Boxing FanHouse http://boxing.fanhouse.com Boxing FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Boxing FanHouse http://boxing.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/George Foreman 'More Patient' During Historic Comebackhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/george-foreman-more-patient-during-comeback/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/george-foreman-more-patient-during-comeback/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/george-foreman-more-patient-during-comeback/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


With Thursday being the 15th anniversary of his 10th-round knockout of Michael Moorer -- which made him, at age 45, the oldest man to become heavyweight champion -- George Foreman reminisced about his comeback from a 10-year hiatus from boxing.

An evangelist for his non-denominational, Church of Jesus Christ, Foreman, 60, recalls the reaction of his wife, Mary, to the news that he was un-retiring, how trainers such as former light heavyweight champion, Archie Moore and Angelo Dundee, re-structured and modified his style, and how a victory over Steve Zouski began a run of 24 straight wins, including 23 knockouts during this, the second installment of a four-part Q&A series.


FanHouse: What was your wife, Mary's, reaction to your decision to return to the ring at age 38?

George Foreman: She didn't want it. She told me that I was going to get hurt or killed. She just insisted that I try something else. I told her that I had to do it. I just didn't have any way to fund the youth center and keep it going without boxing.

I told her that I was going to do it, and that was all three was to it. I talked to my kids, and I had their blessings. For them, they were like, 'Yeah, more money, more money.'

FH: So then, how did you decide to put together your team of trainers?

Foreman: Charlie Shipes, an original boxing trainer of mine, he had had some problems and had been in the slammer a little bit. But as soon as he was released, we got instantly together.

I brought him into Houston, boxed for him, and he was paroled on my behalf and was my trainer. As time went on, anyone would pop up, I would just say, 'Come on, let's go.' I even went to Oakland Calif., for probably the third boxing match, and I got in touch with Archie Moore.

I said, 'Archie, I need you to help me if you feel like it. Do you think I can still do it?' Everybody was talking about my age, but Archie said, 'Oh yeah, I think you can still do it.'

I explained to him that I didn't have a whole lot of money to pay the guys, but he said, 'Aw, don't worry about that George, one day, you'll make something.' He came to visit with me and to work with me and basically did it for free.

Of course, we added Angelo Dundee later on.

FH: Was there significant ring rust that first day back in the gym?

Foreman: I had gone 10 years, approximately, without even making a fist. That was the hardest thing. 'How could I make a fist and jab someone at the same time?' That was a more difficult physical activity than I was anticipating that it would be.

I wasn't angry with anyone. That anger and all of that stuff had fueled me to be an Olympic gold medalist and a champion of the world, once before. Making a fist, jabbing, putting on gloves -- How could I do it all again?

Making a fist, shadowboxing -- throwing a fist at an imaginary opponent. It wasn't Muhammad Ali in front of me anymore. The punching bag is not Joe Frazier anymore. Here I was, getting back into the ring, with a big smile on my face. That was as hard as the physical part.

This was altogether different -- shadowboxing for the first time, actually punching at a shadow. No person's face. Never any anger. Without any real intentions of harming anybody.

I had to relearn an entire philosophy. Of course, add to that that I would try to run a mile, and couldn't even run 400 yards. That was rough.

FH: So was your motivation the children of the youth center, your children?

Foreman: Well, so many kids would come into the gym with anger, and I would teach them how to box. There was just so much anger, anger, anger. I would say, 'You know what? I'm not going to teach you how to hurt people. You don't need to be angry to become a good boxer.'

I would show them how to do it without any punches in anger, and then that converted me. That's how I found out how to do it myself. It was just about doing it to fuel that youth center and to keep that thing going, and, at the same time, I had to make a positive impression on the kids if ever I had gone on television.

I didn't want them to see this angry man that I used to be.

FH: How did you go about selecting your opponents?

Foreman: I knew that there wouldn't be a championship fight or a top contender fight for me right away. I wasn't going to throw myself to the lions. I was going to have to start from the bottom, just like I did when I was an 18-year-old, or a 20-year-old man.

I was going to look into the mirror and see a guy with potential, not look in the mirror and see that old George who was ready to get right back in there and do it again. Any promoter who wanted me, I would ask guys to send me three films of fighters to choose from.

At that time, I didn't even have a television in my house. It was a peaceful place. My family and kids were raised without a television. So I had to buy a video recorder. I would start watching the videos of the guys, and I would choose one.

FH: Being that you were at 267 pounds, the most you'd ever weighed in the ring, how did you think you looked, physically for your first fight back against Steve Zouski on March 9, 1987?

Foreman: You remember, 10 years, I was out of boxing. I started at 315 pounds and kind of hovered around that and couldn't get under that 300 for nothing. Then, for a while, I kept training, got down to Sacremento, and one day, I got on the scales and I actually saw 260 pounds.

But that didn't last, because when I ate dinner, it went back up to 268 or something like that. But I was a happy guy, having been trying to get that weight off for years. For 10 years, no one had ever seen my upper body -- not even a short-sleeved shirt during that time.

I had been a buttoned up preacher -- buttoned the shirts up all the way up to my neck. Everyone in the dressing room before the fight was wondering how the fight was going to go, and how nervous I was going to be. My whole thing was, 'You're going to take off your shirt in public, for real?'

That was the only thing I was worried about. But at the same time, I was a happy guy. I had been trying to get that weight off for years.

FH: So as you walked into the Arco Arena in Sacramento for Zouski, how did the audience react?

Foreman: Standing ovation. I couldn't believe it. This was something new to me.

FH: Did Steve Zouski react as if he was in awe of you before you scored the fourth-round knockout?

Foreman: No. He gave me a decent boxing match. I remember jabbing him and hitting him with a right hand a few times and I thought, 'Oh, he'll quit.' But no sir, he came back and tried to get me. I was surprised.

I would hit guys pretty hard in the past, and they were trying to get out of there. But here was a guy like, 'Aw, that didn't hurt me.' And finally, the referee stopped the fight. It was like I was just another guy.

FH: Why did you fight so frequently -- five times in 1987, and eight times in 1988?

Foreman: I just knew from the past, that I had had a lot of rust. So the only way that I was going to get it back was to get back into the ring and get another fight in quickly. I was going to have to campaign and get one boxing match after another and as many as I can in one year to feel like I was getting two years back in the ring.

You've got to get into the ring, because I knew that, in spite of all of the training in the ring, you're not going to get your timing, or that ability to go out there and to finish a fight off. You've got to have ring experience, and I knew that. So I had to fight a lot.

My intentions were to get in as many boxing matches per year as I had done in my original career back in 1969. I was trying to duplicate it, because that's how you get your timing back.

FH: You stopped 23 of your first 24 opponents, so was your overall style and demeanor different in the ring than in the past?

Foreman: I enjoyed being a little more patient this time. The first time around, I would always want to get those matches over. I used to be scared, nervous, frightened and angry. This second time around, I had nothing else to do but to take my time.

There was a time that I would parry and jump out of the way of shots, but I couldn't get that sort of timing again. So I was just going to set my defense properly and keep coming.

I would just cross my arms in front of my face and my body, and I would keep coming -- like a bowling ball.

I realized that if you just kept coming, fight in those seconds that everybody's breathing, bobbing and weaving and feinting and all of that, and that if I could fill up those seconds with action, that I could burn most guys out.

I still had the same left jab, and the power in the left jab and right hand. But I was going to take my time. If I didn't get the guy in the first round, second round, it didn't matter. All of those years, it was just like life -- I should have just been patient with boxing, just as in life.

George Foreman 'More Patient' During Historic Comeback originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>angelo dundeeAngeloDundeeArchie MooreArchieMooregeorge foremanGeorgeForemanmichael moorerMichaelMoorerLem SatterfieldTue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST George Foreman's KO of Michael Moorer, 15 Years Laterhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/george-foremans-ko-of-michael-moorer-15-years-later/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/george-foremans-ko-of-michael-moorer-15-years-later/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/george-foremans-ko-of-michael-moorer-15-years-later/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Thursday marks the 15th anniversary of George Foreman's dethroning of Michael Moorer with a 10th-round knockout, making him the oldest man to earn a heavyweight title.

Foreman, 60, was knocked out by Muhammad Ali in The Rumble In The Jungle 35 years ago this past Friday.

There was a 10-year span between Foreman's first retirement -- following a unanimous decision loss to Jimmy Young on March 17, 1977 -- and his return to the ring with a fourth-round knockout of Steve Zouski on March 9, 1987.

Beginning with this, the first installment of a four-part series, Foreman discusses his transformation from a stoic, surly brawler, to philanthropic evangelist, to a patient and more cerebral fighter who left his mark in boxing history by dominating younger men.

FanHouse: What was your inspiration for a youth center?

George Foreman: My brother, Roy Foreman. He worked at a youth center that was placed further into the city of Houston, and that's how I got the idea. My brother was a volunteer. So I stopped by one day at his place -- where he was working with some kids -- just to visit him.

And he was signing them up for boxing. The room they were training in was very small -- barely big enough for a little boxing ring. And the kids' parents wanted me to get interested and involved.
That's the most embarrassed that I had ever been in my life. There I was, I had been champion of the world, I had been a wealthy man. Yet, there I was, scrounging around and asking people for money for the youth center like that.
- George Foreman
But I was dressed up in my suit, because I was preaching. I wasn't ready to put myself into that business. But then, I saw two of the kids from his place who had gone to jail and that was the beginning of my inspiration to do the youth center.

Many of the kids' mothers had been bringing them in. You could see that they were doing it to keep them out of trouble. Someone recognized me and said, 'That's George Foreman,' somebody told them. And one of the women said, , 'Boy, he could really help my son.'

I gave her a look like, 'If you need help, send him to church. Boxing's not going to help him.' But two months later, I asked about the kids, and I found out that they had tried to rob a store.

FH: Do you recall any of the details of the robbery involving the boys?

Foreman: Well, about two months later, I asked about those two kids. And the story was that they were robbing a store not too far from Humble, Texas where I was living. The storekeep shot one of the boys, and the boy -- whose mother was there at the youth center and who had asked me for help -- he shot the storekeep.

None of them were killed, but all of these lives were devastated, and that's what made me decide to take all of the available money from what I had saved to build a youth center.

FH: So you built your youth center soon after?

Foreman: Yes. I had purchased some property here, in about 1984, and I fixed up this gym with some of my old equipment. I was buying equipment and trying to get it running. The youth center was in Northeast, Houston, Texas -- pretty much in the county.

I wanted to put a place up where the kids from out of the inner city would feel like they're going out of town. I knew that it would make them feel like they're doing something when they left for the county and had to take a ride out of the city.

