2:02 mark of round two.

Clark was asked if he expected such a firefight against a boxer who was making his pro debut and whom Clark knew virtually nothing about.

“We did assume that since he was making his pro debut he would be nervous and come out firing,” he said.

 And after the action-packed first round, it was Clark stepping in and firing off the big shots from close range.

“In the first round I usually feel out the power. I didn’t think he could hurt me so I went after him.”

The result was multiple knockdowns and a big victory for David Clark.

Cesar Flores and Rigo Espinoza – No Decision, accidental headbutt

The night got off to an awkward start when the middleweight contest between Lindsay’s Rigo Espinoza and Cesar Flores of Cudahy had to be stopped just moments into the first round. The amped up crowd was in a frenzy as the opening bell rang but very shortly the two fighters’ heads came together and a cut was opened over Espinoza’s left eye. Seconds later both fighters were covered in blood as the wound was spraying profusely. When time was called for the doctor to take a look, blood was spurting outward from the gash. There was no choice but to stop the bout. The official ruling in this case is a No Decision.

After this successful event, the McDermont Fieldhouse is expected to host an MMA show in the fall, as Central California is a hotbed of cage fighting. Roy Englebrecht said shortly after the event that boxing would return next year and indicated that there may be shows with both boxing and MMA.

For his part, Fernando Vargas told reporters after the show that he and his promotional outfit would “go back to the drawing board” and map out their next move. One thing on his radar is to promote a show in Las Vegas, where Fernando now lives with his family. But whatever the specifics are on his promotional plan, Vargas was very clear when speaking of the future of this sport.

“Boxing will never die,” he said.

Comments? HIT ME!

Official weights for Saturday night's six-bout card in Lindsay, CA. The main event features Delano's Paul Mendez (4-1, 2 KO's) vs. veteran Mario Ortiz (9-9-1, 7 KO's) in a super middleweight clash. The "Melee at McDermont" is promoted by Vargas Entertainment Promotions and Roy Englebrecht Promotions and Fernando Vargas himself was on hand for the weigh-in. For more info on this event go to www.meleeatmcdermont.com.

PAUL MENDEZ - 160
MARIO ORTIZ - 160.4

OSCAR GODOY - 145.6
ANTHONY WHEATON - 143

ADOLFO GONZALEZ - 147.2
STEPHEN RUBALCAVA - 146.2

JACOB ALVAREZ - 153.6
JOSE LEON - 153.6

DAVID CLARK - 121.8
JOSE GARCIA - 121.2

CESAR FLORES - 154.6
RIGO ESPINOSA - 152.8

By Steve Cummings

Fernando "El Feroz" Vargas won multiple world title belts in his illustrious career that spanned from 1997 to 2007. At the age of 21 years and 5 months, Vargas became the youngest champion ever in the junior middleweight division in 1998, just a year and a half into his pro career. His resume is a list of all the important fighters in the 154-pound division over the course of a decade: Yori Boy Campas, Raul Marquez, Winky Wright, Ike Quartey, Felix Trinidad, Shibata Flores, Oscar De La Hoya, Javier Castillejo and Shane Mosley are all included in Vargas' 26-5 (22 KO's) career.

These days Fernando Vargas is a fight promoter, with a show in Lindsay, CA scheduled to go on Saturday night.The Melee At McDermont is being promoted by Vargas' company, Vargas Entertainment Promotions, and Roy Englebrecht. Under the tutelage of legendary promoter Englebrecht, Vargas is learning the ropes of putting on a show. Bringing a well-matched card of hungry fighters to the blue-collar town of Lindsay is the kind of intelligent promoting that Englebrecht is known for and Vargas is a quick study. There will be local fighters. There will be the well-known Mariachi Colonial entertaining. There will be Vargas himself in the house. And if the boxing action is too hot for the youngsters, it all takes place in a state-of-the-art entertainment facility that looks like it was designed by Jerry Jones and Willy Wonka.

Fernando Vargas sat down with InTheCorner.net at the weigh-in for the Melee At The McDermont event and had a lot to say about his experiences in and out of the ring.

THIS IS THE FIRST BOXING EVENT AT MCDERMONT FIELDHOUSE IN LINDSAY, CA BUT THIS IS NOT YOUR FIRST SHOW AS A PROMOTER, IS IT?

Oh, no, I’ve done a few other shows, one at The Palms in Las Vegas, and at Buffalo Bill’s, so no, this isn’t the first one.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS AS A PROMOTER

I hope to one day be a force in boxing as a promoter and that is why I have surrounded myself with intelligent people like Roy Englebrecht who leaves no stone unturned when putting together a boxing event. To be the best you have to learn from the best. I have the utmost respect and admiration for Roy and how he does business and I am going to continue to learn. I will continue to learn as I work with my team, Jose Garcia in PR and Marketing and Javier Zendejas.

DO YOU HAVE A TIMETABLE FOR WHEN YOU WILL BE PUTTING ON HUGE, HIGH-PROFILE EVENTS?

Right now I am just putting in the groundwork. But you never know when something big can turn up. It may be sooner or it may be later.

DO YOU HAVE A GROUP OF FIGHTERS THAT YOU PROMOTE?

Not at this point but I am going to a lot of fights and I have had a lot of fighters show interest and I will be attending different national tournaments and seeing more fighters.

DO YOU FEEL THAT AS AN ALREADY ESTABLISHED STAR IN THIS SPORT YOU MAY HAVE A LEG UP IN BREAKING INTO THE PROMOTION SIDE?

I am thankful that the door is open; it is a little easier because of that. Let me give you an example. When I was en route to Las Vegas I was staying at the Hooters Hotel and the director of entertainment approached me and asked “are you staying with us?” I told him I was and he shook my hand and gave me his card. When doors open because I’m well-known, I am humbled by that. For executives to come up to me and shake my hand, it is really humbling to me. I am excited to be doing shows and in the future I will be in various places in the U.S.

HOW DID A BOXING EVENT IN LINDSAY COME ABOUT?

As I said before, to be the best you have to learn from the best and that’s what I am doing. I went to Fight Promoter University which Roy teaches, I took the class and it opened up my mind as to how a boxing event is put together. I was always a fighter, I never cared about how the show was put together. I was happy to fight, knock my guy out and get paid and go home.

But taking the FPU class, I realized that there is a lot of money to be made in putting on an event the right way and I am excited. I have the same energy that I had as a fighter, even though I’m not fighting in the event.

THE MCDERMONT FIELDHOUSE IS AN AMAZING FACILITY, ESPECIALLY FOR A BLUE-COLLAR TOWN LIKE LINDSAY.

That is a multi-million dollar facility and it belongs there! A town where a youth can get caught up, like I got caught up when I was a kid, needs a place like McDermont Fieldhouse for them to go to. They don’t need to be out in the street or getting into a gang.

YOU HAD SO MUCH SUCCESS EARLY IN YOUR BOXING CAREER AND WERE UNDEFEATED FOR MANY YEARS. THEN YOU GOT OUT OF BOXING VERY EARLY AS WELL. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE AT THE END OF YOUR CAREER WITH A COUPLE OF TOUGH LOSSES TO DECIDE TO CALL IT A DAY?

I thank God for everything he has blessed me with. Only my family knows what I have to do to get ready for a fight. They know what it is like for me to have to leave them to train, to cut weight and so on. It takes a toll. But once you’re a fighter, you’re always a fighter.

I am excited about being able to promote, to have a life after boxing. I don’t have to fight, but I will always have that burning feeling to fight.

WHEN YOU ARE WATCHING FIGHTS ON TV INVOLVING GUYS IN YOUR WEIGHT CLASS, DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE YOU COULD GET BACK IN THERE?

Oh, yeah. When I see fights with people that I sparred with, guys I hurt in sparring, guys I knocked down in sparring I think about it. You never know.

SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN FOR A COMEBACK

You never know what could happen.

ANOTHER VENTURE YOU WERE INVOLVED IN OUTSIDE OF BOXING IS ACTING. MY WIFE WATCHES ALPHA DOG OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHENEVER THEY SHOW IT. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE GOING ON IN THAT ARENA?

I’ve done some acting, I’ve done a movie with Tom Berenger (Stiletto) and I did Alpha Dog. I can tell you this. We’re really close to having a reality show right now.

YOU’RE GOING TO BE IN A REALITY SHOW? ANY DETAILS ON THAT?

Well, if you really want to know what’s going on, follow me on Twitter. (Twitter.com/elferoz). I’m on it everyday.

YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU LIVE IN VEGAS NOW?

Yes I live there with my family, my wife and four kids, three boys and one girl.

DO YOU STILL HAVE THE LA LOYALTY FOR THE LAKERS WHO WON YET ANOTHER TITLE LAST NIGHT?

Oh, yes, my kids are Laker fanatics. I’m a west coast boy, I’m down with the west coast. I’m from SoCal, not NoCal, and I am definitely down with the Lakers.

Thanks to Fernando Vargas for taking the time to talk. Tickets for this event are now only available at the venue. Check out the Melee website and the McDermont Fieldhouse website for more info on this extraordinary facility.

Comments? HIT ME!

Photo: Tom Casino / SHOWTIME

OAKLAND, Calif., (June 16, 2010)–-Andre Ward and Allan Green met face-to-face at today’s final press conference in advance of their Super Six World Boxing Classic and WBA World Title tilt on Saturday, June 19—live on SHOWTIME, 10p ET/PT—from Oakland’s Oracle Arena.  While both men were respectful of one another, the tension in the room was nearly tangible.  What’s at stake in the final Group Stage 2 bout:

·         The undefeated Ward (21-0, 13 Kos) is making his first world title defense (WBA 168-pounds).

·         Green (29-1, 20 Kos) is getting his first world title shot and his first Super Six bout (replacing Jermain Taylor).

·         Both are seeking one of four coveted berths in the Super Six World Boxing Classic Semi-Finals.

·         With a victory, Ward would clinch a spot in the Semis prior to his Group Stage 3 bout vs. Andre Dirrell; Green would still have a chance in Group Stage 3 against Mikkel Kessler.

·         If Green is victorious, all six fighters would be virtually deadlocked going into the final and decisive Group Stage 3 matchups. 

What the fighters had to say on Wednesday.

Andre Ward:

Well this is my favorite part of it right here… fight week baby.  The hard work is basically over.  All the interviews are basically over and it’s time to go to work.  This is what I do best.  To quote John Wooden, you know I don’t let the praises of the people or the criticism get to me.  Because it’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.  I appreciate the praises of the people, I honor that, I thank them for that.  And those who… people who have a lot of negative things to say about me, even my opponent, his coach, his team, that’s fine.  But I’m locked in on what I have to do. Fight in and fight out.  I’ve sacrificed a lot for this moment.  I’ve sacrificed my wife, my kids and they’ve sacrificed a lot, too….. I don’t think people realize what’s inside of me and what kind of focus I have.  They think when you get this belt that it’s time to relax.  They think that I’m the one that’s being hunted and to a degree I am, but I have a lot of desire in me, man. And I got a lot of passion in me.  I don’t know if he wants this belt as bad as I want to keep it,  but if he does, then it’s going to be a whole lot of fun on Saturday night.  We’re going to have a good show.

(Ward continued)

I have nothing negative to say about my opponent or his team.  I’ve listened to what they’ve said; the disrespectful things, even the compliments, and I take it all to heart.  I take them for their words and it’s pushed me and it’s driven me. Like I said at the first press conference we had, I train like I’m fighting a monster, period.  So, that way mentally and physically that’s what I’m prepared for.  It’s his time to show up.  He’s done a lot of talking but it’s time to show up.  It’s my time to show up and I will give the fans a tremendous performance come Saturday night. 

I’m not going to tell you guys how great I am, how great I’m going to be. I’ve got to continue to show you.  I’ve been in this game a long time and I understand it’s about putting in the work and showing people.  It’s not about these press conferences.  It’s not about the interviews.  It’s about putting in the work and when it’s time to show up, show up.  And that’s what I plan on doing.  So, I thank everybody that’s involved with this event, SHOWTIME, Oakland, we are getting ready to do it again.  Thank you.

Allan Green:

Andre Ward is a good young fighter.  He hasn’t lost since he was twelve or thirteen years old. We understand that.  We’re not minimizing him or undermining him in any way.  There’s no need for me to get chuckling here today.  I see children here. I see people here having a good time, but Saturday night I will be the WBA super middleweight champion.  That’s what I came here for.  I know what I can do.

To dissect me you’ve got to have a hell of a scalpel… to dissect Allan Green, a hell of a scalpel.  Because a lot of people tend to think, they want to label me as a puncher.  True, I am a puncher, but at the same time a lot of people fail to realize I’m a pure boxer.  I do know how to box.  I do know how to think.  So if anybody’s got it in there mind thinking that I’m just coming to walk this young kid down and blast him out and blow him out the water like Kessler did…

Like I said, here’s the problem.  Mikkel Kessler is from Denmark.  He speaks English.  Ward speaks English.   Kessler understands English.  Kessler doesn’t understand jive, that’s why he couldn’t deal with Andre Ward.  I speak jive very well and will Saturday night. 

John David Jackson (Green’s Trainer)

Everybody’s pretty much picked Andre Ward to win.  I don’t know why we even showed up.  James Prince said he’s ready to go to war, but one thing you got to remember when you go to war, you leave your head open for punches.  And this brother (Allan Green) right here, he’s got dynamite in both hands. So, if Andre Ward comes to go to war, that’s exactly what we want.  And if he does that, he won’t be champ anymore.

Virgil Hunter (Ward’s Trainer)

The talk is over and we can get down to the grit of it.  In my opinion you’re not the champ until you retire the champ.  You have to be able to hold on to the title and that’s where our mind set is.  Allan Green is not taken lightly.  His flaws, we’ve identified them. His strengths we have identified them too.  A lot has been said about what comes out of his hands, but if you look at his record, we have the better knockout percentage.  Judging from the fighter’s and competition he’s faced, this is the first time that he’s really going to get hit.  This is the first time he’s going to find out how violent Andre really is.  Everything we do, we do with speed.  If he stays where he is in the speed zone, he’s going to get chewed up.  We are going to find out who has the dynamite in the fists.  We are going to do what we always do.  We are going to shock your mind, take your heart and we are going to dissect you down and constrict you and then we are going to give you a venomous bite. 

Dan Goossen (Ward’s promoter)

This is the first time in history that the Bay Area has ever hosted two back-to-back championship fights within a twelve month period.  First and foremost I want to thank the fans for coming out to Oakland and supporting their hometown hero.  When this thing is all said and done, you’re going to see your Oakland fighter, you’re Bay Area fighter, become a pay-per-view star.

SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC SCOREBOARD (Through five fights)

Record           Fighter                          Points

 1-1                  Arthur Abraham                  3

 1-0                  Andre Ward                        2

 1-1                  Mikkel Kessler                    2

 1-1                  Carl Froch                          2

 1-1                  Andre Dirrell                       2

 0-0                  Allan Green                         0

Sergiy Dzinziruk retained his WBO junior middleweight title in dominant fashion Friday night with a 10th round stoppage of Australian Daniel Dawson in Santa Ynez, CA. Dzinzriuk (37-0, 23 KO's) returned to the ring after an 18-month layoff and showed no signs of rust with a stiff jab from his southpaw stance that landed whenever he threw it. With one-way action continuing into the 10th round, referee Jose Cobian stopped the fight at the 2:12 mark.

Dawson (34-2, 24 KO's) was ending a 15-month layoff and he wasn't sharp at all as the champion controlled the action throughout. It was the first fight in the U.S. for Dzinzriuk and he was impressive.

“My plan was to use the jab to make him tired and then go to the other punches,” Dzinziruk said.  “We saw some tapes of him and knew the early rounds would be tough.  Our plan was to apply more pressure in the later rounds and finish him. We’d had a long layoff and we wanted to take it easy in the beginning.”

He continued, “Whatever we planned, it worked out.  I feel good about my performance, especially after the long layoff. I wanted to please the American fans, and I think I did.  Now, I want to take collect a few more belts and take on the other (154 pound) champions.” 

LINDSAY, CA, May 7th – He thrilled millions of boxing fans with an aggressive style that earned him a spot on the 1996 US Olympic team and two world junior middleweight championships. And on Saturday, June 19^th, boxing superstar Fernando Vargas will begin his quest to bring the next generation of stars to fight fans, as he joins with long time fight promoter Roy Englebrecht and presents his first event as a promoter – “Melee at McDermont” – at the state of the art McDermont Field House in Lindsay, California. 

