San Francisco’s Karim Mayfield (15-0-1, 9 KOs) can finally put something around his waist after flooring Patrick Lopez (20-5, 12 KOs) three times en route to capturing the NABO interim junior welterweight title by unanimous decision in Tunica, Miss., last night.

“I didn’t care about the scores when they were reading them out loud,” Mayfield said. “I just wanted to hear, ‘And the new!’ with my name right after. I’m just happy I did.”

After his older brother LaRon taught him how to box in the Fillmore projects by wrapping five pairs of socks around his fists as a kid, Mayfield took up the regulated version of the sport under the tutelage of trainer Ben Bautista.

As an amateur, Mayfield was a quick study, winning the San Francisco Golden Gloves and making the Olympic Trials at 165 pounds. Soon enough, the pros came calling, and after five years, the 30-year-old known as “The Hard Hitta” in Bay Area boxing circles can bring some hardware home.

BoxingScene.com caught up with Mayfield, who is celebrating his victory in the South before returning to San Francisco later this week.

ON GETTING CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT:

“It was just like any fight. When you get there, you think it’s gonna be overwhelming, but it was just like being in any other fight. I’ve had a lot of pressure on me before. One time I had to beat the promoter’s son at the 75th Anniversary of the San Francisco Golden Gloves. Ben [Bautista] said, ‘I’m gonna call you Rise from now on because you rise to the occasion.’ This was no different.”

ON HIS OPPONENT, PATRICK LOPEZ:

“He came out and he was fast. Having about 280 amateur fights, you can tell he was precise. He had some nice technique. I think my orthodox style was throwing him off early, but for the most part, he was definitely a good opponent and a learning experience. That was definitely a step up for me. I think the difference between him and beating Steve Forbes was Lopez’s will. He was so determined.”

ON TRAINER BEN BAUTISTA’S GAMEPLAN:

“What Ben and I planned, we executed. We knew Lopez has been working to negate what I’ve been doing, which is use my straight right hand and turning him. I had to set him up. I attacked him at times and then showed like I was trying to elude him in order to get him to chase me. We wanted him to walk into punches, and that’s how we did that.”

ON SCORING THE THREE KNOCKDOWNS:

“To be honest, I actually don’t remember when I knocked him down. I just fight. I kind of kept missing with the overhand right. He kept ducking under it. I was trying to set him up with an uppercut but he was waiting for that. I could tell he was really hungry to win that title, so I had to back him up.

“I knocked him down with a straight one-two. He got up and shook it off. Two punches later, the same one-two knocked him down again. I tried to do it again, but he wasn’t falling for it. The other knockdown was from a double right hand, I think. I started using my jab down the line when I felt like I had the fight.”

ON WORKING WITH VICTOR CONTE TO MAKE THE 140-POUND LIMIT FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A PRO:

“I re-hydrated well. I didn’t want to get too big. I stayed around 149-150 [pounds] the day of the fight. I want to thank Victor Conte and the SNAC team, especially the girls at the office like Veronica Conte and Gina Morton for having my back, and ‘Little V’ during my hypoxic (high-altitude simulator) training.

“I felt good out there. Lopez brought the fight to me every second of the three minutes in each round, and just being at 140, never having fought professionally at this weight and fighting this caliber of opponent, I obviously had to be official as far as my nutrition and conditioning. It would’ve been different if Lopez was a boxer, because you can feel your way around a style like that, but if someone comes at you with a title at stake, you need to be in shape.”

ON STAYING AT JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT OR MOVING UP BACK UP TO 147 POUNDS:

“I feel good at 140, so I’m going to stay. A lot of people lose their power and feel weight drained. I went 10 rounds and dropped the guy three times. There are a couple things I want to work on, but fights are fights.”

ON THE SUPPORT HE’S RECEIVED AT HOME AND FROM HIS TEAM:

“There was definitely a lot of support from people in ‘The City’ saying a lot of positive things, and as much as I inspire them, they motivate me too. We call the Bay Area, ‘The Yay.’ I feel like it’s a family.