The kids would feel like, 'Hey, we're going out to Foreman's place.' The youth center was on one acre of property, in a warehouse. Some guys had started construction on a warehouse, and they had stopped.

FH: What work did you put into it?

Foreman: So I bought the place. There was about 3,000 square feet or more, because it had an upstairs also, where I could work from it and put lockers up there and a weight room if I so desired.

I put a chain-link fence inside of it to separate the weight-lifting area from the boxing area, which was the only way you would know the difference between them. I built a gym inside, and a little office in the front.

Even my mom, Nancy, would come and help me with greeting and advertising and whatever. My dad, J.D., would substitute and help me a little bit too. They were my backups as far as opening it up and greeting and taking out applications. They were my employees. But they've passed on now.

FH: So am I to understand that that is what led to your deciding to make a comeback?

Foreman: Yes, eventually, because I had literally run out of money to fund it. But first, I started speaking. I had been traveling around, speaking for this youth center that I had started. After a while, there was a church that I had invited me for three days to speak.

And afterward, they took a collection and they were going to make a donation to the youth center.

As I was there, for three days, I got to know the people and was friendly with them. On the third day, the pastor took up an offering and said, 'Now, look, we're going to reward Mr. Foreman for the kids he's working with and the work that he's done.'

The people came up, one-by-one, and they made a donation. They were fairly poor people, if you know what I mean. And as I'm sitting up on the pulpit, and they're looking at me, he counted the money up, right there, and he said 'Look' -- and he counted the money again.

'This is not enough,' he told them again. 'Let's really show our appreciation to Mr. Foreman. Those kids he's helping, they're really our kids.'

That's the most embarrassed that I had ever been in my life. There I was, I had been champion of the world, I had been a wealthy man. Yet, there I was, scrounging around and asking people for money for the youth center like that.

Sitting in that chair there, up on that stage, when that pastor said, 'Come on, let's help George,' I sat there embarrassed. Right at that moment, I said, 'I'll never ask anyone for anything ever again. I'm going to start boxing and become heavyweight champion of the world again.'

I said, 'That's how I'm going to get money for that youth center.' That had to be the last part of 1986, or maybe the first part of 1987. At any rate, I had my first fight of my comeback in March of 1987.

George Foreman's KO of Michael Moorer, 15 Years Later originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>george foremanmichael moorerLem SatterfieldMon, 02 Nov 2009 21:35:00 EST Ex-Champ Winky Wright Returns to Ring Next Month vs. Grady Brewerhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/ex-champ-winky-wright-returns-to-ring-next-month-vs-grady-brewe/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/ex-champ-winky-wright-returns-to-ring-next-month-vs-grady-brewe/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/ex-champ-winky-wright-returns-to-ring-next-month-vs-grady-brewe/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Former world champion Winky Wright will return from an eight-month layoff when he enters the ring against Grady Brewer on Dec. 11 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.

A southpaw who will turn 38 on Nov. 26, Wright is coming off of consecutive losses by decision to Bernard Hopkins and Paul Williams in July 2007 and this past April, respectively.

Wright (51-5-1, 25 knockouts) owns victories over former world champs Shane Mosley and Felix Trinidad, and fought to a disputed draw with former undisputed middleweight (160 pounds) champion Jermain Taylor.

"Puerto Rico is great place to have this fight, because it is deep in boxing history and tradition with the Puerto Rican people embracing the sport like very few places around the world," said Wright, who will face Brewer in the middleweight (160 pounds) class.

"Tito [Trinidad] and I have become great friends, and each time I come to visit, I have been ingratiated by the fans who love and appreciate boxing so much," said Wright. "It will be an honor for me to fight in front of them on December 11."

Brewer, who will turn 39 on Dec. 22, is riding an eight-fight winning streak -- inlcluding first- and, second-round knockouts of his past two opponents in May and August.

"I appreciate the opportunity to fight Winky Wright in a place where boxing has been followed and understood for so long," said Brewer, who was the winner of "The Contender" reality series' second season.

"The fans might not know me like they know Winky," said Brewer, "but they will know me a lot better after I beat him that night."

Promoted by Winky Wright as well as Knockout Entertainment Inc., the card also features WBO light flyweight (108 pounds) champion Alex Sanchez (31-7-1, 21 KOs) of Puerto Rico.

"Boxing is my life and I feel confident that I can get back to the top of my game with a win December 11," said Sanchez "To fight one more time for my people on the same card as the great champion Winky Wright and to do it at the Coilseo is a blessing I will never forget."

Also on the card in seperate bouts are the Velasquez twins, super featherweight (130) Carlos Ivan Velasquez (11-0, nine KOs) of Miami, and super bantamweight (122) Juan Carlos Velasquez (9-1, five KOs) of Puerto Rico.

The siblings are 25 years old.

Also competing is welterweight (147) Eliezer Gonzalez (5-0, two KOs) of Puerto Rico.

Ex-Champ Winky Wright Returns to Ring Next Month vs. Grady Brewer originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bernard hopkinsBernardHopkinsfelix trinidadFelixTrinidadHopkinsjermain taylorJermainTaylorpaul williamsPaulWilliamsshane mosleyShaneMosleywinky wrightWinkyWrightLem SatterfieldSun, 01 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST Ex-Champs Zab Judah, Joel Casamayor Return to Ringhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/ex-champs-zab-judah-joel-casamayor-return-to-ring/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/ex-champs-zab-judah-joel-casamayor-return-to-ring/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/ex-champs-zab-judah-joel-casamayor-return-to-ring/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Southpaw former world champions, Zab Judah, and Joel Casamayor will return to the ring on Friday night at The Palms Casino in Las Vegas.

Judah, a 32-year-old welterweight (147 pounds), will be ending a nearly 12-month layoff. The 38-year-old Casamayor will be ending a nearly 14-month ring absence when he enters the ring as a light weight (135).

Judah (37-6, 25 knockouts) will face 31-year-old Adailton De Jesus (23-4, 18 KOs) of Brazil, who has won four of his last five fights.

In his last outing on Oct. 24, De Jesus stopped Rudolfo Franz in three rounds to rebound from August's first-round knockout loss to Oscar Jesus Pereyra.

Judah has won three of his past four fights since June of 2007, when he was knocked out in the 11th round by Miguel Cotto.

A gifted left-hander, Judah is coming off of last November's 10-round, unanimous decision victory over Earnest Johnson, which helped him to bounce back from an August, 2008 ninth-round knockout loss to Joshua Clottey.

The Cuban-born Casamayor (36-4-1, 22 KOs) will meet 27-year-old Jason Davis (11-4-1, three KOs) a loser of his last three bouts -- including the last two by knockout.

Casamayor is 5-1-1 since losing a split decision to Jose Luis Castillo for the WBC lightweight title in December of 2004. Among the victories during Casamayor's run is a decision over former world champion, Diego Carrales.

Casamayor's last fight was in September of 2008 against Juan Manuel Marquez, when he was stopped for the first time in his career in the 11th-round of a tightly-contested, lightweight matchup.

Promoted by former world champion, Fernando Vargas, the card will also feature featherweight (126) Salvador Sanchez (16-3-2, eight KOs) of Mexico against Minnesota's Willshaun Boxley (5-2, three).

Judah earned his first world championship in February of 2002, when he stopped Jan Piet Bergman in four rounds to win the vacant IBF junior welterweight (140) title.

Judah defended that crown five times before being dethroned by Kostya Tszyu in November of 2001 -- the first loss of his career.

Judah rebounded with three straight wins at 140 pounds before rising to 147, where he lost a 12-round, unanimous decision to Cory Spinks.

That clash of southpaw fighters occurred during April, 2004, as Judah was unsuccessful in his bid to earn Spinks' WBA, WBC and IBF welterweight belts.

But Judah's ensuing, four-straight victories included a February, 2005 rematch with Spinks, whom he dethroned with a ninth-round knockout in the latter's hometown of St. Louis.

Judah then lost three of his next four 147-pound bouts, respectively, to Carlos Baldomir, Floyd Mayweather, and, Cotto.

Casamayor earned his first world title in May of 2000, when his WBA super featherweight (130) clash with Jong-Kwon Baek was stopped on cuts in the fifth round.

Casamayor defended that crown four times before being dethroned by a decision loss to Acelino Freitas in January of 2002.

Four wins later in October of 2003, Casamayor stopped Corrales in the sixth round of a battle that featured each fighter being floored.

Casamayor lost his March, 2004 rematch with Corrales by decision, and then was beaten by Castillo two fights later.

Sanchez is the nephew of former world champion, Salvador Sanchez Jr., who earned the WBC featherweight (126) title with a 13th-round knockout of Danny Lopez in February of 1980 and defended it nine times.

Salvador Sanchez Jr. died in a car accident shortly after stopping previously unbeaten Azumah Nelson in the 15th round of their July, 1982 matchup.

Ex-Champs Zab Judah, Joel Casamayor Return to Ring originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>acelino freitasAcelinoFreitasazumah nelsonAzumahNelsoncory spinksCorySpinksdiego corralesDiegoCorralesfernando vargasFernandoVargasfloyd mayweatherFloydMayweatherjoel casamayorJoelCasamayorjose luis castilloJoseLuisCastillojoshua clotteyJoshuaClotteyjuan manuel marquezJuanManuelMarquezkostya tszyuKostyaTszyumiguel cottoMiguelCottosalvador sanchezSalvadorSanchezzab judahZabJudahLem SatterfieldSun, 01 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST Yonnhy Perez Dethrones Joseph Agbekohttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/yonnhy-perez-dethrones-joseph-agbeko/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/yonnhy-perez-dethrones-joseph-agbeko/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/yonnhy-perez-dethrones-joseph-agbeko/#commentsFiled under: ,

Yonnhy PerezColombian Yonnhy Perez continually beat Africa's Joseph Agbeko to the punch with telling blows during toe-to-toe exchanges, and benefited from a ruled 10th-round knockdown that was, in fact, set up by an accidental head-butt on the way to Saturday night's 12-round, unanimous decision upset.

Perez earned the IBF's bantamweight title at the Treasure Island in Las Vegas.

The 118-pound Perez won 116-111 on the card of Jerry Roth, and 117-110 on those of Glenn Trowbridge and Barry Druxman. FanHouse scored the fight for Perez, 116-111.

"It was the right decision. Joseph Agbeko is a great fighter, but I felt that I was ahead by the points that the judges gave me," said Perez, who was cut over both eyes from apparent head-butts from Agbeko.

"I definitely felt the head-butts, but my corner kept telling me to be calm, be calm, just keep fighting," said the 30-year-old Perez , who improved to 20-0 with 14 knockouts, dropping Agbeko to 27-2, with 22 KOs, in the latter's third defense.