At a Friday, May 7^th Noon Press Conference at McDermont Field House, Vargas announced the main event for this historic card, which is the first ever professional boxing event in Lindsay (population 15,000), and will feature former world champion Martin “El Gallo” Castillo looking to extend his two fight winning streak when he battles former IBA world titlist Vernie Torres in a super bantamweight main event. 

Also in action will be two of Lindsay’s own, as lightweight Rigo Espinoza and welterweight Stephen Rubalcava make their professional debuts in four round action. 

“I’m very excited and look forward to bringing a class act and a Hollywood type show to Lindsay,” said Vargas. “After attending Fight Promoter University last November I knew that I wanted my new company, Vargas Entertainment Promotions, to get into the fight promotions business. Now being able to partner with such a respected promoter as Roy Englebrecht, I am confident that fight fans will witness an event that will be the talk of Lindsay and Tulare County for years!” 

“Melee at McDermont”, a hard-hitting night of professional boxing, will be co-promoted by Vargas Entertainment Promotions and Roy Englebrecht Promotions. Tickets, priced at $75, $40 and $25, can be purchased online at www.meleeatmcdermont.com and at the McDermont Field House office Monday thru Friday. Special VIP Melee Suites that are all inclusive are also being offered for this show at $600 per suite, and include 10 tickets and unlimited food and drink. 

McDermont Field House is a year old, 15 million dollar recreation facility that includes state of the art soccer fields, basketball court, a wave pool, video arcade, dance studio, boxing gym, café, and is considered the most cutting edge recreational venue of it type in California. 

“As mayor of the City of Lindsay I am extremely excited about bringing professional boxing to Lindsay,” said Ed Murray. “I know it will be a fantastic evening for local fight fans to see great fights on June 19^th, and I also look forward to witnessing this evening first hand, right in our hometown.”  

One of the most exciting fighters in the game today, Mexico City native Martin Castillo (35-3, 18 KOs) is a former 1996 Mexican Olympian who repeated his amateur success in the pros when he won the WBA super flyweight title in 2004. Castillo defended his crown four times before an upset loss in 2006, and he has since won five of his last six bouts, including two in a row following his return from a year-long layoff. 

A native of Davao City in the Philippines, southpaw Vernie Torres (27-12, 15 KOs) has been battling it out with the best for nearly 14 years.  Torres has faced the likes of Mike Oliver, Gary Stark Jr., and Jose Navarro, but his crowning glory came in January of 2003, when he stopped Julio Coronel in ten rounds to win the IBA bantamweight title. Now looking to recapture that championship form, Torres is expecting a big night on June 19^th. 

In the “Melee at McDermont” co-main event, it will be a six round Bay Area brawl when Oakland’s Tony Hirsch (11-3-1, 5 KOs) takes on Fresno’s Loren Myers (7-7-1, 2 KOs) in a middleweight match. Hirsch, a former Oakland Raiders cornerback has won two in a row, including a decision victory over veteran contender Jose Celaya last November, but he will be tested by the always tough Myers, who has been in with top prospects Dion Savage and Matt Korobov in the last year. 

Hometown heroes Rigo Espinoza and Stephen Rubalcava will take their leap into the punch for pay ranks on June 19^th when they square off against Cesar Flores (0-1) and Maurice Slade (0-2-1), respectively. 

“I found out what the city of Lindsay was doing with their awesome venture the McDermont Field House about a year ago, and just knew it would work for boxing,” said co promoter Roy Englebrecht. “Add to the mix the name of Fernando Vargas and I know the Melee at McDermont will become the premier fight series in the Central Valley, both for boxing and for mixed martial arts shows we will also be promoting” 

Opening the event will be bantamweight four rounder pitting Fresno’s Mike Ruiz (1-0) against Cudahay’s Luis Lucas (0-1). 

Doors open on Saturday, June 19^th at 6:30pm, with the first bell at 7:30pm.

Photo: Marty Solis

Official weights from the weigh-in for tomorrow night's welterweight fight between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley in Las Vegas, NV. The Pay-Per-View telecast starts at 9PM ET.

MAYWEATHER - 146
MOSLEY - 147

SALISBURY, MD (April 16, 2010) – Undefeated middleweight prospect and hometown favorite Fernando Guerrero earned an impressive second round TKO victory over Chicago’s Michael Walker in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation Friday night on SHOWTIME from the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center in Salisbury, Md.

Unbeaten prospect Shawn Porter dominated Colombian Raul Pinzon, scoring a first round TKO in Friday’s co-feature.

The doubleheader was co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Prize Fight. 

Fighting in front of a packed hometown crowd, Guerrero (18-0, 15 KOs) displayed the type of energy and power that has made him such a coveted prospect in the stacked middleweight division.  The southpaw came out swinging, drilling Walker (19-4, 12 KOs) with repeated shots against the ropes to close out the first round. 

It was more of the same in the second with Guerrero banging away against the ropes and landing shot after shot against his defenseless opponent.  With Walker up against the ropes and unable to respond to the onslaught of combinations from Guerrero, referee Malik Waleed was forced to stop the fight at 1:49 of the second round. 

“The crowd was a little bit off so I had to spice things up,” Guerrero joked.  “I said I was going to go with him and fight an exciting fight.  I’m going to be the new face of boxing, that’s a promise.  I work hard like I’m going for a world title in every fight.” 

Walker may have been the only person in the building who disagreed with Waleed’s decision to end the brutal attack.

“I’m pretty disappointed,” Walker said.  “I think I could still go.  He caught me with a shot but I was recovering.  I should have moved when he was hitting me.  It’s just a lesson learned.”

Porter (14-0, 11 KOs), of Cleveland, was equally impressive in his dominating win over Pinzon, although it was tough to measure his performance against a lesser opponent.  The unbeaten prospect showed great one-punch KO power and a tremendous work-rate in the short outing.  Porter moved to 14-0 in thrilling fashion with an overhand right that connected for a KO at 2:30 of round one. 

“I tried to follow the gameplan, use my speed and set up the body shots,” Porter said.  “I set him up for the overhand right with the body shots.

“I can’t said I’m disappointed that I didn’t get that many rounds. It was a great effort and performance. I know his weight slowed him down.  He was definitely too slow for me tonight.”

Pinzon (17-5, 16 KOs) took the fight on nine days notice and had trouble making the contracted weight limit.

ShoBox play-by-play announcer Nick Charles was impressed with the showing by Guerrero and Porter but would like to see them begin facing top 15 opponents. 

“As measuring sticks the opponents fizzled,” Charles said.  “But both of them showed the speed and power that translated into electrifying performances.  I can’t fault them for their level of performance.  It’s time to match them against some guys in the top 15 that will really challenge them.” 

Friday’s fights will re-air on SHO 2 on Monday, April 19 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). They will be available On Demand from April 19 until May 2, 2010. 

The aforementioned Charles called the action from ringside with Steve Farhood and Antonio Tarver serving as expert analysts. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing. 

For information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.

Bout 1

40-36 X 3 for Rocco Santomaurro (4-0, 0 KO’s) over Karl Hammer (1-3, 0 KO’s) in a four-round featherweight fight. It was a very entertaining fight that saw almost constant two-way action.

Bout 2

45-year old Arthur Williams (46-16-1, 30 KO’s), the former IBF and WBA cruiserweight champ defeated  Valente Tinajero (8-0, 4 KO’s) in a scheduled 6 round cruiserweight fight. It was Tinajero’s first fight since June 2, 2007. Williams looked in good shape and showed good movement for his advanced age to start fight. Tinajero landed several individual power shots, never hurt Williams, no combos. Williams countered well, especially with right hand. 59-55, 59-55, 59-55 Williams.

Bout 3

Henry Namauu (5-3, 3 KO’s)  vs. Rayford Johnson (5-4, 3 KO’s), 10 rounds, cruiserweights. Action fight. Great action fight through two. Solid punches being landed at close quarters. Much too quick of a pace for a 10-rounder. Namauu overpowered Johnson and scored a seventh-round stoppage at the 2:43 mark..

Bout 4

Laurence Hughes (3-0, 3 KO’s) vs. Juan Rumaldo Alcolea (2-1, 0 KO’s), 4 rounds, welterweights.  The last bout before Holyfield-Botha. After the Namauu-Johnson slugfest, the tactical pace of this bout is drawing some boos.40-36, 40-36, 39-37 Hughes.

David Estrada (24-6, 15 KO’s) was too much for Orlando Lora (26-1-1, 18 KO’s), handing the welterweight prospect his first loss in convincing fashion. After eight one-sided rounds and with Lora’s face showing considerable swelling, his corner stopped the fight.

