QUOTES
"This is gonna be a first class
education in humility."
"I'm gonna gut him like a fish."
Iron Mike Tyson - About his Fight with Mcbride who fires back
"It will be the whole of Ireland
hitting him on the chin."
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“ Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die first.
Anon
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"One day Jermain Taylor will be champion. But not this day. He's still got more schooling to do."
Bouie Fisher, about the Hopkins versus Taylor upcoming fight
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STAFF WRITERS
MICHAEL AMAKOR
Editor in Chief
BOXING SCRIBES JIM AMATO DAVID GONZALEZ CURTIS MCCORMICK
ROB MCCINNIS Write for FightKings.Com by sending an email
to
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TRAINING FOOTAGE
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TYSON QUITS AFTER SIX !
By Jim Amato
In a MAJOR upset Mike Tyson quit on his stool after six rounds against Kevin McBride.
So long Mike Tyson. It has been one hell of a ride. Still after your non performance against Kevin McBride, I wouldn't pay to see you fight Laila Ali. With his victory is Kevin McBride the new "baddest man on the planet" ? I hardly think so. This win may have put him a couple of notches ahead of 70's heavyweight Claude "Humphrey" McBride on the every heavyweight who ever fought list. My advice to Mike is a quote from "Smokin' Joe Frazier himself when he retired after his second KO loss to George Foreman. "It's time to hang the gloves on the wall and boogie". So go boogie Mike. You've left your mark on boxing. Any more losses like the one to McBride will just diminish your place in history. Remember Frazier came back for one unmemorable draw with Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings. I hope there will be no more come backs for Mike Tyson.
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Oakey Challenges Haymer for English Belt
By Curtis McCormick
After two false starts Portsmouth, England's Tony Oakey looks to be finally getting back in the ring where he can launch an all out assault on the English Light Heavyweight title currently held by London's Peter "The Daddy" Haymer. The two clash on the undercard of "Lightweight Bragging Rights", headlined by the much awaited double title bout between British champion Graham Earl and Commonwealth beltholder Kevin Bennett to take place this Sunday at York Hall in London's East End. The show is being put on by Maloney Promotions in association with HIFX and BBE and will be televised by Setanta Sports in the UK and Ireland starting at 7:45pm and also worldwide on the web.
Oakey and Haymer were all set to go late last month at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth but the hometown hero contracted a case of food poisoning and the whole bill had to be scrapped at the last minute. In April, a contest between Oakey, 19-1 (5), and journeyman Paul Bonson at the same venue was cancelled when the South Coast ticket seller suffered a training injury. This time however the former WBU and Commonwealth titlist has stayed away from Chinese take-away and is sparing the heavy bag from his best shots, saving them for Haymer instead.
That would be a good idea as "The Daddy" is riding a three year, nine fight win streak and will certainly have fistfuls of confidence going into this weekend's match-up. Haymer, 14-2-1 (3), who stunned the favored Steve Spartacus in London last November to take the English belt, will be trying also to sting Oakey's manager Frank Maloney, who previously managed the London man but chose not to resign him to contract.
Will Tony Oakey regain the form that saw him achieve amateur glory and the Commonwealth and WBU titles along the road to eighteen straight professional wins? Or will Haymer strip bare the short, stocky Portsmouth battler and send his career into a tailspin such as the one Oakey suffered following his defeat to Matthew Barney a year and a half ago?
That question can obviously only be answered in the ring, but both men have looked very sharp in sparring and if that form holds true, coupled with the dueling motivations each man brings to the ring, they just may overshadow the Earl - Bennett domestic superfight that tops the bill of "Lightweight Bragging Rights."
Also on the card, undefeated Gary Woolcombe faces the rugged Welshman Taz Jones for the British Masters Light Middle belt and Nathan Ward and James Paisley argue for the British Masters Welter crown. Added attractions are bouts featuring Amir Khan's nemesis, the Manchester lightweight Craig Watson and red-hot cruiserweight prospect Junior MacDonald.
The entire three-hour "Lightweight Bragging Rights" fight card is event is sponsored by HIFX and BBE, and will be broadcast on Setanta Sports for just £8.99, while anyone across the world with a 1 megabyte broadband connection can watch the exact same live program as a webcast. Click onto Maloney Promotion's website, www.frankmaloney.com, to learn more.
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Earl Has Bennett Firmly in Sights
By Curtis McCormick
British Lightweight champion Graham Earl has something to prove and the Englishman plans on doing so this Sunday night when he meets Commonwealth titlist Kevin Bennett at London's historic York Hall. Earl will be in good company as an English Light Heavyweight title fight along with two British Masters championship clashes are also on the bill as well as
bouts featuring two of the hottest prospects in the UK today. The Maloney Promotions event starts at locally at 7:45pm and will be broadcast as it happens on Setanta Sports in the both the UK and Ireland while also being shown as a live worldwide webcast on many affiliated websites via fightnight.com.