It was the second consecutive victory over a major opponent by Perez, who knocked out South African, Silence Mabuza, before the latter's home crowd in Johannesburg in May.

In that win, Perez overcame a huge deficit on the judges' cards to flatten his rival with 66 seconds left in the 12th round.

Agbeko had vowed that he would knock out Perez., a factor that motivated the challenger.

"No, it didn't bother me, it just gave me more strength to fight Agbeko. I just thank Showtime for the fight and another opportunity," said Perez, who has a wife and two children living in Colombia.

"I dedicate the fight to Santa Fe Springs [where he lives and trains]," said Perez. "Whenever [Agbeko] wants a rematch, I'm here for him."


The 29-year-old Agbeko was winning the 10th round before the head-butt, which resulted in his nose colliding with Perez's forehead.

Agbeko, who had a six-bout winning streak, then turned his back on Perez, who continued to fire away.

As Agbeko turned away, Perez punched him three times before the ex-champion went to the canvas on his knees.

It was the first time Agbeko had been down in his career.

Referee Robert Byrd ruled that Agbeko was floored by a punch, and began to count as Agbeko pleaded his case, without reward.

"I believe that I won this fight. I'm the champion. I fought as the champion. During that round, I had been head-butted, but the referee started to count it as a knockdown," said Agbeko, whose own forward movement banged his nose against Perez's forehead.

"I think that I won this fight," said Agbeko. "I don't think that the decision was fair. I want a rematch."

Agbeko was coming off of July's unanimous decision over Armenian-born southpaw Vic "Raging Bull" Darchinyan of Austrailia, a hard-punching fighter who rose from 115 pounds where he held the WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight crowns.


Round-by-Round Blog

Agbeko enters the ring in a King Kong mask, led in chains by a beautiful blond woman.

Round 1: Perez engaged Agbeko, throwing the first six punches of the fight. But Agbeko answered, as they swapped exchanges from the outset. A four-punch combination backed up Perez, who continued to receive crisp shots to the head and body. Perez answered, however, with two left hooks. But Agbeko's hard left continually backed him up. Agbeko continued to pressure, but Perez shook Agbeko with two rights, followed by a left hook at the bell. Agbeko's round, 10-9.

Round 2: Agbeko continued to lead in and throw, exposing his head. Perez gave as good as he took, landing what appeared to be the harder blows. A left hook, followed by a right backed up Agbeko, yet again. Agbeko continued to move forward, but was shaken by a right. A three-punch combination stood up Agbeko, but Perez took a hard right hand. Another right cross, as well as a left hook caught Agbeko, who remained busier. Perez gave ground, but not intensity, even as he took a straight right hand. Perez's round, 10-9.

Round 3: Perez gives ground, and Agbeko takes advantage, landing a six-punch combination. The fighters continue to trade, as Agbeko presses forward. Agbeko's left jab is hard, but he takes a long right from Perez . Perez lands a one-two but takes a hard right from Agbeko. Agbeko goes to the body, but takes another hard head-swiveling left. Perez's overhand right nails Agbeko on the left side of his jaw. Perez finishes strong with a five-punch series. Perez's round, 10-9.

Round 4: Two left hands from Agbeko start the round. Perez gains confidence and begins to stand his ground more. Perez nails Agbeko with a right, and then a left. Agbeko begins to lunge and bend forward, a dangerous style against the hard-punching challenger. A combination to the head and body shakes Agbeko, as does a left and right to the champion's head. Agbeko goes to the body and continues to pressure. Perez then goes to the body as well, although he takes two shots to the head, and another to the body from Agbeko before the bell. Perez's round, 10-9.

Round 5: Perez continues to land the more telling blows, although Agbeko is undeterred and answers back. Agbeko's jab backs up Perez, and he follows with a four-punch combination. Agbeko's body attack is effective, even as referee Robert Byrd warns him to keep his punches up. Agbeko begins to employ more upper-body movement, an answer to Perez's steady blows. Agbeko begins to mix digs to the body and goes to the head. Agbeko's round, 10-9.

Round 6: Agbeko starts by jabbing, but soon goes toe-to-toe again. Perez lands a left and a right cross early, and lands respective four- and three-punch combinations. Agbeko's two jabs are followed by an overhand right before he goes downstairs to the body. A jab and later and overhand right land cleanly by Perez. Perez begins to come forward and land consistently over about a 10-second span, but then is backed up by a hard right from Agbeko. A double right, followed by a jab from Agbeko ends the round. Perez's round, 10-9.

Round 7: An accidental head-butt by Agbeko caused a cut over Perez's left eye in the sixth round. Agbeko is energized, firing relentlessly as he comes forward behind an assault of solid blows. A right hand jars Perez, as do a left and a follow-up right. Agbeko takes two jabs, but still moves forward. Perez lands two more lefts. But Agbeko up-jabs twice to regain control. Agbeko digs to the body. Agbeko's round, 10-9.

Round 8: Agbeko continues to jab and use his upper-body movement, a slight adjustment that allows him to get off first. But then, Perez moves forward and forces Agbeko backward with hard lefts and rights. Agbeko begins to leap in, but misses before settling in behind his jab. Agbeko lands two big rights, but takes a big right from Perez. Agbeko has Perez on the ropes, but they trade equally. Each fighter has lost some steam as he goes to his corner. Perez's round, 10-9.

Round 9: Agbeko starts out busier, going to the head and jabbing to the body. Perez backs up Agbeko with a big left-right-left. Agbeko pushes his jab into Perez's face, and follows with a jab. Agbeko drops a right and then a left, and then goes to Perez's body. Agbeko lands two jabs, then a left hook inside. The fighters trade left hooks, and, over the final seconds, Agbeko lands more cleanly, but Perez is cut over both eyes along the forehead as the round ends. Agbeko's round, 10-9.

Round 10: Agbeko steps inside and lands a combination that punctuates with two rights, and then a jab. Agbeko is forcing the action, going to the body, jabbing to the head and doubling up on his left hand. Agbeko's punches are beginning to go right up the middle, but Perez sneaks in two right hands. Agbeko continues to bring the action to Perez, with a jab, two rights to the head. Agbeko goes down, turns away, then goes down, and complains of being head-butted as Robert Byrd rules a knockdown. Agbeko rises, but loses the round and returns to the corner with a bloody nose. Perez's round, 10-8.

Round 11: Perez is encouraged, and comes forward throwing bombs. He continues to be the more accurate puncher for the first minute and a half. Agbeko comes forward with his jab, but takes two hard lefts. Perez takes a left and a right, but continues to be busier. Perez begins to land and dance away, even as Agbeko follows and lands crisp lefts and rights. Perez's round, 10-9

Round 12: Agbeko pounds home a right but Perez comes back with three punches. Agbeko lands faster, but Perez counters effectively. A short left by Agbeko is countered by two more inside from Perez. Agbeko loads up with his right hand, but Perez dances away. Perez sneaks in a left and maintains some distance. Agbeko misses with two rights. Perez lands a right, but takes a left and a right before the bell. Perez's round, 10-9.

Jerry Roth had it 116-111, Glenn Trowbridge and Barry Druxman had it 117-110, all for Perez by unanimous decision.

FanHouse scores the fight for Perez, 116-111.

Yonnhy Perez Dethrones Joseph Agbeko originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>joseph agbekoyonnhy perezLem SatterfieldSun, 01 Nov 2009 00:20:00 EST King Says Joseph Agbeko-Yohnny Perez Card Will Be First With Instant Replayhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/king-says-joseph-agbeko-yohnny-perez-card-will-be-first-with-ins/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/king-says-joseph-agbeko-yohnny-perez-card-will-be-first-with-ins/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/king-says-joseph-agbeko-yohnny-perez-card-will-be-first-with-ins/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Among the motivations for Joseph Agbeko entering Saturday night's defense of his IBF, 118-pound title against Yonnhy Perez is his desire to achieve the greatness of two of his African predecessors.

Like Agbeko, a 29-year-old bantamweight titlist, Ghaninan legends such as three-time champion Azumah Nelson and former belt-holder Ike Quartey, hail from the city of Accra. Nelson excelled as a featherweight (126) and super featherweight (130), and Quartey, as a welterweight (147).

Nelson and Quartey have made appearances at Agbeko's training sessions, encouraging him during his quest to be considered among the sport's best fighters, pound-for-pound.

They are, in fact, worshipped by the 29-year-old Agbeko (27-1, 22 KOs), whose middle name, "King Kong," was given to him by his father at birth.

So it is with a bit of rancor -- albeit, cool-headed, simmering rancor -- that Agbeko has handled the assertion by Perez (19-0, 14 knockouts) that most African fighters write checks that their fists can't cash.

"I've traveled to Africa, and I know how the fighters of that continent are. I know they can talk more than what they can actually do in the ring," said Perez, 30, who will face Agbeko at the Treasure Island Hotel in Las Vegas as the main event to the first fight card ever to be hosted by the venue.

"So [Agbeko] shouldn't spit up in the air," said Perez, "because all that's going to do is fall right on back on his face."

The fight will be televised on Showtime, and for his part, Agbeko has vowed to flatten Perez, even as he respects the native Colombian's skills.

Speaking from his cell phone in Las Vegas on Friday, promoter Don King said "Nevada is going with instant replay tomorrow on these fights, under the circumstances that a referee misses a call."

The move makes the card the first in Las Vegas during which the referees will be permitted to use instant replay, in accordance with recently adopted Nevada State Athletic Commission rules.

King said that he and other promoters, such as Gary Shaw, were briefed by state athletic commission executive director, Keith Kizer, regarding the inaugural move earlier in the week.

At his discretion, the referee, said King, can review situations involving, for example, whether or not a cut was caused by a punch or head-butt, or determine whether action occurred before or after the bell.

"It's up to the referee to recognize it," said King. "When they recognize it, then you've got a chance."

Both Agbeko and Perez are coming off career-defining victories.

In July, Agbeko scored a unanimous decision over Armenian-born southpaw Vic Darchinyan of Austrailia. Nicknamed, "The Raging Bull," the hard-punching Darchinyan rose from 115-pounds, where he held the WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight crowns.

In May, Perez knocked out South African, Silence Mbuza, before the latter's home crowd in Johannesburg, overcoming a huge deficit on the judges cards to flatten his rival with 66 seconds left in the 12th round.

Agbeko would be wise not to stand toe-to-toe and willingly trade blows with Perez as he did often against Darchinyan.

It would be wiser for Agbeko to use the capable boxing skills and considerable reach that have helped him through six straight victories -- three of them by knockout -- since losing a majority decision to Wladimir Sidorenko in May of 2004.

Agbeko may take some shots, but the pick here is that he will win a decision.