NEW YORK (April 2, 2010)—The latest installment of the universally lauded reality series from SHOWTIME Sports® — FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic — returns to SHOWTIME® with Episode 5, premiering Wednesday, April 7, at 10 p.m. ET/PT.  

On Monday, SHOWTIME Sports launched a new, public access web page dedicated to the Fight Camp 360° series.  To view complete episodes 1 through 4, plus the episode 5 trailer, please visit:

http://sports.sho.com/fight-camp-360.html 

This new 30-minute installment includes all the drama from Detroit, where Andre Dirrell’s surprising upset victory via Arthur Abraham disqualification turned the Super Six World Boxing Classic on its head.  Go behind the scenes during intense fight week controversy between the promoters, into the locker room before the bout, into the ring (where no less than seven Fight Camp 360° cameras captured never-before-seen footage) and to the hospital as Dirrell recovers from the DQ blow. 

Plus, viewers will go deep inside the training camps of undefeated World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) of Nottingham, England, and former World Boxing Association (WBA) 168-pound titleholder Mikkel Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs) of Denmark as they prepare for their Group Stage 2 bout on Saturday, April 24, on SHOWTIME (9 p.m., ET/PT, same-day delay) from MCH Arena, in Herning, Denmark. 

David Haye stayed unbeaten and retained his WBA heavyweight title in impressive fashion when former world champ John Ruiz' corner threw in the towel after a rough night in round 9. Haye (24-0, 22 KO's) decked Ruiz with a right hand in the opening seconds of the fight. Ruiz (44-9-1, 30 KO's) was down again shortly thereafter, but it was from a punch behind the head and Haye had a point deducted.

After making it out of the round, Ruiz went down again in the fifth and sixth rounds and by round nine his corner needed to see a dramatic turnaround or they were going to stop the fight. A minute into the round it was more of the same and the towel came in from Ruiz' corner. Official time of the stoppage was 2:01.

Photo:Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

LAS VEGAS (April 2, 2010) – Young prospect Erislandy Lara outworked and controlled his toughest opponent to date, Danny Perez, to remain undefeated by unanimous decision Friday evening on ShoBox: The New Generation.  In the SHOWTIME® co-feature Carlos Velasquez impressed with a fourth-round knockout over late replacement Ira Terry to also remain undefeated. 

The evening of fights took place at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and was promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. 

Lara (11-0, 6 KOs) from Miami, Fla., controlled the 10-round junior middleweight bout from the opening bell.  The more experienced Perez (34-7, 17 KOs) of Carlsbad, Calif., struggled to find his rhythm and had no answer for Lara’s quick punches and swift footwork.  Perez’s corner urged him to throw his combinations and let his hands fly but he wasn’t able to answer their pleas. 

Lara refused to back down and was awarded the unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the fight 99-91.  After the fight he only had praise for his team and his new trainer Ronnie Shields.  “I felt great.  I can really feel the difference my new team has made.  My preparations were strong and we executed it tonight, especially now that I have Ronnie in my corner.  I know my team will guide me to my dream of a world title this year.” 

Velasquez (12-0, 10 KOs) of Las Vegas, started off strong wreaking havoc on Terry’s body with fierce and unrelenting shots, taking away any movement he hoped to have.  Terry (24-3, 14 KOs) of Memphis, Tenn., was a late replacement, taking the fight on only five days notice when Velasquez’s originally scheduled opponent Alejandro Perez had to pull out of the fight due to injury.   

Ten seconds into the fourth round Velasquez unleashed a hellacious flurry of punches that sent Terry to the canvas where Terry was counted out just 20 seconds into the round.  The super featherweight bout was scheduled for eight rounds. After the fight Velasquez spoke about his victory.  “I felt great in there.  I worked really hard for this fight.  I knew he was getting tired because I kept hitting his body with shots. This was the biggest fight of my career.  It meant a lot to me because I haven’t fought in a while.  But I came back strong with a big knockout.” 

Boxing royalty Mike Tyson and Roberto Duran were on hand to watch the night’s fights along with two-time former world champion Fernando Vargas, mixed martial arts star Jason “Mayhem” Miller and kickboxing legend Ray Sefo. 

Photo: Tom Casino \ Showtime

Official weights for tomorrow night's Showbox: The New Generation show which airs at 11PM ET on Showtime.

ERISLANDY LARA: 156 1/2
DANNY PEREZ: 155 1/2

CAROS VELASQUEZ: 127 1/2
IRA TERRY: 128

By Steve Cummings

Andre Dirrell was in the process of pulling off a stunning upset in stage two of the Super Six tournament when he was fouled by Arthur Abraham, resulting in a disqualification of the series leader. Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO's) was badly outboxing Abraham and had the former IBF champ on the canvas in round four. But in the 11th round Dirrell slipped on a wet logo in the corner and, while he was clearly down, Abraham threw a brutal right hand to the chin of Dirrell, resulting in a scary scene on the ring apron.

As Dirrell was on his back quivering, referee Laurence Cole announced that Abraham (31-1, 25 KO's) was disqualified for an intentional foul.

What followed was an extremely disturbing scene. Dirrell was conscious again in relatively short order but badly disoriented. Dirrell's family and corner was understandably emotional but as Dirrell appeared to be distraught over thinking he had lost the fight, his people tried frantically to assure him that he had won.

At this point Andre Dirrell should not have been on his feet in front of a microphone, but Jim Gray attempted to conduct the post-fight interview. Credit to Gray for realizing the situation and cutting the interview short. Dirrell was led from the ring but as cameras showed him walking out of the ring and to the dressing room it was a chaotic trip.

Unfortunately, Abraham then gave an interview which showed a rather distasteful reaction to his first professional loss. Abraham, who barely threw a punch in the first two rounds, got knocked down in the fourth and had his right eye ripped to shreds, claimed that Dirrell was somehow "not a great fighter but a great actor."

It was unclear with the language interpretation if Abraham was claiming Dirrell went down intentionally to draw Abraham into fouling him or if he was saying Dirrell was faking the extent of his injury. Either way it was ugly.

Prior to Dirrell slipping (not for the first time) on that slippery logo, this fight was everything that is great about boxing. Dirrell surprised everyone by outpunching the heavy-handed Abraham and had it all his way for eight rounds. The desperate Abraham began to find the range as perhaps Dirrell began to tire. Abraham landed a clean right hand in the 10th that put Dirrell down but Cole waved it off as their feet appeared to get tangled up a bit. The blow was solid enough that it could have been called a knockdown.

As Abraham continued to press, and with his last-second knockout of Jermain Taylor fresh in everyone's minds, the last two rounds were going to be pressure cookers till the final bell.

Best wishes to Dirrell for a complete recovery. This is a fantastic tournament so far but his health is far more important.

Photo: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

DETROIT - (March 24, 2010) — Super Six World Boxing Classic standings leader “King” Arthur Abraham and Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell both took part in a media workout at Detroit’s famed Kronk Gym on Wednesday, just three days before they kick off Group Stage 2 of the Tournament on Saturday, March 27 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich., live on SHOWTIME at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

The Armenian Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) currently leads the Super Six point standings with three points by way of his last-second knockout against American Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor Oct. 17 in Berlin, Germany. The former middleweight bronze medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics from Flint, Mich., Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) dropped a close 12-round decision to Carl Froch for the World Boxing Council (WBC) World Championship the same night in Nottingham, England.  

This fight will be available to a record 54.4 million households as part of the SHOWTIME ALL ACCESS Free Preview Weekend on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME HD™ and SHOWTIME On Demand.  From Thursday, March 25 through Sunday, March 28, viewers across the country will have the opportunity to sample the premium network's award-winning programming via linear service, On Demand and in HD, including two live events from SHOWTIME Sports.   

The event is being promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Sauerland Event.   

What the fighters had to say on Wednesday at Kronk Gym:

ARTHUR ABRAHAM

“It is a pleasure to be back in America. I have adjusted well to the time difference. We have been doing light workouts and I feel ready for Saturday night.

“Dirrell is fast but that will not help him. I am in the Super Six to become a legend in America. I need a win on Saturday to accomplish that goal. And I will get that win.

“My trainer, Ulli Wegner, has prepared a special game plan which will help to defeat Dirrell. You will see on Saturday how that works.

“I like Detroit, I have seen a little bit of the city. It is different from German cities. What I like most about Detroit is the famous Joe Louis Arena. I have visited it and it was very impressive. I am thrilled to be fighting there.”