The fight card was originally scheduled for May 12th but a left-hand injury incurred by Earl a week before put the action back six weeks. Since that time Earl has regained most of the facility in the hand and the lightweight is fully prepared to carry out his fight plans. "I feel much better than I did a few weeks ago but it isn't one hundred percent better," he said. "Still, it hasn't been causing me any problems. I've been getting physio on it and I've been able to do my work. I'm not worried about the hand because once you get the adrenaline going, if you feel a twinge or some pain, you just fight through it. There'd be no point in me going out there if I couldn't use both arms."
The opponent Earl, 22-1 (11), will face on Sunday is determined to lift the Luton boxer's British belt and doesn't plan on placing his fate in anyone's hands other than his own. Commonwealth titlist Kevin Bennett, 17-4 (7), has pledged to knock Earl out but British champion just sees that tactic as an opportunity to turn the tables on the Hartlepool man. "Bennett's coming down to my territory so he probably feels that he has to try and knock me out, but if he goes looking for something like that he might get something in return," warned Earl.
In his most recent action Earl was outboxed in a non-title affair against an unbeaten Scottish prospect by the name of Ricky Burns this past February. The loss did not sit well with the Luton native, who would like nothing more than to use this bout against Bennett to make it up to his faithful fan base. Since the bout will be shown live on a worldwide basis Earl will have the opportunity to do that as well as win over man more new supporters. "My fans will see me perform a million times better than I did against Burns," declared the twenty-six year old. "They'll see a clever, thinking fighter in the ring, one good enough to win this fight. I just hope that all the fans come out and support me or watch the fight because if they do, they'll see me become a double champion.
"There's a lot riding on this and also because I lost my last fight, I've got a lot to prove. It's the biggest fight of my career plus there are two belts on the line, one of which I get to keep. I don't like to look past a fight but providing everything goes well, my next step will be the European title. It's time for me to move on as I think I've been at this level too long. I went a bit stale in my last fight so it's time to move on definitely. I want to win this fight, obviously, but I really want to win it for the fans."
In addition to the Earl - Bennett British and Commonwealth Lightweight title fight, English Light Heavy champ Peter Haymer defends against former WBU titlist Tony Oakey, Gary Woolcombe faces Taz Jones for the British Masters Light Middle belt and Nathan Ward and James Paisley argue for the British Masters Welter crown.
Added attractions are appearances by Amir Khan's nemesis, the Manchester lightweight Craig Watson and red-hot cruiserweight prospect Junior MacDonald. The Maloney Promotions event is sponsored by HIFX and BBE and starts at locally at 7:45pm.
The entire three-hour Earl - Bennett fight card will be broadcast on Setanta Sports for just £8.99, while anyone across the world with a 1 megabyte broadband connection can watch the exact same live program as a webcast, on one of many affiliated websites for just £4.99 (rough equivalent of $10 US dollars). Just look for the fightnight.com logo on your favorite website or log onto www.fightnight.com to find out which sites are carrying the webcast.
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Former IBU Heavyweight Champion Shannon"The Cannon" Briggs knocked out undefeated and former IBC Americas Champion Abraham The African Assassin" Okine inside the third round at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York, emphatically showcasing his determination to battle his way back into title contention.
Back in November of 1997 Briggs beat two time former champion Big George Foreman to become the uncrowned lineal champion, four months later he went down three times en-route to being stopped in the 5th round in his title challenge losing effort against WBA Champion Lennox Lewis. Since then he seemed to lose his enthusiam for the game due to the business aspect side of the sweat science, he went on to fight to a draw against Franz Botha, and a loss to behemoth Jameel Mccline and Sedrick Fields further diminishing his star appeal and slidding him down the rankings almost to a journey man status his poor showing may also have been due to his lack of proper preparation for these fights as he was featured in a few films including Bad Boys II and appearancess in K1 competitions which resulted in him fighting only once in 2004.
In this fight, his second in 2005 alone, he staggered a seemingly defenseless and unsteady Okine and dropped him down two times in the first round alone. It was great to see Briggs back in form with his usual common lets fight aggressive style, but Okine drew first blood by opening a cut on Briggs left eye and battled back through the 2nd round weathering the storm. The end came in the 3rd round as a visibly athletically superior Briggs who claimed Okine's camp chose him as a test for their fighter in this fight, now incensed by this blatant lack of respect unleashed three left hooks followed by a big right hand to the chin of the Assassin from Africa sending him crashing to the canvas, who knowing he was in trouble frantically tried to head for an exit as quickly as he could but he was nevertheless apprehended by the police personified by the referee who waved off the fight at the 0.54 minute.
With this victory Briggs has improved his record to fourty two victories including thirty six knockouts, with four losses and a draw. In the post fight interview with former trainer and ringside analyst , he claimed like all fighters do after a victory that he was focused and determined to claw his way back into contender status, you have to like his chances because although it looks like he has been around forever he is only thirty three years old and still has a few fights in him. Seeing him reminds you that there are still a couple of worthier title challengers than recycling losers like Andrew Golota through the system.
Punch On.
In Defense of
John "The Quietman" Ruiz
Recently reinstated WBA Heavyweight Champion John Ruiz just released an open letter to the President of the WBA - Gilberto Mendoza -
"It has come to my attention that, behind my back, James Toney and his people are attempting to have the WBA lift or modify the two-year sanction against him fighting for my title....his explanation about taking prescription drugs for an arm injury turning into a performance enhancing anabolic steroid is a lie.