“For this camp my managerial team was really behind me and kept everything stress-free, like my publicist, Mario Serrano. My brother, LaRon Mayfield, and my cousin, Marlon Sullivan of Spanatix, they’ve all had my back. We did it together, and we’re not stopping here.”

By Ryan Maquiñana
http://www.boxingscene.com/karim-mayfield-on-defeating-lopez-nabo-title–44508

Paulus Ambunda will defend his WBO African bantamweight title in a boxing bonanza at the Windhoek Country Club on November 5.

Namibian boxing promoter Nestor Tobias said this on Wednesday at a press conference at the Namibia Sport Commission, where he also donated boxing equipment to the Namibia Sport Commission.

Tobias donated 100 punch bags to the NSC which will be distributed throughout Namibia’s 13 regions to help develop boxing at grassroots level.

“We must still finalise Ambunda’s opponent but it will be done later this week. He needs to defend his title within 120 days because his previous fight was not a title defence,” Tobias said.

Ambunda’s last fight was on September 24 when he easily beat Twalib Mubira of Kenya on a third round technical knockout.

It was Ambunda’s 17th straight victory as a professional and took his WBO international ranking up to fourth in the world.

Several other fighters will also feature on the undercard, according to Tobias. They include Tyson Uushona, who holds the WBO African Interim Welterweight title, Wilbeforce Shihepo, who holds the WBO African Super Middleweight title, Julius Indongo, Abmerk Shidjuu and Samuel Kaapapu. Uushona and Shihepo will however not be defending their titles.

Tobias also announced that he was busy negotiating to stage a fight in Namibia for Paulus Moses for the WBA Interim Lightweight title.

Moses was offered an opportunity to fight Richard Abril of Cuba for the WBA Interim Lightweight title in Panama on October 22, but Tobias turned down the chance because it came too soon after Moses’ last fight against Sidney Siqueira of Brazil on September 24. Abril is now expected to fight the former WBA lightweight champion Miguel Acosta for the WBA Interim Lightweight title on October 22.

Tobias said he was now negotiating with Don King to set up a fight for Moses against the winner of the Abril-Acosta fight.

“We asked the WBA for another chance to fight the winner of the Panama fight. So they said yes, we can do that, on condition that we host the fight and fund it. We are busy negotiating with Don King about it,” he said.

Tobias, meanwhile, was once again honoured for his sterling work in promoting boxing when he was recently nominated by the World Boxing Organisation for the Best African Promoter/Manager award. This is the second year in a row that Tobias has been nominated for the award, after he won the award for the foirst time last year.

“It just goes to show that people are looking at what we are doing here in Namibia. Namibia has become a big country with regards to boxing and this recognition will just motivate my boxers and I to achieve greater heights,” he said.

Acción garantizada de alta calidad y permanente amenaza de nocaut se anticipa cuando el campeón argentino y latino pluma de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), el ascendente e invicto bonaerense Jesús “El Jinete del KO” Cuellar, exponga por cuarta ocasión su corona latina ante el también invicto colombiano Oscar Escandón, en lo que será la atracción principal de la velada que cobrará vida el próximo sábado 15 de octubre, en el Centro Recreativo Municipal Néstor Carlos Kirchner, sito en 18 de Octubre esquina Canning, del Barrio Santa Paula, José C. Paz, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, en una nueva producción de Argentina Boxing Promotions, de Mario Margossian, que será transmitida en vivo a través de TyC Sports a partir de las 23, para Argentina y toda América.

Gracias a una línea boxística depurada, su característica velocidad e intensidad, y su infaltable pegada, “El Jinete del KO” Cuellar (17-0, 14 KOs) se ha consolidado ya no como una de las grandes esperanzas del boxeo argentino, sino como una certeza. Con la espectacularidad que despierta, ha despachado a cada escollo que se le ha puesto enfrente, cumpliendo con creces las expectativas. Hoy, ya convertido en una realidad, el zurdo nacido en José C. Paz hace sólo 24 años, aspira a seguir en su franco ascenso en los 57,150 kg., -o incluso bajando a supergallo- para, en un futuro cercano, cumplir su sueño de disputar un título mundial.