Co-main event

Nicaraguan Jose Alfaro will be after his fourth straight victory -- and his 21st knockout -- in the other Showtime televised bout against Mexican southpaw Antonio Demarco at 135 pounds.

Alfaro (23-4, 20 knockouts) and Demarco (22-1, 16 KOs) are the No. 2 and No. 1 contenders, respectively, to the WBA lightweight crown held by Namibia's Paulus Moses (25-0, 17 KOs). The are fighting for the interim WBC belt.

Pay Per View online.

Three of the five undercard bouts can be viewed on www.DonKingTV.com for 5.99, said King.

In those bouts, heavyweight Ray Austin (27-4-4, 17 KOs) will take on former world title contender, DaVarryl Williamson (26-5, 22 KOs); junior middleweight (154) James De la Rosa (19-0, 12 KOs) will face Lenin Arroyo (20-10-1, four KOs); and junior middleweight Nelson Linares (18-0-1, 11 KOs) will meet Archak TerMeliksetian (16-7, 13 KOs).

"We have around 195 countries" who have signed up for the online pay per view, said King.

Mike Tyson's back

Mike Tyson has joined the broadcast team for the blow-by-blow along with announcer James "Smitty" Smith and analyst Ken Miller at ringside.

"To see Mike Tyson come back, I want you to play that theme song from Peaches and Herb, 'Reunited, and it feels so good.' It's a marvelous feeling. My heart rejoices," said King, who once promoted Tyson.

King Says Joseph Agbeko-Yohnny Perez Card Will Be First With Instant Replay originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>azumah nelsonAzumahNelsondon kingDonKinggary shawGaryShawike quarteyIkeQuarteyjoseph agbekoJosephAgbekomike tysonMikeTysonvic darchinyanVicDarchinyanYohnny PerezYohnnyPerezLem SatterfieldSat, 31 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST 35 Years After Ali-Foreman, Angelo Dundee Recalls 'Monkey Meat's Good'http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/35-years-after-ali-foreman-angelo-dundee-recalls-monkey-meats/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/35-years-after-ali-foreman-angelo-dundee-recalls-monkey-meats/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/35-years-after-ali-foreman-angelo-dundee-recalls-monkey-meats/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

For the past few weeks, Angelo Dundee, has busily provided on-site expertise to media members at Tampa's Fight Factory Gym, where WBO champ Miguel Cotto has been in training for his Nov. 14, welterweight clash with Manny Pacquiao.

So it is no surprise that the 88-year-old Hall of Fame trainer wasn't aware that today is the 35th anniversary of Muhammad Ali's eighth-round knockout of George Foreman in "The Rumble In The Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire.

In fact, Dundee said that none of the many reporters clamoring for his opinion on Cotto-Pacquiao "has even mentioned it."

See what Dundee had to say about the historic bout during his Q&A after the jump.

FanHouse: Why weren't you as fearful of George Foreman as was most of the world, considering he had dominated Joe Frazier, who had given Muhammad Ali a much more difficult time?

Angelo Dundee: Because I knew Ali's talent, and that certain things beat certain people. I've known Ali since he was 16 years old. So I have a pretty good insight about an individual when I've known them that long.

The Foreman that we fought was a home run hitter. But if you could prevent him from landing the heavy punches, and not get the home run, you could beat him.

My guy was pliable, flexible, and could bend with the shots. Plus, we felt like he could give George distance, which would disturb George. He just had the style to beat Big George.

FH: What did you work on in training leading up to the fight?

Dundee: I made Ali work on quickness, because quickness beats a big guy. Especially a guy that tries to hit the home run. Because if you can keep him off the homerun, then you can beat him.

FH: What about the famous 'Rope-a-Dope?'

Dundee: Muhammad completely fooled me when he did the 'Rope-a-Dope' -- I had nothing to do with that. I figured that movement would bother George more than anything, so by the second round, I was asking Muhammad, 'What are you doing?'

I was afraid that George would hit him with a forearm and knock him out of the ring. In fact, when he came to my side of the ring, I actually slapped Muhammad in the butt to make him get off of the ropes.

God forbid he had fallen out of the ring -- it was like six feet in the air in the middle of a soccer field. There would have been no coming back, he'd have broken his back on a chair or something.

I was scared to death that he would fall out. But he felt like it was working. So he says, 'I know what I'm doing.' I'm like, 'you're nuts, you're going to go through the ropes and break your back, so get off of the ropes!'

But he was like, 'I know what I'm doing.' And I'm like, 'Get him out of there, what are you waiting on? What are you waiting on?' So he had this expression, 'I made him empty his gas tank.'

So he did know what he was doing. He was the smartest guy in the place. George really ran out of gas, the poor guy. The tank ran dry. So [Ali] was more genius than we realized.

FH: Why was the 'Rope-a-Dope' effective?

Dundee: Muhammad had a great, great ability to slide on punches and pull back from them, so that he didn't take the full affect of the blows. Because if he had taken the full affect of George Foreman's blows, he'd have been out of there.

He was blocking the punches any way that he could -- with his arms, shoulders, elbows. But he was quick with everything that he did. Even pulling back from the punches with his chin. That just shows the greatness of the man.

FH: Could Muhammad Ali have won the fight with your strategy?

Dundee: I think if he'd have been in the middle of the ring, I think he'd always have been better off being in the middle of the ring. I think he would have controlled George because he was the smartest guy in the arena.

He would have beaten Foreman. He had the technique and the style to beat George.

FH: What was the problem with the loose ropes?

Dundee: That was such a big controversy. I had tightened the ropes at four o'clock in the afternoon in Zaire. I was there with Bobby Goodman, who was doing the P.R. there.

We went there, and the ropes were loose -- I mean really loose -- for a 24-foot ring. What we did was we took them apart and we tightened them. I used a double-edged razor blade to cut the ropes.

The ring was also lopsided. It was a dirt field, and it was on an angle. So we leveled the ring to the best of our ability. Nobody was paying attention to that. The fight wasn't taking place until 4 a.m.

I had tightened the ropes, but what I hadn't taken into consideration was that the heat, which, by 4 a.m., had stretched the ropes again. Being loose, my guy [Ali] was so agile that he was able to lean back and not fall out of the ring.

FH: As I understand it, you were always a stickler about checking out the conditions of the ring?

Dundee: I'm big about checking the ring out days before. I did that in Maine for the Sonny Liston fight. They were using an old wrestling ring that was like a trampoline. So I changed that, and I made them bring in a ring from Baltimore.

FH: What psychological advantages did you feel Muhammad Ali had over George Foreman?

Dundee: For us, going into this fight was like going to a party. Muhammad went into it like he never could lose. You've got to realize that in Zaire, he was the hero and George Foreman was the hero.

George Foreman brought a police dog with him, and he didn't know that they were scared of police dogs. There were so many odds against the poor guy.

FH: Like what?

Dundee: George was training across the road from us in a much rougher situation than we were in. We were in a beautiful complex there, where [President Mobutu Sese Seko] entertained the African nations. We had villas facing the Congo River.

The Zairian people were so nice to us, because, you know, I was with the hero, Muhammad Ali. To Foreman, they were chanting, 'Ali, bomaye!' That meant, 'Ali, kill him!'

FH: How did you come to train George Foreman?

Dundee: I was in Las Vegas and he was there doing something for HBO. Me and my wife Helen were there having lunch as the Caesar's Palace. George jumped up to the table and said, 'Mrs. Dundee, do you know why your husband's working with me?'

And my wife, Helen, goes, 'No, he never told me.' So my wife thinks it's something I never told her, but I didn't really know where he was going with it. So then, George says, 'I was working Muhammad against the ropes and I was getting ready to hit him with a helluva right hand.'

'And this squeaky voice from the corner said, get outta there, and then, Muhammad Ali moves. And if he didn't move, I may have knocked him out. So anybody who can help a guy like that, I want him with me.' So that's a true story.

Ali would have had more trouble with older George, between you and I. That George was steady, steady, and didn't look for the homerun. He just worked into the homerun, like he did when he won the world title. He would pick, pick, pick, and then -- Bang! --and that was it."

FH: So how have you become involved with the Miguel Cotto camp?

Dundee: I went there because I want to be around boxing. I've been doing it for 60 years, and I heard that Cotto was there. The guy that runs that gym, Peter Fernandez, is a former fighter.

They had been asking me to come. I live in Oldsmar, and it's about 45 minutes from Tampa. I have a guy that drives me there.

FH: Is there any one thing that sticks out in your mind concerning the Ali-Foreman fight -- the food, the atmosphere -- that we have not addressed?

Dundee: This is a great story. We were eating buffet style, so I never knew what I was eating. I didn't find out what I was eating until I got a visit from two Cuban guys who were airplane pilots who flew Mobutu all over the country.

So I brought them to lunch. And we were eating the buffet style. The buffet style was like chicken. I picked up a piece, and I put it in my mouth, and I'm chewing on it. But there's no meat.

So I pull it out of my mouth, and I move my thumb -- eye socket. I move my other finger -- eye socket. It was a monkey head. I had been eating monkey all of that time and didn't know it.

It tasted like chicken. I'll tell ya, monkey meat's good.

35 Years After Ali-Foreman, Angelo Dundee Recalls 'Monkey Meat's Good' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AngeloDundeeGeorgeForemanJoeFrazierMannyPacquiaoMiguelCottoMuhammadAliLem SatterfieldFri, 30 Oct 2009 16:48:00 EST Chad Dawson Can Cash in by Beating Glen Johnsonhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/chad-dawson-can-cash-in-by-beating-glen-johnson/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/chad-dawson-can-cash-in-by-beating-glen-johnson/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/chad-dawson-can-cash-in-by-beating-glen-johnson/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Chad DawsonChad Dawson is nothing if not a winner; he just hasn't cashed in for a defining, lucrative fight.

"We've not gotten the chance to really expose Chad like I would like to expose Chad," said Gary Shaw, Dawson's promoter. "But that time will come."

Among the 27-year-old southpaw light heavyweight's most impressive victories was in February 2007, when he routed Polish-born Tomas Adamek of Jersey City by 10, eight and six points respectively over the three judges' cards. Dawson earned the WBC's 175-pound title against Adamek, who lost for the first time in 32 bouts.

"I think that Chad is the best fighter in the world," said Shaw. "I think he's the most talented fighter in the world."

Since then, however, it is Adamek who has soared in popularity, having won eight consecutive fights, six of them by knockouts.

Along the way, Adamek has earned the IBF cruiserweight (200) title and defended it three times. And Adamek has risen to heavyweight, where he flattened three-time heavyweight title contender Andrew Golota in five rounds.

And while Dawson (28-0, 17 knockouts) has continued to win, it has been with far less fanfare than Adamek, even as he counts triumphs over Roy Jones conquerors Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson among his last five victories.