The NYSAC has already rejected this false excuse. Ask yourself, why has he not appealed? The answer is obvious: Toney knows that if he does, the results of his blood tests would be open to the public, the extremely high levels of the illegal steroid he took would be revealed, and his "excuse" would be laughed at. Instead he hides behind this false story and is trying to have the WBA's two-year ban lifted in a similar way.
He has already brought shame upon himself and the sport of boxing by his illegal actions. The WBA would do the same to itself by not following its rules. Toney's failure to appeal is all the justification you need to reject any request he makes for relief from the sanctions the rules of the WBA demand, and all that the rest of the boxing world should need to realize that not only is Toney a cheat, he is a liar."
On my part, I have read with growing consternation the
comments against the The Quiet Man by some respected boxing analysts and
boxing fans after his open letter to the WBA about James Toney's steroids
use. Because John Ruiz has a lot to be quiet about, with a loss in the
first round to David Tua almost a decade ago or because he is not the
devastating knockout Champion we want, does not mean he should not command
our respect. Boxing fans and critics do indeed have short memories. You
must pay homage to a fighter who has to his credit re-grouped after every
disaster to surprise us with his dogged tenacity and perseverance.
A closer look at his resume shows respectable victories over now forgotten
heavy hitters like Jimmy Thunder, Ray Anis, and former champions, Tony
Tucker and Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield.
Ruiz has also captured the
respected NABA, NABF and WBA titles along the way. He has also defended
these titles at different stages of his career against the likes of Kirk
Johnson, Fres Oquendo, Hasim Rahman, and Andrew Golota.
You certainly cannot denigrate any fighter who knocked down and went
thirty six rounds with former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the
world, Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield perceived by all to have been
shot but who busted up Hasim Rahman and battled on through several 12
round losing decisions thereafter. You have to acknowledge that the
Quietman is either that good or his opponents are so bad because none of
them came up with the game plan to knock out the supposedly dubbed worst
heavyweight in history. Give me a break.
You might say he lost to Roy Jones Jr - a blown up Middleweight, but you
have to admit that Jones is an outstanding multi-dimensional athlete who
was at the very height of his prime when he fought Ruiz, and while Jones
decisioned Ruiz over twelve rounds, he certainly did not beat him up, and
besides it was a pyrrhic victory because Jones lost his next three fights
in shocking fashion no doubt from the extended delayed reaction effect
from the punches received in his bout with the Quietman. You will then
tell me he lost to another former middleweight James Toney, but then
again, that loss doesn't count, due to the drug scandal that occurred
afterwards.
Please remember that Toney simply out-pointed Ruiz in a style type fight,
as we all know he has the mangoose posture which make him extremely
difficult to hit effectively. Toney was also unable to stop Ruiz like he
did Holyfield, we can only guess what might have happened to Toney if his
title winning effort had been fought under different circumstances. My
most profound apologies to James Toney, nevertheless, because he is a
great fighter, and I will not even get involved in the debate about
whether or not he knew he was taking steroids, but for the Ruiz fight, the
victory was tainted by what turned up later after the drug test results
came back. Ruiz is still the champion, and thats all that matters. Period
You might not like Ruiz's Roman greeco boxing style, fine. However, that
being said, which really competitive Heavyweight fight does not have
several clinches and grapples per round? At least, Ruiz has tried to be
more crowd pleasing, as exemplified in his last most recent fight with
James Toney, and besides, there have been worse heavyweight champions in
recent memory, for example, like Bruce Seldon, who laid down without much
of a fight against Mike Tyson. When you examine the long list of former
champions like Oliver Mccall, Frank Bruno, Tony Tucker, to name a few.
Ruiz comes out as a durable champion who has the determination and grit to
extend his title reign down the stretch.
It takes great courage to step into the ring - let us remember that - this
is the sweet science and Ruiz must be allowed to speak his mind whenever
he pleases, because he has done so in the ring in the past, and he will do
so again in the foreseeable future, even if you do not appreciate it.
Punch On
MIKE TYSON VS MCBRIDE FIGHT ANALYSIS
On June 11, “Iron” Mike Tyson fights Kevin "The Clones Collossus" Mcbride at the MCI Center in Washington DC in a non title fight.
Iron Mike Tyson is no stranger to even the most casual boxing fan, under the tutelage of the legendary boxing trainer Cus D’amato he rampaged through the Heavyweight Division fighting as many as fifteen times in 1985 alone. He rose through the rankings like a meteor and after only twenty months as a professional he challenged WBC champion Trevor Berbick for the title on November 22nd 1986, he promptly knocked out Berbick in dramatic fashion in the second round to become the youngest Heavyweight Champion of the world at the tender age of 20.
He went on to annex the WBA and IBF titles from James “Bonecrusher” Smith and Tony Tucker respectively to become the first and youngest man in history to unify all the Heavyweight belts. He went on to defend his unified belt six times by crushing the challenges of seasoned veterans like Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks and Frank Bruno.