Luego de poseer el cetro en forma interina, con victorias ante el tucumano Luis Juárez y el mendocino Claudio “El Tigre” Tapia, conquistó la totalidad del cinturón que ya ha retenido en forma categórica deshaciéndose en ocho asaltos del chubutense Diego Sañanco, el pasado 23 de octubre en Salto, Buenos Aires, y en dos rounds del rionegrino José “Pamperito” Sáez, el 15 de enero justamente en el escenario de este sábado.

Tras ello, el 16 de abril, en el mismo recinto, capturó el título argentino de la división cuando fulminó al chubutense Ramón “El Moncho” Torres, con un contundente nocaut en cuatro capítulos. Y en su última presentación, el 23 de julio en la misma sede, destruyó en forma sorprendente al duro cordobés Hugo “Polvorita” Gómez. El sábado, “El Jinete del KO”, 7mo. en el ranking OMB de la división y 15to. en el escalafón supergallo de la Federación Internacional Boxeo (FIB), buscará seguir cabalgando por la ruta del éxito, que lo lleve a mayores desafíos. De superar su último escalón, quedará posicionado para ir por un título mundial próximamente.

Pero en el imbatido colombiano Escandón (16-0, 10 KOs), tendrá un peligroso rival, que también sabe lo que es tener la “mano pesada”. Con 27 años, el pegador de Ibagué cuenta con un récord similar al del campeón, y llega con las mismas aspiraciones de éxito. Luego de conquistar el cinturón latino gallo del Consejo Mundial de Boxeo, al noquear en tres vueltas a su compatriota Luis Cuadrado el 25 de marzo en Cartagena, regresó a los pesos que acostumbraba y se deshizo en cinco del también cafetero Hugo Berrio, el 24 de junio en Barranquilla. Y con cuatro definiciones categóricas consecutivas -al igual que el campeón-, está listo para el reto.

Esta tarde, en las instalaciones de la Federación Argentina de Box, se realizó la ceremonia de pesaje. Ambos protagonistas superaron sin inconvenientes la balanza, dejando todo listo para el choque titular.

El primero en subir fue Cuellar, quien pesó 55,300 kg. Segundos después, fue el turno de Escandón, quien registró 55,600 kg.

En un interesante combate de semifondo, la ex representante de la selección argentina amateur, “Las Toritas”, la ascendente e invicta entrerriana Débora “La Gurisa” Dionicius, buscará nuevamente volver a brillar para mantener su marca perfecta cuando se mida a la cordobesa Marta Soledad “La Matadora” Juncos, en un enfrentamiento enmarcado en la división supermosca y a la distancia de seis asaltos.

Tras una exitosa campaña en el boxeo aficionado que la llevó a representar con creces al país por todo el mundo, quien está considerada una de las máximas esperanzas del boxeo nacional debutó en el campo rentado cumpliendo con todas las expectativas. Nacida en Villaguay hace sólo 23 años, la bonita y carismática “Gurisa” (5-0, 2 KOs) ya despierta el interés de todos los fanáticos con su boxeo de alto vuelo, su velocidad sobre el ring y su característica sonrisa. Luego de exhibir toda su línea pugilística durante sus tres primeras presentaciones, en sus últimas dos apariciones mostró que también tiene “pimienta” en sus puños. Es que el pasado 23 de julio, castigó a la marplatense Yessica Muñoz, a quien derrotó por un contundente nocaut técnico en el cuarto capítulo en este mismo escenario. Y el 27 de agosto, dio cuenta de la hasta entonces innoqueable bonaerense Anahí Salles, por nocaut técnico en el sexto, en City Bell, por lo que ahora querrá buscar su tercera definición categórica en fila.