ULLI WEGNER (Coach)

“Arthur is in great shape. He has coped very well with the time difference, but for someone like him – someone in top shape – it is very easy to adjust.

“We are looking forward to fighting in America again. Everybody said we were crazy when we came over to fight in Edison Miranda´s backyard in June 2008 and Arthur knocked him out. I think the outcome will be the same on Saturday - a great victory for Arthur.”

WILFRIED SAUERLAND (Abraham’s Promoter)

“I think we will see a great fight. Arthur will win because he is too strong for Dirrell. The American fans will love Arthur´s style – he is incredibly powerful and a very strong puncher with a sensational record of 31-0 and 25 KOs. That is what the people love to see. He will put on a great show on Saturday night.

ANDRE DIRRELL

“Nothing can get in the way of my dedication and achieving my dream. You have to have a different game plan for each fighter you face, and we have a strong game plan for me to execute with Abraham. I have faced power punchers before, none as explosive as Abraham, but I have fought power punchers in my career and handled them well.”

“I’m smarter, faster and more elusive and I feel that I have the most skill and speed. It will be difficult for him to catch on to my style but not for me to adjust to his. I won’t feed into him and fight his fight, but I will let these hands fly.”  

“I’m going in with a strong game plan and I’m going to execute it to the best of my ability. Whatever he brings, I will be ready for it. My natural ability gives me confidence. I’ve put in hard work and I’m ready for Saturday night.”

“I met him (Arthur Abraham) on the media tour and at the press conference and he seems like a nice guy, but in the ring, it’s all business.”

“There are two championship belts at stake (in the Super Six tournament) and I want them. Arthur Abraham is a stepping stone in my game plan to get those two belts. I want to get him out of the way and get those titles.”

On Fighting in Detroit:

“I’m glad to be back in Michigan and the opportunity to fight here in Detroit is a great thing. This is a history-making event and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

“I really wanted to bring something positive to this community.  It feels good to fight in Detroit and it’s something that I’m really looking forward to. When fighters fight at home, your mental game has to be really strong. This is a big, monumental event and I’m looking forward to it, but I won’t let it distract me.”

“This area has been sleeping on boxing for awhile now, but I’m bringing excitement about the sport back to Detroit with this fight. I’m here to make a statement to the boxing world and all the fighters in the Super Six tournament with my performance in this fight. ”

“I’ve heard about it all my life. All the big fights in Detroit were in the 1980’s.  I was born in 1983, so I’m ready to bring another big fight here to Detroit and the state of Michigan and get everyone excited about boxing again.”  

On bouncing back from his loss to Carl Froch:

“My last fight really motivated me. I have been back in the gym and working really hard. I’m ready to shake, rattle and roll.  You will see the best of Andre Dirrell on Saturday night.”

GARY SHAW (Dirrell’s Promoter):

“This is a chance for Andre to become this town and Michigan’s biggest fighter. This is more than just the Super Six. He’s fighting at home and there are pressures on him that there aren’t elsewhere.”

“This is my first fight since my Dad passed away two weeks ago. He was my best friend and a huge boxing fan. The first time I saw Andre after I got into town, the first thing he said to me was I’m sorry about your Dad. He said that to me before anything else and that says a lot about Andre Dirrell and who that man is.”

For information on all SHOWTIME Sports telecasts, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries from its events and complete information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic, please visit the website at http://www.sports.sho.com

SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC SCOREBOARD

Record           Fighter                          Points

 1-0                  Arthur Abraham                  3

 1-0                  Carl Froch                          2

 1-0                  Andre Ward                        2

 0-1                  Andre Dirrell                       0

 0-1                  Mikkel Kessler                    0

 0-0                  Allan Green                         0

WBO/IBF heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko retained both of his belts with a clear cut, if less than exhilarating outing against Eddie Chambers in Germany. Klitschko (54- 3, 48 KO's) was in command throughout, displaying his overwhelming physical advantages of five inches and 35 pounds to go along with his razor sharp skills.

Chambers (35-2) was down in the second and barely made it to the bell. The American was never in serious contention after that and it became official in the waning seconds of the bout when Klitschko floored the challenger with a left hook with just five seconds to go. Chambers went down hard and the bout was immediately waved off.

By Steve Cummings

Sechew Powell avenged an earlier losst to Deandre Latimore, scoring a majority decision win Friday night in an IBF junior middleweight title eliminator. Powell (26-2, 15 KO's) was busier and was able to stay out of danger from Latimore's power attack to  notch the wins by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 114-114.

Latimore (25-3, 15 KO's) knocked Powell from the #1 spot in 2008 with a stoppage win, but he wasn't able to do the same damage this time around.

Cory Spinks is the IBF titlist at 154, earning that belt with a split-decision victory over Latimore in April of 2009. With this win, Latimore is in line for another shot at Spinks,who hasn't fought since.

By Steve Cummings

Manny Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey, retaining the WBO welterweight title with a convincing unanimous decision in Dallas, TX Saturday night. It was all Pac-Man from the opening bell with the judges turning in scorecards reading 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109. There were no knockdowns.

Pacquaio (51-3-2, 38 KO'S) was too busy and too quick for his overmatched opponent as Clottey seemed to be in a shell for most of the fight. Clottey (35-4, 20 KO's) was expected to be very busy and stand up to the power-punching champion, thus making it an exciting fight. Clottey's chin held up but there wasn't enough spark in his attack to mount a serious challenge.

Official weights for tomorrow night's WBO welterweight title fight in Dallas:

MANNY PACQUAIO - 145 3/4

JOSHUA CLOTTEY - 147

By Steve Cummings (Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime)

Vic Darchinyan retained his WBA and WBC super flyweight titles with a one-sided decision over Rodrigo Guerrero on Showtime Saturday night. Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 KO's) had the huge edge in experience over Guerrero and was in command throughout.

Official scores were 18-110, 117-111, 120-108.

Darchinyan landed huge punches in every round but the granite chin of Guerrero (13-2-1, 9 KO's) stood up to all of them. It was Guerrero's first fight against a southpaw and he picked an extremely dangerous one in Darchinyan.

Over the last several rounds, Vic was in charge, moving to keep away from Guerrero's plodding attack and firing off big combinations at regular intervals.

Earlier, Lenny Zappavigna survived a grueling 12-round match with Fernando Angulo and came away with a unanimous decision victory for the IBO lightweight title on Saturday night. Zappavigna (23-0, 15 KO's) was busted up throughout the pitched battle with his right eye being badly cut and swollen.

At the end of the fight, the judges saw in favor of Zappavigna by scores of 114-113, 116-111 and 116-111.

Devon Alexander added the IBF junior welterweight title to his collection while retaining his WBC belt with an eighth-round KO of Juan Urango Saturday night. Alexander improved to 20-0 while scoring his 13th KO to unify the belts.

Alexander was winning a competitive contest with his speed and movement when he suddenly broke open the fight with an uppercut that floored Urango in the eighth. Urango (22-3-1, 17 KO's) got up, bleeding from the nose, but had nowhere to go as Alexander went in for the finish.

A combination from Alexander put Urango down again moments later. The IBF champion beat the count but the referee waved off the bout at the 1:12 mark of round eight.

Lightweight Martin Honorio, ranked #8 by the IBF, scored two knockdowns in a convincing performance over previously unbeaten Wilton Hilario on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. Honorio (28-4-1, 14 KO's) earned a unanimous decision by scores of 120-106, 119-107 and 119-107.

Hilario (12-1-1, 9 KO's) went down twice in the sixth and had an uphill battle all night. Honorio had the edge in power, was busier and sustained his attack from bell to bell every round.

Photo: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.  (March 4, 2010) – Popular, hard-hitting Vic “The Raging Bull’’ Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 KOs) will defend his World Boxing Council/World Boxing Association (WBC/WBA) super flyweight crowns against streaking Rodrigo “Gato’’ Guerrero (13-1-1, 9 KOs) in the main event on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME®  this Saturday, March 6 (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa here.

In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten Lenny “Lenny Zappa’’ Zappavigna (22-0, 15 KOs) of Australia and Fernando “La Fiera” Angulo (22-6, 14 KOs) of Venezuela will clash for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) lightweight title. Angulo was in Los Angeles taking his medical examination and was not at Thursday’s press conference.

An Australian-based Armenian, the exciting Darchinyan will be making his fifth consecutive appearance on SHOWTIME and 11^th overall. He has scored knockouts in 14 of his last 15 victories.