His dominance and title reign suddenly came to an end when he faced Buster Douglas in far away Japan, his poor preparation and conditioning got exposed and he entered the ring unfocused and lethargic. Buster sealed his fate by fighting valiantly enough to tire out Tyson before knocking him out with punches heard around the world and for the first time knocking out the once invincible Iron Mike Tyson.
After that the fairy tale story took a dive into darkness as personal problems outside the ring along with deaths in his management team, disputes with his new trainer and marital problems distracted him from the strict training regimen and focus that had carried him all the way to the pinnacle of boxing. His training skills deteriorated considerable thereafter and his opponents became more determined not to go out like a flame.
He managed to overcome challenges to his supremacy and was seemingly working his way back into title contention before he got sidetracked by rape charges. He was convicted of the charges and spent fifty months in jail while the world of boxing continued in a sleepy state awaiting the return of the king, he was eventually released in 1995 and the world of boxing was waiting to receive him with pomp and pageantry.
There was no doubt that he would be champion again as his manager and promoter Don King controlled the champions - and with a cash machine like Tyson the coast was already clear for his comeback to reclaim his titles. This situation with King allowed Mike to feast on mediocre opponents before stepping up against flat footed defenseless Frank Bruno in a rematch for the WBC Heavyweight title, Tyson showed he was even much better by battering Bruno out in three rounds as opposed to seven rounds the last time the fought. He went on to seize the WBA version of the title from an awe struck and terrified Bruce Seldon who caved from the very first shot in the first round no doubt from the feared Tyson punch but also from a nod by Don King present at ringside.
With just eight easy rounds and a long rest in jail behind him, he accepted the challenge from Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield in a long awaited fight that had to be postponed due to his stint in jail. But this time he had bitten off more than he could chew as Evander to date has never laid down for anybody and still is a durable ex champion even after all the numerous wars he has been involved – he is perhaps the very last of the fifteen rounders. Most fighters on the comeback trail are usually advised to fight a couple of journey men before taking on the lions of the division, Tyson did so in non competitive bouts against opponents already primed to go down at the slightest provocation and some might say due to the threats from Don King who controlled all the belts at the time. He was ill-prepared for the Holyfield assignment and was lulled into a false sense of security by his press clippings.
And
in a another ring magazine acknowledged fight of the year and upset of the
year The Real Deal ate all of Tyson’s shots and out boxed him thoroughly
before stopping him in the 11th round shocking the boxing world. A rematch
was ordained by a world hoping for his redemption, but that fight turned
into an absolute disaster as a thoroughly frustrated Mike Tyson Bit off
Holyfield’s left ear earning himself a disqualification, a fine and a
sparking a row of bans by state boxing authorities that effectively banned
him from the sport for almost two years.
Since then his ring experience have been marked by stints in prison and contratual disputes dessipating his enthusiasm for the game. Due to his ban in the US he could only fight overseas against mediocre opposition and a series of money problems and bankruptcy threats forced him into accepting a fight against Lennox Lewis knowing he could not beat him. He put up a brave effort but nevertheless got mauled by Lennox Lewis who knocked him flat down on his back forever crushing whatever invincibility he had left.
He took another hiatus away from the ring as he fought through bankruptcy and divorce proceedings before stepping into the ring against journey man Danny Williams who shocked him by knocking him out in the 5th round. During the fight Tyson tore his knee ligament which somehow mitigated the disaster of this loss, now he is pumped to take on the suitably nicknamed Cloned Collossus.
Now not much is universally known about the six foot six, two hundred and fifty plus pound Mcbride, the fragments of what we do know has been recently scalped together by boxing historians digging for anything to present the picture of a credible opponent. You may be interested to know that he is the Irish Heavyweight champion who also represented his dear Ireland unsuccessfully in the Olympics. Your eyes will widen when you discover that he won the unknown IBC Americas Heavyweight Title in 2002, but you will shake your head in despair when you realize that he lost to both Axel Shultz and Davaryl Williamson inside the distance by technical knockout.
In this fight he has a few advantages, one that Tyson is now a family man and not the same raving angry puncher he once was in the ring.Secondly he is Irish probably cut from the same ilk as his kinsman Irish Micky Ward and he is boasting about how his punch will pack all the fury of Ireland behind it, thirdly his weight might be an overbearing factor in his favor if he can lean on and tie up Iron Mike in clinches long enough to possibly exascebate the injury to Tyson’s recently repaired torn knee ligament which may force a capitulation by a burnt out Mike Tyson before the beginning of the fourth round.
Now back in the day there would have been no question about the outcome of this fight because Mcbride is tailor made to fall victim to Tyson devastating double uppercut. But Tyson’s vaunted uppercut no longer packs the power it once did and Holyfield, Lennox Lewis and Danny Williams took those same shots before rebounding to plaster him to the canvas.
However nothing is guaranteed with Iron Mike and in this bout suitably dubbed, “Anything Can Happen”. At 39 we may catch a glimpse of his old form and some of the anger is coming to precede the fight as he was quoted as saying “I’m an icon. I’m an international star" further vowing that ""I'm interested in winning. Whether its the first round, second round, or the tenth."
He may now be hungrier than ever as he tries to come up with the other half of the payment to a house he is trying to buy. He may get that half by just stepping into the ring but then he would need some extra cash to go on the wild shopping sprees for the pet tigers and exotic pigeons he is accustomed too – it can all be had if he can get through the colossus in front of him and you have to reckon that he knows that.