Sin embargo, en Juncos (4-3-2), oriunda de Santa Rosa de Río Primero y tres años mayor, tendrá una complicada oponente que no querrá ser un simple partenaire. Conocida por su buena línea y resistencia, la cordobesa sabe lo que es llegar como invitada, se ha medido a muchas de las principales contendientes de las divisiones pequeñas y jamás ha sido vencida antes del límite, por lo que promete dar batalla y amenazar con amargarle la noche.

Dionicius detuvo la báscula en 52,300 kg. En tanto Juncos, marcó 51,800 kg.

Por otra parte, en el principal combate complementario, el campeón latino supermediano de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB) y el Consejo Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), y actual número 1 del ranking argentino de la división, el invicto juninense Pablo “Pokemón” Farías (18-0, 11 KOs) regresa luego de seis meses cuando le dé revancha al experimentado tucumano pero cordobés por adopción, Darío “El Diablo” Geréz (7-18-3, 2 KOs), en categoría mediopesado, y a seis asaltos.

En su primer enfrentamiento, el 3 de diciembre pasado en Lomas de Zamora, Farías se impuso en un amplio fallo unánime tras seis giros, y ahora buscará al menos repetir, para pensar en próximos desafíos.

Farías registró 81,200 kg., mientras que Geréz pesó 84,300 kg.

Además, en otra atracción de la noche encuadrada en la división supermediano, el brasileño radicado en la ciudad de Buenos Aires, Alexandre “Tyson” Batista (7-3-0-1 sd, 1 KO), irá por un nuevo triunfo ante el bonaerense José María Caffarena (3-2-2, 1 KO), a cuatro rounds.

Batista marcó 73 kg., mientras que Caffarena dio 74,300 kg.

Finalmente, la velada se completa con la contienda entre el bonaerense Facundo “Torry” Muñoz (76,100 kg. y 2-5) frente al experimentado santafesino Osvaldo “El Chacarero” Acuña (76,050 kg. y 7-14-3, 1 KO), en peso supermediano, y a cuatro episodios.

WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley appeared on the latest edition of The Boxing Lab, BoxingScene’s official audio show. The California native recently signed a promotion contract with Top Rank and will make his debut with company on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view on November 12th in Las Vegas. Bradley will face former champion Joel Casamayor.

Bradley clarified the current situation with facing IBF/WBA champion Amir Khan. He rejected an offer to face Khan in July, but he believes the fight is still going to happen. Even if Khan moves up to 147, as expected in 2012, Bradley is open to facing him at the new weight.

“I’m not ducking Amir Khan. I made a business move. I know exactly what I am doing. I am not ducking Amir Khan at all. Amir can talk all he wants. At 140 or 147 you will see Bradley and Khan get it on. I told my manager Cameron (Dunkin) to put Khan on my list as someone I want to fight. If it makes sense…why not? That is a fight that the general public and boxing fans want to see,” Bradley said.

By Ryan Burton
http://www.boxingscene.com/tim-bradley-im-not-ducking-khan-hes-on-list–45042

Promoter Lou DiBella recently told that Ring Magazine middleweight champion Sergio Martinez will come to Moscow to fight with World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight titleholder Dmitry Pirog only for $5-6 millions. DiBella believes that Pirog doesn’t have a big name and this fight isn’t marketable.

«I think that all this DiBella’s statements are refusal to fight, — said Pirog’s promoter Kirill Pchelnikov. — They don’t want to fight with Pirog at least for now. And money is not the issue. You may give them six millions and they will find another excuses. Instead of fighting Pirog he would better fight with two other fighters he knows he can beat and make the same money. Dibella says that Dmitry is unknown fighter. I wonder with whom Martinez will fight next and how well this boxer will be known. We are ready to fight anyone and even if Martinez will accept the fight we are ready to fight anytime and anywhere. But we have other options for Pirog, not only Martinez. I can’t tell you who will be the next opponent. It will be clear later. The only thing I can tell is that we had negotiations with WBA middleweight champion Felix Sturm, but he refused from bout with Pirog and now he has the fight with British fighter Martin Murray».