Dawson will face the 40-year-old Johnson (49-12-2, 33 KOs) yet again on Nov. 7 at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., in defense of his IBO championship in a bout that is for the WBC's interim title.

The duo will meet in a rematch of Dawson's unanimous decision of April 2008, when he won by 116-112 on all three judges' cards. Dawson hopes that a second win over Johnson, whom he vanquished before the latter's partisan fans in Tampa, will vault him into a world of limitless and lucrative possibilities.

"We've been stuck in a rut, and it's nothing against Glen Johnson, but we've had Glen and we've had two Tarver fights. And now we have Glen again," said Shaw, who would also consider a matchup with WBC 175-pound champion Jean Pascal (24-1, 16 KOs).

"Chad will show who he is this time, and then we'll move on to our next options after the fight," said Shaw. "Whether it's field an offer for the 168-pound tournament, or whether it's fighting the winner of Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins."

The "tournament" is a reference to Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic, featuring six of the world's top middleweights, including England's WBC champion Carl Froch, Denmark's WBA king Mikkel Kessler and Germany's former middleweight (160 pound) titlist Arthur Abraham.

The Super Six also features former Olympians Andre Ward, a gold medal winner from Oakland, Calif., and bronze medalist Andre Dirrell of Flint Mich., respectively.

Shaw believes that Dawson could enter the tournament amid speculation that former middleweight titlist Jermain Taylor may drop out following a knockout loss to Abraham.

"But HBO has a first and last punch at Dawson. And I know [Dawson] would be welcomed into the 168-pound tournament, which I believe he'd win convincingly," said Shaw, who also promotes Dirrell. "When this fight is over, we'll sit down with HBO. I have an appointment with them that week, and we'll talk about 2010."

Dawson would embrace the chance to drop into the lower weight class, but only after whipping Johnson.

"I'd feel great at that weight and I'd actually be much stronger at that weight too. I've never had any problems making 175," said Dawson.

"Sometimes, I've even weighed in at 172, 173. So making 168 is not that difficult for me," Dawson added. "But I'm not really even thinking about that tournament. I have to worry about Glen Johnson coming up next week."

A resident of New Haven, Conn., Dawson said that he is dedicating his fight to Jasper Howard, a former University of Connecticutt football player who was stabbed to death outside of a dance on the campus on Oct. 18.

Calling Howard's death "a horrible tragedy", Dawson plans to enter the ring displaying the No. 6 on his trunks, representing Howard's football jersey number.

Named the 2004 Fighter of the Year after a decision over Clinton Woods, a ninth-round KO of Jones and a split decision over Tarver, Johnson said he needs no more motivation than his belief that he beat Dawson in their last meeting.

"Chad Dawson has his rights to have his hopes and his dreams. The only thing that I care about is our fight," said Johnson, a Jamaica native living in Miami. "My motivation stays the same, which is to feed myself and my family."

Johnson's preparation has included sparring with Romanian-born IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (24-0, 19 KOs) of Canada, who will defend his crown against Librado Andrade (28-2, 21 KOs) on Nov. 28.

"[Bute] is a solid fighter and we had some great sparring," said Johnson. "He's a boxer. He showed me a lot of what Chad Dawson has done and is doing. He's a solid fighter, and we will use that to our advantage."

Chad Dawson Can Cash in by Beating Glen Johnson originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>chad dawsonglen johnsonLem SatterfieldFri, 30 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST Jose Alfaro Guarantees His Fight Against Antonio Demarco 'Will Be a War'http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/jose-alfaro-guarantees-his-fight-against-antonio-demarco-will-b/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/jose-alfaro-guarantees-his-fight-against-antonio-demarco-will-b/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/jose-alfaro-guarantees-his-fight-against-antonio-demarco-will-b/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Nicaraguan Jose Alfaro goes after his fourth straight victory, and his 21st knockout, on Saturday night when faces Mexican southpaw Antonio Demarco in their 135-pound clash at Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Alfaro (23-4, 20 knockouts) is attempting to line himself up for another shot at the WBA lightweight crown, which he won in December of 2007 by split decision over Thailand's Prawet Singwancha.

Alfaro, however, was promptly dethroned by Japan's Yusuke Kobori, who stopped him in the third round of his first defense in May of 2008.

"The road to success is a hard one. That is why I have been training like a mad man in the gym. Demarco is an excellent boxer. I have seen a couple of his fights. But he will have to give it his all if he plans to stop me from getting that title," said 25-year-old Alfaro.

"I have a little more experience than him. Therefore, I have been training to be able to show up in the best physical shape of my life," said Alfaro. "A strong presentation here will open up a whole bunch of opportunities for me."

Alfaro (23-4, 20 knockouts) and Demarco (22-1, 16 KOs) are the No. 2 and No. 1 contenders, respectively, to the WBA lightweight crown held by Namibia's Paulus Moses (25-0, 17 KOs).

Moses, 31, dethroned Kobori (pictured) by unanimous decision in January and defended his crown the same way over Japan's Takehiro Shimada in July.

Alfaro-Demarco will take place on the undercard of Saturday's IBF, 118-pound battle between bantamweight champion, Joseph Agbeko (27-1, 22 KOs) of Accra, Ghana, and Yonnhy Perez (19-0, 14 KOs) of Colombia. The fights will be televised on Showtime.

Alfaro's sparring has included southpaws Santos Benavides (16-2-2, 13 KOs), Moises Solis (15-1, 12), Wilfredo Acuna (13-6, nine), and, Eduardo Mendoza (3-0, three) -- all of whom are from Nicaragua.

Mendoza is a former amateur stand out and Panamerican bronze medal winner.

"My training sessions are very exhaustive with four-minute rounds and 30-second rest periods. Every two rounds, a new boxer comes in," said Alfaro. "All of this training forces me to constantly be putting pressure on my opponent. I can't afford to have a bad round."

Since losing a six-round, majority decision to Anthony Vasquez in February of 2006, the 23-year-old Demarco is 14-0-1, with nine knockouts.

"Demarco is hungry as well," said Alfaro. "Therefore, I guarantee that this will be a war."
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Jose Alfaro Guarantees His Fight Against Antonio Demarco 'Will Be a War' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>anotonio demarcoAntonio Demarcojose alfarojoseph agbekoyonnhy perezLem SatterfieldThu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST Manny Pacquiao Expects Miguel Cotto to 'Bring His Best' for Showdownhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/manny-pacquiao-expects-miguel-cotto-to-bring-his-best-for-show/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/manny-pacquiao-expects-miguel-cotto-to-bring-his-best-for-show/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/manny-pacquiao-expects-miguel-cotto-to-bring-his-best-for-show/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Boxer Manny Pacquiao has become a cross-over star.

FanHouse caught up to the six-division world champion on Wednesday to discuss his upcoming clash with WBO welterweight champ, Miguel Cotto, his humanitarian efforts during a typhoon in his native Philippines, his political aspirations and his photo in ESPN Magazine's 'Body Issue.'

See what Pacquiao had to say after the jump.

FanHouse: How do you feel about recently being named an honoree for the Gusi Peace Prize, the only athlete among the recepients?

Manny Pacquiao: I'm so humbled and honored to receive an award of recognition like that, especially being the only fighter. I'm very, very happy.


FH: Obviously, the award comes as a result of your efforts in disaster relief and your breaking training to deliver food during the typhoons in the Philippines?

Pacquiao: I was excited that I was able to help. Even during training camp, we went down to Manila to deliver food through my foundation.

I'm comfortable that the people will be taken care of through my foundation, and that they will take care of the details while I'm gone.

FH: What did you think of the most recent episode of the 24/7 series regarding its coverage of your training camp?

Pacquiao: It was well done. The problem, I think, with the 24/7, was that their crew was not with us because of the storm as much as they wanted to be, and as much as I wanted them to be.

The storm was a problem for their crew, but it was a good show. I expect it to get better.

FH: Did the series accurately depict what happened during the disagreement between yourself and your trainer, Freddie Roach, about when and when not to break camp in Baguio City as a result of the storms?

Pacquiao: You know, Freddie and I talked. You saw when he came over and spoke to me during that one scene. He wanted to leave earlier than I did, but I was not as worried as he was because I'm used to typhoons and I'm used to rain. It's something that I grew up with.

So, I guess I wasn't as concerned as Freddie was because I don't think that he is used to that type of weather. I actually ended up leaving before Freddie because he stayed overnight and I left in the middle of the night for Manila.

FH: Can you describe your relationship with Freddie Roach?

Pacquiao: Freddie and I, he's like my dad. He's like my brother. We never have any major problems, only minor discussions.

FH: Can you discuss what each of your sparring partners bring to the table in former world champion Jose Luis Castillo, Shawn Porter (10-0, eight knockouts) and Urbano Antillon (26-1, 19 KOs)?

Pacquiao: Shawn Porter is a very big guy, probably weighing 165 pounds right now. And he's a young guy and he's energetic and gives me good work.

I like Castillo also because he's been around. He's a veteran. He knows the moves that help me to stay on my guard. He's got the veteran moves that I need.

The other guy who has helped me the last four fights is Urbano Antillon. He's a good fighter. Tough, very tough. He stands in front of you, likes to go to the body and gives me good work -- the same way Cotto comes forward. He tries to bully me.
"Miguel Cotto is a tough guy, and I expect him to bring his best, and I expect to have fun in the ring for this fight."
-- Manny Pacquiao
FH: Do all three of them bring different things to the table and, together, make a Miguel Cotto?

Pacquiao: Like you said, it's the combination of their skills. I spar two or three rounds with each one to work on different things so that, No. 1, I'm not ever bored.

I'm forced to learn and to try different things so that I'm ready for Miguel Cotto.

FH: Are observers accurate when they say that this is the biggest, strongest guy that you will have faced in Miguel Cotto?

Pacquiao: You know, I think so. Oscar was a big guy, also -- maybe much bigger than Cotto and I. But Miguel Cotto is a tough guy, and I expect him to bring his best, and I expect to have fun in the ring for this fight.

FH: Do you anticipate being the quicker guy in the ring for this fight?

Pacquiao: Of course. I think that my speed and my quickness is my No. 1 asset and will be for all of my fights.

FH: Do you find that you are a better boxer now that you've moved up?

Pacquiao: I've been lucky. God's been good to me, and I'm working hard. Coach Freddie and I try different things so that we're always improving my skills.

FH: Can you discuss why you want to run for congress?

Pacquiao: The reason I want to run for congress is to have change in my country. There is just so much corruption. It's been that way for years, and for centuries. I just want to see a difference.

I don't need the money, I don't need anything from the public officials. I just want to give back to the people where I came from. I know how they live, how they act, and what their needs are.