The switching-hitting Guerrero, of Ciudad Neza, Mexico, has won 11 in a row. This will be his first start on SHOWTIME and in the United States.

The promising Zappavigna, an Italian, fights out of Sydney, Australia. He also will be making his SHOWTIME debut, and his second stateside start.

The doubleheader will be promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC. Tickets, priced from $45, may be purchased at The Show Box Office, online at HotWaterCasino.com/TheShow or by calling (800) 585-3737. For private box/suite bookings, please call The Show’s Group Sales Department (760) 202-2111.

VIC DARCHINYAN

“SHOWTIME is like my home and I look forward to defending my title again on SHOWTIME and fighting in front of my fans at Agua Caliente.

“This is a good fight for me and a fight where I will showcase all my skills – not just a punch. I feel really good and had a great training camp. I plan to do everything -- box, think and stay calm.

“Guerrero is a good kid and he’s fought a couple good fighters and done very well. There’s no way I’m going to underestimate him.

“I think he has a future in boxing, but it won’t begin until after I beat him on Saturday.

“I don’t want to talk about any possible fights for me in the future. My main focus is on Guerrero and defeating a determined, young opponent. I am here and ready to do my job.

“If the knockout comes, it comes. But it is going to come. He will feel my power.’’

 Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (18-0-1, 15 KO's) won the WBO Junior Featherweight title with a dominant effort against Martin Sosona, stopping the former super flyweight champion in the fourth round. Vazquez Jr. overpowered Sonsona during the brief contest, flooring him with a left hook to the body. Sonsona (14-1-1, 12 KO's) couldn't beat the count and it was all over at the 2:01 mark of round four.

Vazquez Jr. joined his famous father as a world champion. The fight took place in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

By Steve Cummings

Mike Jones succesfully defended his NABA welterweight title with a workmanlike effort against veteran Henry Bruseles on Saturday night in Atlantic City, NJ. Jones (20-0, 16 KO's) used his height and reach advantages throughout the 10-round fight and was the busier fighter over the last eight rounds.

The judges all agreed, returning scores of 98-92, 98-92 and 97-92 in favor of Jones.

Bruseles (28-4-1, 15 KO's) got out to a good start against the cautious defending champion. As Jones offered very little, Bruseles scored with both hands, albeit only one at a time.

When round three started, Jones came out of his shell and began to press the attack. Soon Jones hand speed and accuracy had him outlanding Bruseles, who went into a bit of a shell. Bruseles, who once challenged Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a junior welterweight title elminator, took a tactical approach to the Jones attack but could usually only muster one punch at a time the rest of the way.

It wasn't the most impressive outing Jones could have hoped for but against a tough vet like Bruseles it was pretty good. At 5'11", Jones will be a tough matchup at welterweight with his quick hands and accurate punching. Only true power was lacking as he never had Bruseles in any trouble. But it was a solid showing regardless.

Comments HIT ME!

By Steve Cummings

Highly-ranked Antonio Escalante won a blood-and-guts war with Mickey Roman via unanimous decision on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. Escalante (23-2, 14 KO's) was the busier of the two in an all-out featherweight battle and scored a knockdown in the eighth round en route to the victory.

Roman (28-7, 20 KO's) was a bull the entire fight, constantly pressing forward and throwing heavy shots. Roman's was mainly single, heavy punches while Escalante got off with flashy combinations.

After the knockdown in the eighth, Roman came back with a big rally in the ninth. Both fighters' faces showed the wear of a fast-paced fight as the 10th round played out.

The judges ruled in favor of Escalante by scores of 97-92, 96-93 and 96-93.

The fight took place in Escalante's hometown of El Paso, TX.

Comments?HIT ME!

Photo: Esther Lin/Strikeforce

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Feb. 27, 2009) – Before a sold out crowd of 2,322, former ballet dancer turned undefeated professional mixed martial arts (MMA) star Sarah Kaufman (11-0) became the first STRIKEFORCE Women’s Welterweight (135 pounds) Champion in history by powering her way to a five-round unanimous decision over Japan’s Takayo Hashi (12-2) in the STRIKEFORCE Challengers main event at San Jose’s Civic Auditorium on Friday, Feb. 26, on SHOWTIME®.

Luke Rockhold (7-1) continued his climb up the middleweight (185 pounds) ladder with a stunning first-round (2:24) TKO over Paul Bradley (12-2).  A middleweight contest between former South African national wrestling champion Trevor Prangley (22-5-1) and France’s Karl Amoussou (11-2-2) ended prematurely after Prangley accidentally poked Amoussou in the eye, leading to a doctor stoppage and technical draw being declared.

From the outset, Kaufman pressed the action with a stiff jab and one-two punch combinations, but was unable to finish Hashi who repeatedly backpedaled her way out of trouble.  Kaufman landed her best shots in the first round, dropping Hashi with a straight right hand.

In the third stanza, Kaufman sent Hashi reeling back and nearly put down the Japanese fighter for a second time in the bout with a straight right hand.  After a Kaufman jab snapped Hashi’s head back, Hashi responded by shooting for a takedown that Kaufman stuffed.

A chess match ensued for the remainder of the bout.  Kaufman continued to score with her hands and right leg kick while Hashi retreated to avoid imminent danger.  All three judges scored all five rounds in favor of Kaufman.

In the first round of their much anticipated matchup, Rockhold dropped Bradley with a right hand to the side of the head.  Bradley fought his way back to his feet, but Rockhold quickly went on the attack, scoring a head kick and following up with three straight knee strikes to the body.

Badly battered from the series of blows, Bradley turned his back, prompting the referee to immediately stop the action.

As expected, Amoussou came out of the gates firing punches at Prangley, who covered up and countered the Frenchman’s assault with his own hands.  Prangley scored a takedown, but was unable to advance his position from half guard.

After the referee stood up the fighters, Prangley, with an open left hand, accidentally poked Amoussou in the right eye.  The ringside physician immediately entered the cage and examined Amoussou, who was unable to open his eye, and declared the fighter unable to continue at the 4:14 mark of the first round (According to MMA rules in the state of California, the ringside physician has the discretion to stop a bout in the event that an accidental foul causes an injury).

In other action Yancy Medeiros (5-0) of Waianae, Hawaii dominated Raul Castillo (6-1) at middleweight with continuous flurries throughout the matchup between the unbeaten fighters. 

Medeiros stuffed Castillo’s repeated takedown attempts and continued to pour on the punishment with both hands, putting Castillo on the canvas with a right hand in the third round.  After an exchange of shots brought the bout to a close, all three judges awarded the fight to Medeiros.

Like Medeiros, Tarec Saffiedine (8-2) maintained an all-out stand up offensive in a welterweight (170 pounds) fight with James Terry (7-2) for three straight rounds, opening a cut on Terry’s lower lip and bringing about a welt under Terry’s left eye.

Terry repeatedly attempted to bring the fight to the mat, but Saffiedine defended the takedowns well and responded with more strikes.  After three rounds, Saffiedine was declared a unanimous points winner.

Amongst those in attendance at Civic Auditorium, was MMA's newest star, football legend Herschel Walker, as well as STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz, and STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez.

During an interview with STRIKEFORCE Challengers host Mauro Ranallo, Walker said, "(MMA) is the toughest sport there is.  To step in the cage and go mano-a-mano, there's nothing like it. It is the toughest training I've ever done."

Regarding his future in the sport, the 47-year-old Walker said, "I will leave that up to my team at AKA (American Kickboxing Academy, San Jose) when I get back in the gym. We'll see if they say I am capable of going again. (If they do), we'll do it again."