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2011/10/pirog-ready-to-fight-sergio-martinez-any-time-any-place/

Narvaez spoke briefly about his upcoming challenge of WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire on October 22nd at MSG’s WaMu Theater in New York City. Although Narvaez is boxing’s longest reigning world champion having held titles at 112 or 115 since 2002 and he made 16 defenses of his WBO flyweight title alone, he is given little chance to win by most pundits, but that doesn’t bother Narvaez at all.

“I know that I am the underdog for this fight. These are the kind of fights that I want to be in because this will bring out the best in me. It would have been nice if we could have fought when we both were world champions at 112 pounds but that is not the case. Everyone is going to find out that I too am fast and strong, as well. I’m going to surprise a lot of people October 22nd. I’m coming to bring those titles back to Argentina,” promised Narvaez as the large crowd at Luna Park Stadium erupted in a roar of support.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/narvaez-im-going-to-surprise-them-98738

Marco Huck (33-1, 24 KOs) will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Cruiserweight Title for the eighth time in Ludwigsburg, Germany next Saturday when he is challenged by Argentinian southpaw Rogelio Rossi (17-2-1, 11 KOs). Boxing-online.com has caught up the Captain in his training camp base in Kienbaum near Berlin.

Q: After knocking out Hugo Hernan Garay in July, you got married. Does being a husband change anything inside the ring?

MH: “Not at all. Inside the ring, it does not matter whether I am married or not. I am all by myself. There is only my coach Mr. Wegner who is trying to push me as hard as he can. But at the end of the day it´s just me and my opponent.”

Q: Your challenger Rogelio Rossi is taller than you. Have you changed anything in your preparation?

MH: “I have done sparring with a lot of tall guys. I don´t care what size Rossi is. He will go down. I enter the ring to win and to please my fans. And they can again expect an explosive performance.”

Q: Argentinian fighters always seem to have a very big heart, great fighting spirit and superb condition. How do you think the fight will go?

MH: “I have trained for 12 rounds. I think the fight will last long because, as you say, the guys from Argentina really come to fight. I will give everything from the first second onwards and it will be an exciting clash.”

Q: Two years ago, you made your first title defence in Ludwigsburg against Ola Afolabi. In retrospect, what do you think of that fight?

MH: “It was a big win for me. I defended my belt but I had to overcome some tough moments. The fans carried me when things got rough and that helped me a lot. I know I can count on their support again this time out.”

Q: What has changed since that fight?

MH: “A lot of things. I am an accomplished world champion these days. I have defended my title seven times. When I started, it was my dream to get a professional contract with Sauerland Event, and now I am a proven champion. That´s great. And I still have a lot of things to accomplish. But first of all, I need to defend my title against Rossi.”

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2011/10/qa-marco-%E2%80%9Ccaptain%E2%80%9D-huck-%E2%80%9Crossi-will-go-down/

Mexican challenger Juan Marquez told your returning Counterman he’ll go for a knockout against defending champ Manny Pacquiao in their Nov. 12th titular World Boxing Organization showdown at MGM’s Grand Arena in Las Vegas Nevada.

“Nothing like beating Marquez decisively with Pacquiao’s speed,” said trainer Freddie Roach.

“This is to settle what’s bugging Juan Manuel after failing to beat the Pacman twice,” the American trainer stressed.

Speed has been Manny’s chief asset as we’ve repeatedly noted.

A calculating puncher like Manny will be in his usual side-to-side movements, unloading neat yet deadly combos when needed and

always looking for openings to drop his bombs.

Expect a hell of a brawl as the long-running telenovela winds up

in climactic finish at the Grand.

To clarify contrasting claims on “D’ Brawl,” I sought and got, the Mexican’s thoughts on the Filipino idol.

C: If a knockout of Manny Pacquiao is being worked out ‘fast and furious’ by Team Marquez, isn’t that limiting your chances of beating the pound-for-pound champ, since he can get you in more ways than the one you have in mind?