I believe that I can help them -- at least I can be an example to them. I want to make a difference in their lives like they have made a difference in mine.

FH: What do you make of the comparisons of your popularity to that of Muhammad Ali as a boxer, with your worldwide acceptance?

Pacquiao: I'm honored. I'm happy that people seem to be happy with the way that I fight.

My No. 1 goal is not only to win the fight, but to give the fans a very exciting fight.

Especially with this present economy today, and with people paying their hard-earned money to watch me fight. You just hope that it's worth it for them to pay the $50, or, $60 for pay per view, or thousands of dollars for ringside tickets.

You just want to make sure that people are satisfied and happy that they spent their money on a good fight.

FH: Did we see all of the photos that were taken of you in ESPN Magazine's "Body Issue," or did they make you get totally nude?

Pacquiao: [Laughs.] I think I'm the only one with clothes on in the magazine. They didn't try to make me get nude, no, no, no, no. I hadn't even started training then, so my body was not where I wanted it to be.

Next time, though, at the weigh-in for this fight, you'll see what my body will look like.

FH: Anything you would like to add that we didn't cover?

Pacquiao: Just thank you for your time. I thank all of the media for their coverage. I hope that you all will be there for Miguel Cotto, and that we have a great fight on
Nov. 14.


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Manny Pacquiao Expects Miguel Cotto to 'Bring His Best' for Showdown originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>manny pacquiaomiguel cottoLem SatterfieldWed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST Yonnhy Perez: Joseph Agbeko Is 'Fighting A Real Man'http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/yonnhy-perez-joseph-agbeko-is-fighting-a-real-man/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/yonnhy-perez-joseph-agbeko-is-fighting-a-real-man/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/yonnhy-perez-joseph-agbeko-is-fighting-a-real-man/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Yonnhy Perez Yonnhy Perez was trailing badly in the last round against South African Silence Mbuza, before a hostile crowd in Johannesburg, when he began thinking about his wife and two young sons.

"I remembered my kids back in Colombia and all the needs that my family has. I went out there with all my faith and trust in my preparation," said Perez, who lives and trains in Sante Fe Springs, Calif., away from his family.

"What I remember the most going into the 12th round was knowing that it was a very difficult fight for me going throughout the first 11. It was a very close fight," said the 30-year-old fighter. "I asked God to help me. I asked God for strength. For he was the only one who knew how hard I had worked to get to that point, how tough it was to get to that opportunity."

Perez took full advantage, dropping Mbuza once before a follow-up flurry forced referee Kenny Chevalier to stop their bout at 1:06 of the final round. It was Perez's 14th knockout, and his 19th victory without a loss.

"My motivation is to let my kids know that being in a professional sport is the cleanest way to have a decent life," said Perez. "I have sacrificed a lot for them so they can have a better life in Colombia. So I was thrilled that I was able to beat Mabuza in South Africa."

Perez set himself up for Saturday night's clash of 118-pounders, when he will take aim at the IBF bantamweight belt owned by Joseph Agbeko (27-1, 22 knockouts) at Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Perez is facing another African in Abgeko, who is from Accra, Ghana. Abgeko has won six straight, including three by knockout.

"I understand that [Agbeko's] probably not like Silence Mabuza, but he's probably returning to his African roots," said Perez. "I've seen how all the fighters are from Africa, I've also fought a lot of them in the amateurs. I know how they fight."

Agbeko is riding the momentum of July's 12-round, unanimous decision victory over Armenian-born southpaw Vic "Raging Bull" Darchinyan of Austrailia, who rose to challenge Agbeko from 115 pounds, where he was WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight champion.

"Yonnhy Perez wants to beat me. He's a very good, undefeated fighter. I love when I'm fighting people like that," said Agbeko, 29.

"People want to think that nobody can defeat [undefeated boxers] because they've won all their fights," said Agbeko. "I love it when it comes to that because I always want to do something that people think nobody can do."

Perez, however, is confident of victory after having witnessed Agbeko-Darchinyan from ringside, saying, "it would have been an embarrassment if he didn't beat Vic Darchinyan with ease, because Vic was a guy moving up in weight from 115 to 118."

Perez was not impressed by Agbeko, adding, "I'm going to keep all of his weaknesses and reserve those for myself, but we'll try to expose them on Oct. 31."

Perez became incensed during a recent media conference call when Agbeko predicted a knockout.

"I don't want to make a prediction of my own, but as far as what Agbeko said coming into this fight and predicting a knockout, it's OK. That's why I live in this country, there's freedom of speech. He can say whatever he wants," said Perez, who began his professional career at the age of 26, stopping Steve Lozoya in July of 2005.

"He's not facing a nobody, he's fighting a real, future champion," said Perez. "He's not fighting his wife, he's fighting a real man. But if he says that he's going to deliver, that's great. I'm ready for any type of battle to happen in the ring ...

"I've traveled to Africa, and I know how the fighters of that continent are. I know they can talk more than what they can actually do in the ring. So [Agbeko] shouldn't spit up in the air because all that's going to do is fall right on back on his face."

Yonnhy Perez: Joseph Agbeko Is 'Fighting A Real Man' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>joseph agbekoyonnhy perezLem SatterfieldWed, 28 Oct 2009 01:20:00 EST 'King Kong' Agbeko Lands in Vegashttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/king-kong-agbeko-lands-in-vegas/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/king-kong-agbeko-lands-in-vegas/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/king-kong-agbeko-lands-in-vegas/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Joseph AgbekoOn Halloween night in Las Vegas, King Kong will return to American soil in an attempt to strike terror in the heart of at least one man at Treasure Island Resort and Casino.

The fighter who goes by the nickname, "King Kong," is Joseph Agbeko of Accra, Ghana, a 118-pound, beast of an IBF bantamweight champion with a record of 27-1 with 22 knockouts.

Agbeko, 29, is direct regarding what he plans to do to Colombian-born power-puncher Yonnhy Perez (19-0, 14 knockouts), of Sante Fe Springs, Calif., in defense of his title.

"I predict a knockout," he said, "because I know I'm going to knock him out."

Agbeko, who is fighting for only the third time in 25 months, is coming off of July's 12-round, unanimous decision victory over Armenian-born southpaw Vic "Raging Bull" Darchinyan of Austrailia, which is considered the defining triumph of his career.

"I think that Agbeko is on the way to greatness. [You have] a great champion in King Kong Agbeko, and he's growing by leaps and bounds," said promoter Don King, who is bringing boxing to the Treasure Island for the first time ever. "This guy is a tremendous gladiator ... he moves [and] he thinks when he's fighting."

Darchinyan had risen from 115-pounds to challenge Agbeko, having owned the WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight titles.

"I believe that Darchinyan was a very, very big win, and it's very respected. But my dream is to become a unified world champion. I want to become the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world," said Agbeko, who has won three of his past six bouts by knockout since losing a majority decision to Wladimir Sidorenko in May of 2004.

"My dream is to defeat every boxer that comes my way, not just Vic Darchinyan, not just Luis Perez, not just Yonnhy Perez. But my dream is to win every fight that comes my way. I'm ready for the world and I'm ready to become No. 1 pound-for-pound in this game someday."

Speaking of game, Perez believes he's seen flaws in the champion's, having been ringside for Agbeko-Darchinyan.

"[Agbeko] fought with a lot of heart, gave a great performance, and he obviously beat Darchinyan with ease. It would have been an embarrassment if he didn't beat Darchinyan with ease, because Vic was a guy moving up in weight from 115 to 118," said Perez, 30.

Agbeko is motivated by two Ghanian legends, Azumah Nelson and Ike Quartey. Nelson was a three-time champion at featherweight (126) and super featherweight (130), and Quartey, a former welterweight (147) titlist.

And whenever Agbeko is in training, Nelson and Quartey are often frequent visitors to the gym.

"Azumah and Ike inspire me and are very good champions of Ghana. I always look up to them and they always advise me. They've been there before and they were able to make it, too. They teach me what to do and they always point me in the right direction," said Agbeko.

"They are always motivating me and pushing me to go higher. I'm trying and working hard to carve up my own destiny, to be No. 1, pound-for-pound."

"Yonnhy Perez definitely can't stay in there with me. I want everyone to know that he's going to get his first defeat on Oct. 31. It's going to be a knockout."
-- Joseph Agbeko Agbeko will be making his second appearance in Las Vegas, having stopped Fidencio Reyes in four rounds at the Hard Rock Hotel in August of 2007 during his American debut.

It will be Agbeko's fifth straight time fighting on U.S. soil, where he has totaled a mark of 4-0, with two KOs.

It will be Agbeko's third defense of a title he won in September of 2007, when he stopped Nicaraguan Luis Alberto Perez at Sacramento's Arco Arena. Perez was knocked out for the first time and lost for only the second in 27 bouts.

Since then, however, Agbeko has fought only twice, scoring a majority decision over William Gonzalez in January of 2008, and defeating Darchinyan.

"I'm happy that I'm coming back very quickly. Boxing is my life, boxing is my food. Boxing is my everything," said Agbeko. "I'm going to always be a fighter and win all my titles. I wish I could fight everyday. I'm very, very happy that I'm back so soon [after four months,] and I thank my promoter for getting this very quickly."

Perez is coming of a 12th-round knockout of Silence Mabuza in May.

"I was once undefeated, and I know how difficult it is. [Perez] feels confident because he has never been beaten before," said Abeko. "But Yonnhy Perez definitely can't stay in there with me. I want everyone to know that he's going to get his first defeat on Oct. 31. It's going to be a knockout."

'King Kong' Agbeko Lands in Vegas originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>joseph agbekovic darchinyanLem SatterfieldTue, 27 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST Angelo Dundee: 'Ali, by All Means, Should Have Been Fighting (Holmes)'http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/qanda-with-muhammad-alis-former-trainer/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/qanda-with-muhammad-alis-former-trainer/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/qanda-with-muhammad-alis-former-trainer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Angelo Dundee has zero regrets.

The 88-year-old, legendary former boxing trainer of Muhammad Ali, spoke to FanHouse on Monday on a variety of topics, including ESPN's upcoming documentary, Muhammad and Larry, which argues that the aging Ali's 1980 fight with a young Larry Holmes never should have happened. Dundee also addressed Ali's relationship with Joe Frazier, and his own feelings during Ali's condemnation of white people as a member of the Nation of Islam.

Check out the full Q&A after the jump.

FanHouse: What are your feelings concerning the Muhammad and Larry documentary, which argues that a 38-year-old Ali should not have fought Holmes?

Angelo Dundee: I haven't seen it, but I'm going to watch. But Ali, by all means, should have been fighting. He trained the hardest he'd ever trained. Larry was the better fighter that night.