Complete STRIKEFORCE Challengers Results:

Main Card:

Yancy Medeiros  def.  Raul Castillo  – Unanimous Decision (3 Rounds) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Tarec Saffiedine  def. James Terry  – Unanimous Decision (3 Rounds) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Luke Rockhold  def. Paul Bradley – TKO (knees to the body) – 1st Round (2:24)

Trevor Prangley - Technical Draw - Karl Amoussou (doctor stoppage after unintentional foul )  – 1^st Round (4:14)

Sarah Kaufman def. Takayo Hashi  – Unanimous Decision (3 Rounds) (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

Preliminary Card:

Ronald Carillo def. Anthony De Los Santos  – submission (armbar) – 2^nd Round (1:20)

Steve Dickie  def. Alan Lummel  – TKO (punches) –1^st  Round (:33)

Renee Robinson def. Lilia Salas – TKO (punches) – 1^st Round (1:06)

Jesse Tobar def. Johnson Nguyen – Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – 2^nd Round (1:24)

Tristan Arenal def. George Miller – TKO (punches) – 2^nd Round (:30)

Samuel Bracamnonte def. Chris Stewart – TKO (punches) – 3^rd Round (:59)

Wayne Phillips def. Eric Lawson – Submission (armbar) – 1^st Round (4:27)

NEW YORK (Feb. 22, 2010)–-World-ranked contender “Sweetness” Allan Green (29-1, 20 KOs), of Tulsa, Okla., has officially been named to replace fellow American Jermain Taylor in the Super Six World Boxing Classic and will take on undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) 168-pound champion Andre Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) in one-half of a tournament doubleheader on Saturday, April 24, on SHOWTIME®, Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports®, formally announced today.

Also on Saturday, April 24, undefeated Carl “The Cobra’’ Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) of Nottingham, England, defends his WBC world title against former WBA 168-pound champion Mikkel “Viking Warrior’’ Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs) of Denmark.  All the action will be televised on SHOWTIME beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT (Froch vs. Kessler will be shown on same-day delay from MCH Arena, in Herning, Denmark, immediately followed by Ward vs. Green live from the U.S.).

A winner of six consecutive fights, Green will enter the Super Six World Boxing Classic with zero points heading into Group Stage 2—as per tournament rules, a replacement fighter enters the Group Stage competition tied with the last place fighter(s)—and be fighting for his first world title. It marks the first time since Tommy Morrison in 1993 that an Oklahoman has been involved in a world championship fight.

Green is an ultra-confident super middleweight currently ranked No. 3 in the World Boxing Organization (WBO), No. 4 in the World Boxing Council (WBC), No. 5 in the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and No. 7 in the World Boxing Association (WBA). 

“I always had a feeling I was going to get into the tournament,” said the 6-foot-2-inch, 30-year-old Green, who’s currently training in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. “I don’t think I’m a long shot. I’m one of the best super middleweights in the world and the tournament rules allow me to come in and be in the mix with a chance to advance and ultimately win this thing.

“I just don’t see anyone who can beat me. I’ve watched all the fighters over and over.  I’ve studied all of them and know I can beat any of them.”

Green is tall and strong with dynamite in both fists. He is spotting points to three rivals, but a knockout victory for a fighter who prides himself on power would put him in the thick of things. Green is coming off a clear-cut 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Tarvis Simms on ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME Oct. 2, 2009.

Cain Velasquez needed just 2:20 to stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the main event of UFC 110 in Sydney, Australia. A three-punch combination that finished with a right hook to the jaw put the former heavyweight champion on the mat and Velasquez pounced on him to force the stoppage.

The convincing victory put Velasquez (6-0 in the UFC) in line for a shot at Brock Lesnar's heavyweight title. Frank Mir and Shane Carwin will meet for the interim title at UFC 111 in March with the winner slated to meet Lesnar in July or August if Mir/Carwin is healthy enough. If not, Velasquez will be in position to face Lesnar.

Earlier, Wanderlei Silva won a Michael Bisping in Silva's first match at middleweight. The fight was a close, tactical contest until Silva scored a knockdown in the final moments that probably gave him the decision. All three scores were 29-28.

Junior middleweight Shawn Porter stayed unbeaten, moving to 13-0, with a 10-round unanimous decision over Russell Jordan on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. Porter, fighting in front of his hometown fans in Cleveland, OH, had som difficulty with the lanky Jordan (15-7, 10 KO's) but won by scores of 97-92, 97-92 and 100-89. The third score was obviously a hometown job as Jordan clearly won one round at the very least.

A point was deducted from Jordan in the ninth round for intentionally spitting out his mouthpiece but that probably wasn't a fair decision either.

Porter didn't look exceptionally sharp in this bout but he was facing a southpaw with 7" in height on him.

Lightweight Ji-Hoon Kim used a heavy-handed attack to turn back the stern challenge of Tyrone Harris on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights to score a fifth-round TKO. Kim (20-5, 16 KO's) showed big-time power with both hands and hurt Harris to the body before drawing blood from the right eye and then flooring Harris in the fifth.

Harris (24-6, 15 KO's) got out to a fast start by surprisingly pressing the action against the power-punching Kim. But Kim turned the tide in the third round as his shots started to take a toll.

Kim scored a knockdown in the fifth round and Harris got up easily, apparently not hurt. Kim swarmed his opponent and the fight was stopped moments later.

Official time of the stoppage was 1:52 of round five.

Photo: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

MONTERREY, Mexico (Feb. 7, 2010) –  In a sterling performance, Edwin Valero of Venezuela  improved to 27-0 with 27 knockouts and retained the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title with a dominant ninth-round TKO over WBC interim titleholder Antonio DeMarco (23-2-1, 17 KOs) of Tijuana, Mex., Saturday in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on SHOWTIME®.

World-ranked welterweight Carlos Abregu of Salta, Argentina, upped his record to 29-0 (23 KOs) with a clear-cut, 10-round unanimous decision over Miami-based Colombian Richard Gutierrez (24-4, 14 KOs) in the co-feature at Arena Monterrey.

The event, promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, was the first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast to emanate from Mexico in nearly 12 years and the first in Monterrey in more than 15.

Valero, who resides in Las Vegas, showed he was anything but one-dimensional as he outfought and, somewhat shockingly, outboxed the tentative and outclassed DeMarco while controlling all the rounds in a one-sided battle of southpaws.

The talented Valero had is way despite suffering a cut on the cheek in the first round and a severe, ugly gash on his forehead above his right eye from an unintentional elbow in the second. Blood flowed from his forehead for much of the match, but Valero remained poised and in total command.

The fight was stopped by the referee after the ninth round with a beaten, exhausted DeMarco seated on his stool. At the time of the stoppage, Valero was ahead by the scores of 89-81 on the three judges’ scorecards.

“This was definitely my best performance,’’ said the 5-foot-7½-inch, 28-year- old Valero after making the second title defense of the 135-pound belt he won in April 2009.  “I learned I have to pace myself and can’t just come out in the beginning rounds so aggressively.

“I have to save some of that for the later rounds.”

Valero, the busier fighter throughout, connected with many powerful combinations upstairs and to the body, and was as strong in the last round as he was in the first.

 “I wasn’t surprised the fight lasted nine rounds. I was expecting it to last the full 12,’’ he said. “I knew I had to keep doing what I was doing in order to win. They thought I wasn’t a boxer and that I couldn’t deal with his reach. They didn’t know that I was a lateral fighter. I showed them that I had a better defense and better legs.’’

A heretofore unknown despite his amazing knockout record – he won his initial 17 starts by first-round knockout -- Valero was ecstatic after his debut on SHOWTIME.

“A star is born,” he smiled.  “In me, the people have a great boxing champion and with tonight’s performance they have the proof. The fans now know that they will be happy to see my fights.’’

DeMarco fought patiently, perhaps too patiently. He lacked fire and intensity and seemed content to box and land an occasional single punch. If he was waiting for fatigue to set in with Valero, he still is.

“It wasn’t my night,” conceded the 5-foot-10, 24-year-old DeMarco, who entered the scheduled 12-rounder having won 12 and a row and going unbeaten in his last 16 (15-0-1) dating to May 2006. “He got the best of me.  I went out there tonight to fight but my body did not respond.”

While dejected, DeMarco did not dispute his corner’s decision to halt the proceedings. “As a Mexican fighter, I did not want to quit, but my corner saw throughout the fight that Valero was the better fighter,’’ he said.’

The five-foot-10-inch, 27-year-old Abregu rallied from a second-round knockdown and a cut below the left eye to floor the five-foot-nine-inch, 31 year old Gutierrez in the third en route to winning decisively by the scores of 98-90 and 97-91 twice.  

“I came in knowing that Gutierrez was tough,” said Abregu, who showed surprisingly good boxing skills, movement and defense. “He’s shown it in all his past fights. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

“I hurt both my hands in this fight, but whatever injury it is, it was worth it. This was a very hard fight and I am very proud of my performance. I won like I’d hoped. I wanted to be the best man tonight and I was.”

Photo: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

(Feb. 5, 2010) – World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champ Edwin Valero and WBC 135-pound interim titleholder Antonio DeMarco both weighed in at 135 pounds during Friday’s weigh in the Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. 