May the best man win.
By Jim Amato
Many regard Tyson's scheduled opponent Kevin McBride as somewhat of a joke. As big as he is ( 6'6"-250+lbs. ), They word is that he is EXTREMELY slow. If Tyson has retained two weapons in his arsenal it is power and hand speed. Teddy Atlas who is a boxing analyst for ESPN and who worked with Tyson decades ago called this a one round fight in Tyson's favor. Teddy knows his stuff.
On a more interesting note there has been talk of a possible third meeting between Tyson, should he beat McBride and Evander Holyfield. Say what ?
Hey this could very well take place. They both have reportedly expressed interest in a rubber match. There is some unfinished business between these two warriors and there are probably enough fans willing to pay to pipe it into their homes.I've heard a lot of talk about them both being washed up and who cares, etc... Granted the critics have a valid case.
My point is if Holyfield and Tyson want to continue their careers they will. Why not let them fight each other ? They are both equally faded. I'd rather see them fight each other then to have one or the other thrown in with a big guy in his prime like Vitali Klitschko.
Hey don't laugh, I've seen stranger things happen in this sport. Tyson or Holyfield would net Klitschko a decent payday with a presumed low risk factor. Remember Vitali is defending against Hassim Rahman a boxer who was defeated by Evander a few years back. Vitali's last defense was against Danny Williams who got his shot by upsetting Tyson. If Tyson would have beat Williams it would have been him in that ring facing Vitali. Klitschko's people know that it is still Mike Tyson who puts asses in the seats.
So let Vander and Mike duke it out again if they want. You don't have to buy it if you don't want to. I have a feeling enough people will tune in and it will turn over a decent profit margin.
I'm not sure where Evander stands as far as his suspension by the New York Athletic Commission. That must be cleared up before any talk of Tyson-Holyfield III gets serious.
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Earl - Bennett Card Now a Four Title Fight British Mega Event on Sunday, June 19th
By John McCormick
"Lightweight Bragging Rights", the long awaited British and Commonwealth Lightweight title clash between Graham Earl and Kevin Bennett has now become a four title fight British mega card and becomes the only such event that will have been viewable live as it happens on a true world wide basis.
In addition to the highly anticipated double lightweight championship contest between British titlist Graham Earl and Commonwealth king Kevin Bennett, there is the English Light Heavyweight struggle between champion Peter Haymer and challenger Tony Oakey, two British Masters title fights consisting of Gary Woolcoombe meeting Taz Jones at light middle and Nathan Ward facing James Paisley at welter while hot prospects Craig Watson at lightweight and cruiserweight Junior MacDonald round out the stellar bill.
The action takes place at London's historic York Hall and is being presented by Maloney Promotions. Viewers in Britain and Ireland can see the action live starting at 7:45pm London time through Setanta Sports pay per view on the Sky platform. The entire three-hour card will be broadcast for just £8.99, while anyone across the world with a 1 megabyte broadband connection can watch the exact same live program as a webcast, on one of many affiliated websites for just £4.99 (rough equivalent of $10 US dollars). Just look for the fightnight.com logo on your favorite website or log onto www.fightnight.com to find out which sites are carrying the webcast.
Pay Per View and Web fans in for a treat
The Peter Haymer v Tony Oakey English Light Heavyweight title clash that had to be cancelled due to Tony Oakey suffering food poisoning has been re-scheduled to take place at York Hall on Sunday 19th June 2005.
The fight will take place on the undercard of the Graham Earl v Kevin Bennett British & Commonwealth Lightweight Title fight. Maloney Promotions who lost out on Friday are aiming to give the fans real value for money with four title fights.
The undercard will see the second professional fight of Craig Watson plus undefeated former Turkish amateur star Gokhan Kazaz.
Oakey’s training team have now employed the services of a top sports nutritionist and he has been strongly advised to stay well clear of Chinese resteraunts.
HIFX Currency specialists and Football First and BBE sponsor this superb show.You can watch this show on Setanta PPV or log on to www.fightnight.com. For additional information or tickets contact James Russell on 020 8692 6313.
The Title fights
12x3 British & Commonwealth Lightweight Title
Graham Earl v Kevin Bennett
10x3 English Light Heavyweight Title.
Peter Haymer v Tony Oakey
10x3 British Masters Light Middleweight Title.
Gary ‘Hot Stuff’ Woolcombe v Taz Jones
10x3 British Masters Welterweight.
Nathan Ward v James Paisley
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Earl vs Bennett Moved to June 19th at London's York Hall
Maloney Promotions officially announce the new date for the much-anticipated British and Commonwealth Lightweight title showdown between Graham Earl and Kevin Bennett as Sunday, June 19th. Historic York Hall in London's East End will host the fight card, which will now include popular British Southern Area Lightweight titlist Rob Jefferies. Other attractions include the British Masters Welterweight title fight between Nathan Ward and James Paisley as well as the pro debut of amateur sensation Craig Watson, the comeback of "Dynamite" Dean Phillips, cruiserweight hot prospect Junior MacDonald and the popular undefeated light middle Gary Woolcombe.