FH: How much of how Ali looked in the fight was a case of being too old?

Dundee: You don't look for escapes. What happened happened. Shoulda, coulda, woulda -- you don't go into that kind of thing. Otherwise, you'd go nuts.

If you're a fight guy, you've got to be realistic. It just wasn't there, that's all. The tank was empty, that's why I stopped it after the 10th round.

FH: Why did you stop it at that moment as opposed to any other?

Dundee: That 10th round, Muhammad got hit with an uppercut. And he reared away, and I thought that possibly, his eye got hurt. And I figured, "what am I gonna do? Why do I want him to get injured, for God's sake?'"

And he wasn't firing back, literally. Muhammad, in the past, you would throw a shot at him, and -- Boom! Boom! -- he'd fire back. But the fire wasn't there, and the repeat wasn't there.

FH: What do you make of anyone who says that Muhammad Ali should not have been fighting?

Dundee: I can't help that. People have a right to their own opinion. My gut feeling will be this until the day that I die: I think that a fighter has a God-given right to do with his life what he wants to.

It's that tough of a profession, and I think that he has a right to make that decision. I don't like to play God.

FH: Do you believe that anything that you see on Tuesday's documentary will alter your opinion concerning when the fight should have been stopped?

Dundee: Oh, no, no, no. Nothing will change it. What's done is done. You're not a Monday morning quarterback. It's done. What's done is done.

You did it. I did it in good conscience and good faith, and I think I know this kid better than anybody in the ring. I've had the privilege of knowing him since he was 16.

I know his every reaction, I know what things that make him chip up, and what makes him down. We're friends to this day, man.

FH: What is your relationship with Ferdie Pachecho, who left Ali's corner long before he retired saying that he should have retired earlier, and who insists that Ali's Parkinson's syndrome is a result of punishment he received from boxing?

Dundee: Don't you know that I'm godfather to his daughter? I gave him the name, the moniker, for God's sake. Ferdie had two offices, and I would send the fighters to either one.

And I would call Ferdie and say, "Hey, Ferdie, this kid's got a headache. Please don't tell him it's a brain tumor." [Laughs.] The thing is, everybody's entitled to their stinkin' opinion. It's the world we live in.

It's a democracy. You don't fault it. That's my feeling and I'm sincere about it.

FH: What do you spend your days doing now?

Dundee: I'm busier now than when I had 26 fighters. I'm working on a documentary about Angelo Dundee, called, It Don't Cost Nothing to Be Nice.

I make personal appearances. I've been to Atlantic City, I go to Las Vegas. I wrote a book, The View From My Corner, which is the best selling hardback boxing book of all time.

FH: What was it like for you when Muhammad Ali joined the Nation of Islam and espoused the beliefs such as, "the white man is the devil?"

Dundee: We never had that conversation. That never entered into our relationship. I was his trainer. I never followed this kid home. When he used to go into Miami, he was a Muslim then.

I learned at an early age, "You don't mess around with a fighter's personal life or his religion -- it's none of your business." He never asked me if I was a Catholic.

We never had that. We strictly worked boxing, me and Muhammad, and we had a great time. What right do I have to ask anybody anything, it's his life. That's what I said to everyone, he's sincere in whatever he does.

Ali never said anything to me negatively. This kid and I never had an argument. We had a great relationship. This kid came to my house three Christmases in a row and entertained my friends -- Jews, Polish, Irish, it didn't make any difference.

He's a lovable human being, and the nicest kid I ever had. I never had to lift a finger to make him work. He was the first guy in the gym, last guy to leave.

FH: How do you believe Muhammad Ali feels about Joe Frazier?

Dundee: He never disliked Joe Frazier, it was a one-sided thing. Muhammad likes everybody. He got a kick out of it. He never meant any harm to the guy.

Somebody handed him a monkey, so it was like, "Hey, it's the thrilla in Manila with the gorilla." Most of the stuff we pulled before fights were preempted. We did it.

We planned it. Ernie Terrell was the giraffe, Floyd Patterson was the rabbit because he had his hands around his face. The washer woman was George Chuvalo. We made those things up. It sold tickets.

FH: How much do you believe boxing had to do with Ali's Parkinson's?

Dundee: Nothing, nothing. I thought that sincerely, the guy would lick it. I thought that he would beat Parkinson's, because he's that type of a guy. I see that Freddie Roach is fighting it. I see that that movie actor [Michael J. Fox] is fighting it.

Let me tell you about Muhammad, my friend, he's the happiest human being on this earth. He can get more with a blink than you and I can get from an entire, two-hour speech. He lights up a room for Christ's sake.

I used to call him the Pied Piper. Muhammad Ali don't want no pity, and he don't want nothing from anybody.
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Angelo Dundee: 'Ali, by All Means, Should Have Been Fighting (Holmes)' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>angelo dundeemuhammad aliLem SatterfieldTue, 27 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST Cris Arreola Returns to Ring on Dec. 5http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/chris-arreola-returns-to-ring-on-dec-5/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/chris-arreola-returns-to-ring-on-dec-5/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/chris-arreola-returns-to-ring-on-dec-5/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Chris ArreolaHeavyweight contender Cris Arreola will fight in the co-feature against an opponent to be determined on the Dec. 5 undercard of Paul Williams' junior middleweight matchup in Atlantic City, his promoter, Dan Goossen, confirmed on Monday.

Arreola (27-1, 24 knockouts) was the loser by 10th-round knockout to WBA champion Vitali Klitschko (38-2, 37 KOs) when his trainer, Henry Ramirez, stopped the bout due to the punishment his fighter had taken during their Sept. 26 matchup.

"Quite frankly, Cris wants to get back sooner rather than later," said Goossen, who also promotes Williams (37-1, 27 KOs).

"I'd much rather have a fighter like Arreola that has sustained his first loss and says, 'Send me right back in, I've got to correct this,' " said Goossen, "rather than one that wants to sit back and cry about the loss. He wants to get back out there, which is much better than wanting to sit back and dwell on it."

The Ring's Michael Rosenthal reported that 40-year-old former world champion Oleg Maskaev (36-6, 27 KOs), 36-year-old former contender David Tua (50-3-1, 43) and 38-year-old Ray Austin (27-4-4, 17) are all considerations for Arreola.

Austin is slated to face DaVarryl Williamson (26-5, 22 KOs) this Saturday, and Maskaev is scheduled to meet Nagy Aguilera (14-0, nine) on Dec. 11.

A two-time welterweight and one-time junior middleweight champion, Williams was forced to find another rival when his original opponent, WBO and WBC middleweight titlist Kelly Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs), canceled their bout due to a staph infection on the knuckle of his left forefinger that has plagued him for months.

Williams' manager, George Peterson, told FanHouse that Williams will likely choose to face Sergio Martinez (44-1, 24 KOs) over WBO champion Sergiy Dzinziruk (36-0, 22 KOs) in the main event.

"Certainly Martinez is one of the guys on the list," said Goossen. "The other is Dzinziruk."

Goossen said that he is also considering a path for super middleweight Edison Miranda, who dominated Thursday night's 168-pound matchup with a first-round knockout over Francisco Sierra.

Miranda's stoppage, at 2:16 of the round, was his 29th knockout, raising his mark to 33-4 as he rebounded from May's unanimous decision loss to former Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward.

"We're going to be putting Edison somewhere," said Goossen, whose brother, Joe, was training Miranda for the first time against Sierra.

"We'll be getting together [Monday] to discuss Miranda," said Goossen, "along with some of the other fighters on the different shows that we've got coming up."

Cris Arreola Returns to Ring on Dec. 5 originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>chris arreolaLem SatterfieldMon, 26 Oct 2009 19:20:00 EST Kermit Cintron Stops Juliano Ramoshttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/kermit-cintron-stops-juliano-ramos-in-five/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/kermit-cintron-stops-juliano-ramos-in-five/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/kermit-cintron-stops-juliano-ramos-in-five/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Kermit CintronFormer IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron dropped Juliano Ramos in the fourth round and stopped him in the fifth round of their junior middleweight bout on Saturday night in Roberto Clemente Stadium in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

In victory, the 30-year-old Houston resident rose to 32-2-1 with his 28th knockout, this taking place in the city of his birth for his first fight on his native soil.

A Brazilian who had not fought since being stopped in six rounds by Mike Jones in August 2008, Ramos dropped to 15-3 with 12 KOs.

Cintron is 3-0-1 with one knockout since losing his IBF 147-pound title to Antonio Margarito by sixth-round knockout in April 2008. Cintron, who has twice been stopped by Margarito, has fought twice as a junior middleweight (154).

Kermit Cintron Stops Juliano Ramos originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>antonio margaritokermit cintronLem SatterfieldSun, 25 Oct 2009 01:28:00 EST Tomasz Adamek KOs Andrew Golotahttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/tomasz-adamek-kos-andrew-golota/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/tomasz-adamek-kos-andrew-golota/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/tomasz-adamek-kos-andrew-golota/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Tomasz AdamekIBF cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek scored knockdowns in the first and fifth rounds of Saturday night's clash with former three-time heavyweight title challenger Andrew Golota on the way to stopping his larger rival in five at the Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland.

A native of Zywiec, Poland, who lives in Jersey City, Adamek rose to 39-1 with his 27th knockout and his eighth consecutive victory -- his sixth by stoppage.

Adamek, who weighed 214 pounds to 256 for Golota (41-8-1, 33 KOS), suffered his last loss in February 2007, when he lost his WBC light heavyweight (175 pounds) title to Chad Dawson.

Golota, 41, is a native of Warsaw who lives in Chicago.

Adamek, 32, is making the rise to heavyweight from 200 pounds, where he won the IBF cruiserweight title by split-decision over Steve Cunningham, and defending it twice.

In victory, Adamek could become an attractive fight for the winner of the Roy Jones-Bernard Hopkins bout that could take place in early 2010, one of the heavyweight champion Klitschko brothers, Wladimir or Vitali, or Russian heavyweight titlist Nikolay Valuev.

Tomasz Adamek KOs Andrew Golota originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andrew golotabernard hopkinschad dawsonroy jonestomasz adamekLem SatterfieldSun, 25 Oct 2009 01:13:00 EST Andre Berto Dreams of Conquest in 147-Pound Divisionhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/andre-berto-dreams-of-conquest-in-147-pound-division/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/andre-berto-dreams-of-conquest-in-147-pound-division/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/andre-berto-dreams-of-conquest-in-147-pound-division/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

For Andre Berto, the visions of glory are ever present in his thoughts and in his dreams, so much so, that he often finds himself throwing punches at imaginary opponents.