JMM: I am not sure I understand the question, but yes I will seek a knockout in this fight.

C: Without revealing plans for Pacman’s KO, what can the fans expect in this fight?

JMM: This third fight is just like the first two–closely-fought and very much a war.

C: Pacquiao is seen as the fighter gaining a knockout coup since the agreed catch-weight (144lbs) tips the balance in his favor being a natural welterweight, right?

JMM: Again, it is not about the size, it is about the mind and style. I have also knocked out bigger guys at 135 pounds. The smarter, best-conditioned fighter will win this fight.

C: You’ve had that problem when you first ventured into

the welterweight class against Floyd Mayweather Jr?

JMM: I think everyone has problems with FMJr. He is a very defensive fighter and will not engage. This makes for boring fights.

C: In your twin failures with the boxing congressman, you went down four times. What’s your take on claims that Manny will put you to bed early, what with his power-bombs as a full-sized welterweight?

JMM: We will both find out on Nov. 12 on how easy or how hard it will be for him to beat me or even try to beat me. We both know who won the first two fights and who got the decision. This third fight is a whole new chapter. The first two fights are history, let’s see what happens in the present.”

So there!

We’ll feature Manny’s side next week, assuming he ain’t that busy attending to the needs of his Canadian advisor on hygienic concerns.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideSportsop.htm?f=2011/october/15/hermierivera.isx&d=2011/october/15

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is promising a more serious approach to his trilogy bout with Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. After going to a controversial draw in 2004, and winning a controversial split decision in 2008, Pacquiao wants to erase any possible doubts.

His trainer, Freddie Roach, is advising him to leave compassion at the door. Roach wasn’t happy with Pacquiao’s “good guy” approach in his recent fights with Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley. For the last few years, Marquez led a widespread campaign with claims of being robbed by the judges in their two previous fights. Pacquiao wants to shut Marquez’s mouth for good.

“This time I have less compassion for my opponent. Yeah this is a kind of personal,” Pacquiao said to the New York Daily News. “But you still have to do your job. I have to prove that I’m doing right in my job.”

One of the main differences in their fight is not the higher weight limit of 144-pounds. The right hand, says Pacquiao, is the big difference. In their two prior meetings, Pacquiao was left-hand happy and rarely used the right.

“After the Marquez fight I fought with [David] Diaz,” Pacquiao said. “After the Diaz fight we planned to fight in another weight division and moving up. We began to think about how to improve my style and improve my power. So we developed the right hand so we can use it against a big opponent.”

By Edward Chaykovsky
http://www.boxingscene.com/pacquiao-less-compassion-marquez-its-personal–45003

Danny Garcia won the vacant NABO Jr. Welterweight belt on Saturday night in Los Angeles, on a split decision over Kendall Holt. Fighting on the HBO PPV undercard supporting Hopkins vs. Dawson, it was finally put-up or shut up time.

The pre-fight talk was nasty, but most of it was between Holt (27-5 15 KOs) and Garcia’s father Angel. The Paterson, N.J. native was sick and tired of the senior Garcia saying that Holt was talking “monkey s–t” when he dismissed his son’s record.

Danny Garcia remains undefeated with a record of 22-0 14 KOs) but prior to the bout, Kendall Holt ridiculed his knockouts, asking, “Who has he knocked out.?”

“Really, who are they? Will we remember anyone them in years to come?”

The final press conference during fight week saw Angel Garcia spewing expletives at the microphone in support of his son. He heckled Holt when it was his time to speak but refused to come forward and face him when challenged.

Holt noted that he wasn’t boxing his opponent’s father and then went on to take issue with Danny’s resume.

Fast forward to fight night and Danny Garcia clearly backed up his Pop’s boasts and predictions. He kept up steady pressure, timing his punches on the counter.