In Britain and Ireland all the action from start to finish can be seen on Setanta pay per view for just £8.99 on the Sky platform while across the globe the same three plus hour broadcast can be seen in it's entirety on the web for just £4.99 ($10 US dollar equivalent) on one of many affiliate websites. Log onto www.fightnight.com to find out which websites will link you direct to the webcast.
"EXPLOSION DE BOXEO"
ADAM CARRERA VS.EDEL RIUZ
LOS ANGELES - May 23, 2005 - HombreTV, the cable television network for Hispanic men, announced today that it will broadcast its first LIVE boxing card-"Explosion de Boxeo"--on June 24th at the Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, CA.
The event is promoted by Gloria Garcia of "One Tough Cookie" Promotions, marking the first time ever that a female has promoted a 4-title fight. "Explosion de Boxeo" will feature two WBC sanctioned fights with the main bout between Adam Carrera vs.Edel Ruiz* for the NABF Title, and the second bout featuring Luis Cervantes..
The fight is being produced by All-Star Entertainment Productions for HombreTV and will be available to over 10,000,000 million homes nationwide primarily on the cable network "Colours" (carried by Dish Network and Adelphia).
Mr. Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos, HombreTV's Director of the Special Committee for Boxing and Founder of the Retired Boxers Foundation, will be ringside for the color commentary, along with veteran commentator, Marcos Palmas. They will also delve into the back-stories and interview many of the evening's boxers for the television audience.
Brian Vermeire, Executive Producer of the event for HombreTV said, "We are delighted to be working with One Tough Cookie Promotions and All-Star Entertainment Productions. 'Explosion de Boxeo' will be a thrilling event and we are proud to offer it to a nationwide television viewing audience as we debut HombreTV's sports programming."
Gloria Garcia, Owner of "One Tough Cookie" Promotions stated, "One Tough Cookie Boxing Promotions is committed to offering the public the type of fights it wants to see; well-matched, competitive fights. We carefully match the fighters in order to show first-rate solid boxing events."
Trent Eye, Owner/Producer of All-Star Entertainment Productions said, "We are very excited to be producing HombreTV's first live professional boxing event. Our staff is working hard to ensure that we bring to HombreTV the best possible television broadcast."
The Hitman Shocks the World
WBU Light
Welterweight Champion Ricky “The Hitman”Hatton yesterday beat long time
defending champion Kostya “Thunder from Down Under” Tszyu to become the
new IBF Light Welterweight Champion on Saturday night in front of a
sellout crowd of 22,000 frenzied patriotic fans at the M.E.N. Arena,
Manchester across the pond in England..
There is an unwritten rule in boxing about comebacks, boxers are usually
advised to first take on a couple of tune-ups against journey men before
fighting the lions of the division, Kostya ignored this rule and walked
through Sharmba Mitchell in such dramatic fashion stopping him in the
third round after a twenty two month injury induced layoff that we all
forgot about the rule and hailed him as the next great boxing genius.
One has to wonder about Mitchell’s pedigree after the Kostya shutdown
because he had about four or five fights that should have kept him sharp
and primed to beat down a Kostya who had been chilling way in sunny side
Australia.
Fuelled by that performance and his press clippings Kostya accepted the
dangerous assignment of defending his title against the Hitman after a
long layoff with a sparse few easy rounds under his belt over the past
four years.
This time he paid the price and like Mike Tyson and Felix Trinidad before
him he was totally unprepared to handle the frenzied pace set by the 27
year old Hitman who out hustled and out boxed him down the stretch before
extracting total capitulation in the form of Tyszu quitting on his stool
before the beginning of the twelfth round.
Kostya walked into an arena filled with the boos from the atypical British
crowd, and if he thought that was the hardest part he had more coming as
the Hitman meant business. From the opening bell Hatton fired the first
shot coming forward hooking, jabbing and keeping the fight as close as
could by forcing clinches that tied Tsyzu up. The Hitman then proceeded to
unveil an arsenal of rough house tactics that he employed throughout the
fight from trapping Tsyzu head under his armpit during clinches to rabbit
punching while spinning off clinches. Kostya lost the first two rounds as
he strained against the Hitman trying to understand the implacable force
facing him.
Between rounds three through six Kostya tried to regain some of the ring
generalship he had once commanded in previous fights, he seemed to be
getting his bearing as he desperately tried to counter the Hitman with
Thunder from Down Under straight right hands and body shots that did
little to faze or slow down the Hitman’s assault. The Hitman simply
absorbed
all his shots and retaliated with even wilder lunging jabs of his own
throwing Kostya constantly off his rhythm and making it extremely
difficult to score the rounds - one was inclined to score these rounds a
draw.
Kostya seemed to briefly took control of the fight from round seven
through eight as he began to be more accurate with his punches, even
landing a digging body shot right on the belt line that had the Hitman on
the canvas for a few seconds with the referee ruling no knockdown. Hatton
responding to Tsyzu resurgence with pure uncoordinated aggression
wrestling and pressuring
the older man every chance he got. He so frustrated Kostya who responded
by pushing him down into the ropes near the end of the eight round.