"The faces change from time to time. With the left hand, I see Shane Mosley. With the right hand, I see Manny Pacquiao. Left hook, I see Miguel Cotto. It's just that I have all of their spirits just haunting me in the gym," said Berto, the 26-year-old WBC welterweight (147 pounds) champion.

"They pop up from time to time in my sleep, too," said Berto, who is 25-0 with 19 knockouts. "I've already envisioned myself fighting all of those guys, and seeing the outcomes, seeing how the fight will end up."

A Haitian American who represented his native country in the 2004 Olympics, Berto is considered a rising star in a 147-pound class stocked with talent, including Floyd Mayweather, Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey.

"It's just a matter of getting the right fight done and putting it into play," said Berto, who earned his title as a 24-year-old with a June, 2008, seventh-round knockout of Miguel Angel Rodriguez. "We're trying real hard to make that a reality right now."

Berto's radar is presently set on Mosley, a bout that could take place on Jan. 30 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.

"We're still negotiating to see if it's going to happen. If not, it seems like we still have that date. But we might have to go with another opponent," said Berto, adding that a second option could be IBF champion Isaac Hlatshwayo (29-1-1, 10 KOs) of Soweto, South Africa.

"Time is on my side, so if it doesn't happen with Shane, hopefully, I can fight a guy like Hlatshwayo, and maybe pick up another title and make a bigger fight more intriguing for the networks," said Berto, who was born in Miami and lives in Winterhaven, Fla.

"I want Shane, but I'm not going to chase him," said Berto. "If Shane doesn't happen, there are a few other options. We're just trying to see what happens."

Berto's promoter, Lou DiBella, believes that "the likelihood is that we'll get a deal done" for Mosley (46-5, 39).

"It's not done yet. I'll be working on that for the next week or two. I think that the fight would likely be January 30, but it's not done yet. If it's Mosley, then it will be at the Mandalay Bay," said DiBella.

"For a very young kid like Berto, who has just turned 26, it's a great opportunity to fight a first ballot Hall of Famer like Mosley. You have to take that opportunity, because a victory changes your life immediately," said DiBella.

"Frankly, a really good performance, even if it doesn't result in a victory, is still a victory when you're fighting that level of guy," DiBella said. "But I think that Andre is strong enough, fast enough and fresh enough that he would have a great chance to upset Mosley."

Berto says that he has kept his ears on the pulse of his fans' opinions concerning his skills as a fighter, as well as his chances against some of his division's top players -- Mosley in particular.

"There's a lot of mixed reactions. A lot of people say that Shane may have too much experience for me, and that I'm too young for Shane," Berto said of Mosley, who, at age 38, is exactly 11 years older than Berto.

"Some people feel as if I have too much energy for him and that he's a little to old now," said Berto, who, like Mosley, was born on Sept. 7. "Some people think I have the speed, I'm too young for him. I'm too fast and have too much power, and that youth will be served. I'll beat him easily. I'm just hearing a lot of different things."

DiBella certainly believes Berto has the potential to be a star.

"Andre's got a great personality, and he loves to market himself. He's always on twitter and on the internet communicating with people, and he's out there engaging as many people as he can," said DiBella. "He really wants to be a star, and I think that he has the personality combined with the talent that he can pull it off."

Berto also has the pedigree.

"Fighting is literally in his blood," said DiBella. "Andre's father was among the first guys to be involved in Pride fighting -- the predecessor to the UFC. His sister is an MMA fighter, and his brother is also a UFC guy."

Berto, who is trained by Tony Morgan, said that the talent "trickled down" from his father, Dieuseul "Tiger" Berto, to himself and his siblings, including a brother, Cleveland Berto, who was a state champion wrestler in Florida.

At one point last year, Andre and Edson Berto were believed to have become the first brothers to have their fights televised nationally in seperate disciplines on the same night - Andre in New York On HBO Boxing, and, Edson, in California an hour later on Showtime for EliteXC.

Berto is remarkably candid concerning his growth over his past three title defenses -- decisions over veteran Steve Forbes, skillful Luis Collazo, and tough KO artist Juan Urango (22-2-1, 17).

"For Forbes, definitely, fighting somebody with so much experience, I had to learn to adjust pretty quickly for the first two or three rounds. He was very experienced and he touched me a couple of times, which kind of surprised me. I had to adapt to Forbes' style pretty quickly," said Berto.

"The Collazo fight, I learned never to underestimate an opponent and to always be prepared," said Berto. "That was really the first time I came in kind of half-assed, and it showed. That cost me. The Urango fight, I just stuck to the game plan. I just need to keep continuing to learn."

Berto will also continuing dreaming those visions of glory.

"Whoever I'm fighting, I want to see his face and his expression change. I want to watch the look of disbelieve when he realizes that he just doesn't have a chance," said Berto.

"I've been blessed with speed, power and a lot of different other things that will allow me to go in there and be smart -- that's my strength," said Berto. "That's what I did in the beginning of my career, and that's the one thing that I'm looking forward to -- imposing my strength and my aggressiveness on my opponent."

Andre Berto Dreams of Conquest in 147-Pound Division originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andre bertoAndreBertoantonio margaritoAntonioMargaritofloyd mayweatherFloydMayweatherjoshua clotteyJoshuaClotteylou dibellaLouDibellamiguel cottoMiguelCottoshane mosleyShaneMosleyLem SatterfieldSat, 24 Oct 2009 13:18:00 EST Edison Miranda KOs Francisco Sierrahttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/edison-miranda-kos-francisco-sierra-in-first-round/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/edison-miranda-kos-francisco-sierra-in-first-round/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/edison-miranda-kos-francisco-sierra-in-first-round/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Edison MirandaEdison Miranda got back to his winning ways in a hurry, dominating Thursday night's clash of super middleweights with a first-round knockout over Francisco Sierra at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, Calif.

In victory, accomplished at 2:16 of the round, the 168-pound Miranda scored his 29th knockout to improve to 33-4, successfully rebounding from May's unanimous decision loss to former Olympic gold medalist Andrew Ward.

The win also marked his first triumph under trainer Joe Goossen, brother of Miranda's promoter, Dan Goossen.

"When [Sierra] would throw a right hand, then he would drop his left hand, and I knew that that was the moment when I could throw my right hand and to land it," said Miranda, who has been training under Joe Goossen since June.

"I followed what Joe Goossen said and what the corner instructed me to do, which was to let the round go on a little bit so that I could see the mistakes that he was making," said Miranda. "I listened to Joe Goossen, and I saw the errors that he was making and I was able to capitalize."

Sierra, of Mexico, slipped to 20-3 with 19 knockouts, ending a winning streak of nine straight knockouts since being stopped in December of 2006 by Rigoberto Alverez in the 10th round.

Under Joe Goosen, the 28-year-old Miranda hoped to put on display his new boxing skills.

"Before the fight, I wasn't going in looking for a KO, I was prepared to go the distance," said Miranda. "But when you see that opportunity arise, you react on it."

Edison Miranda KOs Francisco Sierra originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andre wardAndrew WardAndreWarddan goossenDanGoossenedison mirandaEdisonMirandaFranciso SierraFrancisoSierrajoe goossenJoeGoossenLem SatterfieldFri, 23 Oct 2009 01:06:00 EST After 34 Bouts, Cintron Fights For First Time In Native Puerto Ricohttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/kermit-cintron-returns-to-welterweight-in-puerto-rican-homeland/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/kermit-cintron-returns-to-welterweight-in-puerto-rican-homeland/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/kermit-cintron-returns-to-welterweight-in-puerto-rican-homeland/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Former IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron will face Juliano Ramos on Saturday night in a junior middleweight bout in Roberto Clemente Stadium in Carolina, P.R.

Now a resident of Houston, the 30-year-old Cintron (31-2-1, 27 KOs) returns to the city of his birth to face Ramos (15-2, 12 KOs), a Brazilian who has not fought since losing by sixth-round stoppage to Mike Jones in August 2008.

It will be Cintron's first fight on his native soil.

After losing his IBF 147-pound title to Antonio Margarito by sixth-round knockout in April, 2008 -- his second KO loss to the former world champion from Mexico -- Cintron has fought twice as a junior middleweight (154).

Cintron battled Sergio Martinez to a draw in February, and then vanquished previously unbeaten Alfredo Angulo in May over consecutive 12-round fights.

Cintron is returning to welterweight against Ramos in an effort to attract a lucrative payday in a class that includes Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Andre Berto and Margarito.

After 34 Bouts, Cintron Fights For First Time In Native Puerto Rico originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andre bertoAndreBertoantonio margaritoAntonioMargaritofloyd mayweatherFloydMayweatherkermit cintronKermitCintronmanny pacquiaoMannyPacquiaomiguel cottoMiguelCottoshane mosleyShaneMosleyLem SatterfieldThu, 22 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST Tomasz Adamek Rises to Challenge Against Andrew Golotahttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/tomasz-adamek-rises-to-challenge-against-andrew-golota/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/tomasz-adamek-rises-to-challenge-against-andrew-golota/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/tomasz-adamek-rises-to-challenge-against-andrew-golota/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

IBF cruiserweight champion Tomas Adamek will take on former three-time heavyweight title challenger Andrew Golota on Saturday night at the Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland, in a clash that ranks as perhaps the biggest in the history of their respective native country.

A native of Zywiec, Poland, Adamek (38-1, 26 knockouts) has won seven consecutive fights, five of them by KO, since February 2007, when he lost his WBC light heavyweight (175 pounds) title to Chad Dawson.

The 32-year-old Adamek has since campaigned as a 200-pounder, winning the IBF crown in December by split-decision over Steve Cunningham, and defending it twice since.
A resident of Jersey City, N.J., Adamek's popularity has grown in nearby Newark, where his two most recent appearances -- including knockouts of Johnathon Banks and Bobby Gunn -- have drawn overflow crowds to the Prudential Center.

But in challenging Golota (41-7-1, 33 KOs), a native of Warsaw who lives in Chicago, Adamek is looking to attract lucrative paydays such as those against the winner of the Roy Jones-Bernard Hopkins matchup slated for early 2010, or even the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir or Vitali, or Russian Nicolay Valuev at heavyweight.

Golota, 41, weighed 242 pounds for his last fight in November, which was a first-round loss to Ray Austin that ended his three-fight winning streak.

Golota is most-known for his bizarre behavior in the ring, such as his two disqualification losses for low blows against Riddick Bowe, as well as his quitting in a third-round no-contest against Mike Tyson.

Tomasz Adamek Rises to Challenge Against Andrew Golota originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Andrew GolotaAndrewGolotachad dawsonChadDawsonTomas AdamekTomasz AdamekTomaszAdamekLem SatterfieldThu, 22 Oct 2009 19:52:00 EST