The hard-hitting Valero will face the once-beaten DeMarco in the main event this Saturday, Feb. 6, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) from the Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. 
 
Valero (26-0, 26 KOs), of Merida, Venezuela, is a two-time champ who has knocked out 100 percent of his opponents.  He will be making the second defense of his WBC title against Tijuana’s Demarco (23-1-1, 17 KOs). 

 
In the 10-round co-feature, Luis Carlos Abregu (28-0, 23 KOs), of Salta, Argentina will meet Richard Gutierrez (24-3, 14 KO’s), of Miami, Florida, via Arjona, Colombia, in a welterweight bout.  Both Abregu and Gutierrez weighed in at the 147 pound welterweight limit. 
 
The event is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC and will take place during the celebration of the bicentennial of Mexico’s Independence.

Photo: M.L. Preissel/For SHOWTIME

SANTA YNEZ, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2010) – With one sudden, dramatic right hand, once-beaten Freddy “El Riel’’ Hernandez (28-1, 19 KOs) of Lynwood, Calif. broke open an entertaining, dead-even fight to brutally knock out former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop’’ Corley (36-13-1, 21 KOs) of Washington, D.C., at 1:48 of the fifth round Friday in the main event on ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME®.

In the co-feature at Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif., power-punching, undefeated Dominican Francisco Contreras (13-0, 12 KOs), of Livingston, N.J., registered a 1:38, first-round knockout over Juan Castaneda, Jr. (16-3, 12 KOs), of La Paz, Mexico, in a scheduled eight-round junior welterweight bout. 

The three judges had the Hernandez-Corley scheduled 10-round welterweight scrap scored 38-apiece entering the fifth round.

A former World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welter belt-holder, Corley vowed going in to take the fight to Hernandez and he did. He cut the No. 14-ranked contender in the World Boxing Council (WBC) around both eyes and his experience created a lot of problems for the native of Mexico City.

But no matter how slick, smart and slippery Corley was at times, he had no answer for the booming right hand that dropped him flat on his back. The victory was the fifth in a row for the 5-foot-10-inch, 30-year-old Hernandez, who is 11-0 with one No Contest dating to February 2005.

“My corner kept telling me to throw the right hand more and pick up the pace,’’ said Hernandez, who came out for the fifth with renewed intensity. “We’d seen tapes and saw where Corley slowed down a little after three or four rounds.

“His experience gave me lots of difficulties. That and the fact he was a southpaw and that we only had a week’s notice to prepare. I fought a southpaw before (Damian Frias on Oct. 23, 2009, on ShoBox) but I had a month to prepare for that. I cut in all my fights so I wasn’t concerned about them.

“This is definitely my biggest victory. To knock out an experienced former champion who never gets knocked out is great.’’

For the 5-foot-7, 35-year-old Corley, a longtime world-class 140-pound southpaw who has fought  many past and current world champions, including Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Devon Alexander, Junior Witter, Zab Judah, Randall Bailey and Jose Alfaro, it was only the third time he’s been stopped in a near-14-year career.

“I got caught, simple as that,’’ Corley said. “It happens to the best. Instead of me going bing, bing, bing (punches) and moving out of range, I went bing, bing, bing and stood up and got caught with a clean shot. Until then, I was frustrating him and fighting my fight.

“But I’m not going anywhere. As soon as I can return to the gym, I will. I’m definitely going to fight again.’’

Photo: M.L. Preissel/For SHOWTIME

Official weights for Friday night's 10-round welterweight contest to be aired on Showtime:

FREDDY HERNANDEZ: 148

DEMARCUS "CHOP CHOP" CORLEY: 143

SANTA YNEZ, Calif.  (Feb. 4, 2010) -- Promising Freddy “El Riel’’ Hernandez (27-1, 18 KOs), of Lynwood, Calif., will take on former world champion, southpaw DeMarcus “Chop Chop’’ Corley (36-12-1, 21 KOs), of Washington, D.C., in the 10-round welterweight main event on ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow/Friday, Feb. 5, on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In the co-feature at Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif., hard-hitting, undefeated Dominican Francisco Contreras (12-0, 11 KOs), of Livingston, N.J., should get what definitely will be the toughest test of his career when he faces Juan Castaneda, Jr. (16-2, 12 KOs), of La Paz, Mexico, in an eight-round junior welterweight bout. 

A winner of four in a row, Hernandez, who was born in Mexico City, is 10-0 with one No Contest dating to February 2005. The No. 14-ranked contender in the World Boxing Council (WBC) scored a convincing, unanimous 10-round decision over then-once-beaten southpaw Damian Frias Oct. 23, 2009 on ShoBox. 

Corley, a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) 140-pound titleholder, has fought some of the best in the world including past and current world champions Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Devon Alexander, Junior Witter and Jose Alfaro. Corley seldom gets the benefit of the doubt in close affairs. One-third of his defeats have come on split decisions.

Contreras, who has been virtually untested since turning pro in February 2007, is stepping up in class against the aggressive-minded Castaneda, who is 12-0 since suffering his last loss to Antonio DeMarco on May 2, 2008, at Chumash, on ShoBox.

The current WBC interim lightweight belt-holder, DeMarco challenges WBC 135-pound world champion Edwin Valero in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING this Saturday, Feb. 6, on SHOWTIME®.

Photo: Esther Lin/Strikeforce

Nick Diaz won the Strikeforce welterweight championship Saturday night with a dominant performance against Marius Zaromskis in Miami, FL. Zaromskis, the current Dream champion, decked Diaz in ther opening moments, but Diaz proved to have too much height and reach for the Lithuanian.

Official time of the stoppage was 4:38 of the first round.

Diaz got up from the knockdown and avoided any damaging shots, then mounted a fierce, consistent attack for which Zaromskis had no answers. As Zaromskis ran out of gas, Diaz teed off to both the body and head until a right hand put Zaromskis down. The bout was stopped shortly after.

Also on the Strikeforce show, Herschel Walker made his much hyped debut a succesful one as he stopped Greg Nagy with strikes in the third round. Walker, the former college and pro football star, stepped into the cage for the first time at age 47 and was in control of the fight throughout.

 Nagy, in his third match, found himself on the mat for most of the fight with the powerful Walker keeping him from getting his ground game going. The fight seemed to be taken out of Nagy as he lay nearly still while Walker sat on his back firing power punches. The end came at 2:17 of round three.

Earlier, Cris "Cyborg" Santos defended her Strikeforce women's lightweight title with a strong effort against Marloes Coenen. Cyborg had the advantage  whether they stood up or went to the mat and with Coenen worn down, the match was stopped at 3:40 of the third round.

Robbie Lawler pulled off a stunning victory as he scored a homerun punch out of nowhere after being dominated by Melvin Manhoef. Manhoef stalked mercilessly, chasing Lawler around the cage and doing significant damage with kicks to Lawler's front leg.

During one of Manhoef's sustained attacks, and with Lawler not having landed anything of consequence up to that point, Lawler landed a perfect right hand to the jaw of Manhoef that stiffened him instantly. One more big shot from Lawler followed and the bout was waved off.

Photo: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Jan. 29, 2010) – Undefeated prospect Chris Avalos registered a spectacular fourth round TKO over previously once-beaten Jose Nieves at 2:20 in the main event of Friday’s ShoBox: The New Generation from the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, N.M. 

Hometown favorite and unbeaten junior lightweight Archie Ray Marquez scored a unanimous decision victory (79-72, 80-71, 77-74) over the tough Derrick Campos in front of an energized crowd in Friday’s co-feature. 

The event was promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC. 

Avalos (15-0, 12 KOs), of Lancaster, Calif., lived up to his billing as an aggressive, exciting fighter, but was out-boxed by Nieves (17-2-3, 8 KOs), of Puerto Rico, in the opening round.  Not deterred, he came out in the second and remaining rounds determined to do exactly what he does best: swing hard and swing often. 

Avalos plastered Nieves with combos against the ropes in the fourth round, sending the 29-year-old to the canvas.  Nieves got up, but immediately faced an onslaught of punches that floored him again and left him unable to beat the count. 

“Avalos turned the fight with one shot,” said ShoBox’s expert commentator Steve Farhood.  “As soon as Nieves backed to the ropes, in essence, the fight was over.

“He kept his poise and took what was given to him, and, when he turned it up, it turned out that Nieves couldn’t handle it.” 

The 20-year-old Avalos, who was facing his toughest opposition yet, seemed surprised that the fight didn’t go past four rounds.