By the Ninth round, Tsyzu began to slow down and Hatton regained control
of the fight and became even more aggressive exploding from all angles
with wild punches of every variety relentlessly pushing forward with
digging body shots and grappling Tsyzu into the ropes, the round came to a
head as Tsyzu unleashed a low blow in the heat of battle that had Hatton
reeling away in pain indicating he had been hit way low.
The referee once again did not take a point and the fight continued with
the Hitman immediately retaliating with a deliberate and vicious low blow
of his own dropping Kostya to the canvas. No points were taken for this
deliberate low blow and Kostya was given time to recover, as is typical of
most fighters he did not use the whole five minutes, which might have been
a mistake as he got staggered against the ropes near the end of the tenth
round. Tsyzu employed all the tricks in the book to avoid being stopped.
Hatton absolutely dominated the tenth and eleventh rounds, and suddenly
the fight came to a sudden halt as Kostya's cornerman stepped in and
halted the bout.
In examining the fight a few things come to mind, one, the referee seemed
to be on the Hitman’s side as he allowed the rough house tactics to go on
unabated instead of separating the fighters during the numerous clinches,
I also noticed that he usually broke up the clinches after a wink from the
Hitman whenever Kostya seemed to be getting the upper hand during forced
clinches. Another curiosity is that Kostya seemed to lack the fire or
desire to want to really hurt the Hitman, because he got in several rabbit
punches that would have ended the fight in his favor if he had really
thrown them with more conviction – one could say he was 35 years old,
perhaps something suspicious was going on in there.. no, that cannot
happen in boxing of the 21st century.
Thirdly, no points were taking for the two knockdowns in Kostya favor
during the fight and no points were deducted for the intentional and
vicious low blow unleashed by Hatton in retaliation for past punches
wrongly perceived by all as low blows. If a knockdown had been declared in
Kostya favor in the seventh round he would have drawn some inspiration to
fight back
more valiantly. In the championship rounds if a point had been deducted
for the vicious low blow unleashed by the Hitman, Tsyzu would have dug
deep down and withered the storm to coast to a decision in the hopes of
perhaps getting a decision because the fight was quite close. Nothing
happened and the former champion became even more drained of his will to
continue in a battle with all the forces against him.
When pressed at ringside about a rematch Tsyzu was not too anxious about
it claiming rightfully so that he would think about it. Now, at thirty
five years old and after several ring wars behind him but with hall of
fame inductions almost guaranteed he may decide to call it quits and spend
the rest of his days sunning out in Australia.
For Hatton, the sky is the limit as he is now the number one man in his
division, the torch has finally been transferred to a new generation, and
the future even gets rosier for him as he does not have to journey
stateside to do battle. It makes more sense both financially and otherwise
for all contenders like Mayweather, Freitas, Gatti and a host of other
pretenders to journey to his turf to be feasted upon – Going by this
performance The Hitman should eat them all up.
Watch Out.
Golota "Earns" Another Eliminator...
By Jim Amato
UNBELIEVEABLE...That is all I can say. Rumor is that Don King has not given up on Andrew Golota even in the wake of his dismal showing against Lamon Brewster. Somehow after being blasted out in less then a round by Brewster in an attempt to win the lightly regarded W.B.O. belt, Andrew has put himself in line for a shot at the W.B.A. version of the heavyweight title. Say what ???
Andrew may be matched with 7' Nikolai Valuev and the winner will probably secure a shot against newly re-instated W.B.A. titleholder John Ruiz. Go figure...
Today's heavyweight division is becoming a JOKE, plain and simple.Since Lennox Lewis retired the division has been in a total state of chaos and an end does not appear to be in sight.
Most people regard W.B.C. champion Vitali Klitschko to be the best of the lot. The I.B.F recognizes Chris Byrd who holds a win over Vitali but has lost to Vitali's little brother Wladimir. Byrd drew with Golota and Wladimir got clocked by W.B.O. claimant Lamon Brewster. Well then Golota lost a debateable decision to W.B.A. titleholder John Ruiz. This is the same Ruiz who lost his title once to Roy Jones Jr. Then he got his butt whipped by James Toney but Toney tested positive for steroids and John was handed back his belt even though Toney clearly beat Ruiz. I understand that rules are rules and James left himself open to being stripped. Nevertheless after losing to Jones Jr. and Toney plus a bogus decision win over Golota, how can anyone take the Ruiz claim to the title seriously ?
Now Vitali will meet the winner of Hassim Rahman-Monte Barrett. Rahman has a loss on his record to John Ruiz. Chris Byrd is scheduled to meet Sergei Liakhovich. Ruiz may have to meet the winner of Golota-Valuev.
Wait...It gets worse. Brewster who is fresh off his stunning one round slaughter of Golota may now have to meet Luan Krasniqi who recently took out Lance Whitaker.
I feel that I may be speaking for a lot of fans when I ask...Who's Da Champ ?
The 15 Round
Body-Belt Session
By James Moore
Photos by Paul Speak
Last Friday, May 27th, Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton had once
again completed his infamously grueling, and classically "old school",
15 round body belt session. It was the concluding piece of his training
jigsaw, and the customary preparation for his upcoming super-fight with
the legendary 140lb king, Kostya Tszyu.
Superlatives have been flowing from Billy Graham's Manchester gym, where
Hatton works out of and known as the "Phoenix Camp", for weeks. Many
seasoned observers have remarked that the Englishman has never looked so
fit, so strong, so quick or so confident. The mutual feeling from within
Team Hatton is that this, by far and away, is the best Ricky Hatton that
they have ever seen. They truly believe that the Hitman's date with
destiny will be an encounter of the endearing variety, as they have the
ultimate faith in his ability, and can only see one winner come June
5th.
Team Hatton photographer Paul Speak popped down to the gym last Friday
to catch up with his good friend Ricky and take some exclusive shots for
the Hitman's official site,
www.rickyhitmanhatton.com
The twenty six year old Hatton's physical condition displayed the "ripped to pieces" state obtained from a perfect preparation the Hitman endured under the guidance of trainers Billy Graham, Bobby Rimmer and Kerry Kayes. Hatton warmed up for the marathon training session by pounding the heavy bag with some seriously bad intent. The Manchester man's career-long mentor and trainer, Billy "The Preacher" Graham, continued to administer sage advice on blocking and slipping Tszyu's potent arsenal, including the IBF Champion's under rated left hook.
Hatton moved on to the infamous 15 round body belt session by unleashing wave after wave of punishment onto Graham, with the trainer wearing only by the torso protecting body belt and some battered punch mitts. Ricky finally started to feel the strain after dishing out 14 rounds of his own particular brand of ferocious violence and was treated to an improvised shower from a few water bottles.
Hatton came down the finishing straight and gained his second wind, ending the 15th and final round of the body belt impressively with his trademark withering body shot assault. Once again the Hitman had demonstrated just why he is the busiest and fittest fighter in world boxing today. Mission complete, Hatton removed his hand wraps and rests assured that the heavy work has finally been done in his preparations to challenge Kostya Tszyu and he's never looked so good doing it.
Kerry Kayes, Hatton's
's dietician and nutrition expert, commented, "Ricky has on his back
what's known in the bodybuilding world as a 'Christmas Tree' . It's a
definition of muscles off the spine of his back and it's the first time
they've ever been noticeable. It's a testament to the hard work he has
put in. With every fight we've gotten him stronger, and this fight is
without exception. We start every camp with a higher weight platform,
and the muscle composition in his body has never been as defined as it
is now. I also hoped that the definition wouldn't retract from his
strength, and it most certainly hasn't; Ricky has never been as strong
as he is right now.'
With just four days remaining until he squares off for the fight of his
life, Ricky Hatton feels that this is truly his time. An ardent student
of the game, he has studied Tszyu and Hatton feels that he has an answer
to whatever the IBF Champion may bring to their contest. Ricky truly
believes in his only ability and feels that once he and Tszyu step into
the ring in Manchester's Evening News Arena, past achievements are
exactly that. Hatton feels that with just himself and Tszyu between the
ropes, there will be no doubt that he will come out the better man and
take the Undisputed Light Welterweight title of the world form the
champion.
Harrison's Back Against the Wall in Manchester
By Curtis McCormick
WBO Featherweight Champion Scott Harrison faces a true do or die situation against his most dangerous domestic rival, three time world title challenger Michael Brodie, this Friday at Manchester, England's enormous MEN Arena. The Frank Maloney managed Glasgow man is coming off a sub-par title defense against Colombia's Victor Polo and can ill afford a slip up on what promoters Sports Network are terming "The Battle of Britain".
Many feel Michael Brodie an uncrowned champion as the Manchester native turned in a tremendous performance against Willie Jorrin at super feather a few years ago only to lose in highly controversial fashion on the judges' scorecards. Brodie also fought current WBC champion Injin Chi to a standstill in their first fight last year, forcing a draw with the Korean battler for the vacant title. The brave Brit was overwhelmed in the return bout a few months later, as he was handled convincingly by Chi before suffering a seven round stoppage.
Harrison has experienced great frustrations of late, barely escaping with his title belt intact after tangling with the vastly under rated Victor Polo most recently. Only a furious charge in the last round allowed the Scot to preserve his WBO crown. The champion goes into Friday's contest against Brodie with a sizeable strength advantage and it's crucial that the Glaswegian maximize that edge to offset the superior boxing skills wielded by the challenger. Harrison has been campaigning for a shot at title unification for some time now, yearning to share the ring with either IBF/WBA kingpin Juan Manuel Marquez or WBC titlist Injin Chi.
A loss to Brodie would conceivably rule out such a step-up fight but even a lackluster showing could seriously damage Harrison's chances to realize his greater ambitions.
If Harrison can mount an unrelenting pressure attack on his adversary, we could see Brodie run out of gas and resort to slugging with the larger man, something "The Real McCoy" would relish. No matter what course of action takes place at the MEN Arena the night before Ricky Hatton faces Kostya Tszyu, a very entertaining bout should take place between Scott Harrison and Michael Brodie for as long as it lasts. With Showtime screening the struggle in America, British boxing will definitely take a big step forward in the spotlight the industry has collectively worked so hard to obtain.
KARSNIQI SHOCKS WHOOPI