They added up to the point where Garcia’s prolific right hand had almost closed Kendall Holt’s left eye. At one point in the eighth round, after a break to deal with a complaint of a hit to the back of the head, Garcia caught Holt unaware after time was back in, despite Kendall Holt trying to touch gloves.

A mini Mayweather vs. Ortiz moment.

Holt’s head snapped back and it was then you knew that Garcia didn’t talk much but he had a plan and went about executing it efficiently and relentlessly.

By the twelfth and final round Holt was gassed, trying to keep hope alive as Garcia kept up the pressure when necessary. The judges scored it 117-111, 117-111 for Danny Garcia and 115-113 in favor of Kendall Holt.

Holt was humble in defeat telling media, “He outhustled me all night. I was looking for the knockout too much. I’ve got to go back to the drawing board.” It’s clear he’s right.

http://www.examiner.com/sports-in-national/danny-garcia-silences-kendall-holt-for-nabo-belt

Accra, Oct. 16, GNA – Ghana’s Osumanu Akaba defeated Beninoi Theodore Lokossou on Sunday to clinch the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa Super featherweight title at the Lebanon House, Tudu in Accra.

Lokossou retired in the seventh round as Akaba cruised to a Technical Knockout (TKO) victory on the main bout of the promotion dubbed: “Only the strong” and put together by Heart of Lions Boxing Promotions.

Akaba, 31, fighting for the first in 12 months was off-colour but gradually warmed himself into the course of the bout. Lokossou, twice loser against the Ghanaian had other things in mind as he opted to entertain the crowd with his body antics.

“I have disciplined him very well and I do not think, he will consider facing me again. I am looking forward to the title,” Akaba said after the bout.

As early as the second round, the ‘Golden Boy’ was in the lead as the Beninoi had no antidote to the flurry of punches visited on his face and body.

Lokossou made a serious impact in the early stages of the third round as he opened fire on his Ghanaian opponent forcing the latter to find solace on the ropes, but did not last.

Cautious-Akaba threw in everything from the fifth round as he attacked from the beginning till the end with the sixth round inclusive. His combination of punches and hooks dazed Lokossou, but he was saved by the bell in both the fifth and sixth rounds.

As expected, the Beninoi bowed out in the seventh round giving the ‘Golden Boy’ his 27th victory of his career.

Akaba was decorated with the title by Andrew Smale, Vice President of WBO Africa assisted by Samir Captan, President of the Ghana Boxing Authority and Godwin Kwame Ahiakpor, Chairman of Heart of Lions Boxing Promotions.

http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Sports/Akaba-wins-WBO-Africa-Super-featherweight/?ci=5&ai=34678

WBO Oriental super bantamweight champion Jessie “The Terminator” Albaracin blasted game challenger Marvin Tampus in an action-packed bout that fight fans enjoyed at the Hoops Dome in Lapu Lapu City, Cebu.

Both fighters went toe-to-toe from the opening bell the with wicked body shots and hooks to the head with the southpaw Albaracin getting the better of the exchanges.

The champion dropped Tampus twice in the third round although one of the knockdowns called by referee Danrex Tapdasan was questionable since Tampus appeared to lose his balance after missing with a wild left hook.

In the fourth round Albaracin battered Tampus with a three-punch combination that sent the challenger through the ropes onto the ring apron where Panamanian boxing writer and fight fan Carlos Costa and ABC 5 public relations man Paul Mata were taking pictures of the action.

The end came in round five when Albaracin dropped Tampus with vicious left hook and then dropped him once more, this time with a right hook and a grazing left. Tampus was in no position to continue as referee Tapdasan counted him out at 1:56 of the round.

With the win, Albaracin improved to 15-3-3 with 13 knockouts while Tampus fell to 27-14-2 with 18 knockouts.

There was a minor controversy over 21-year-old Johnreil Casimero’s TKO win over TI Yamagata Roemart Sentillas when Sentillas’ corner claimed that Casimero, a former WBO light flyweight interim-champion, delivered a hard right after the bell had sounded.

However, a review of the AKTV IBC Channel 13 video showed that Casimero caught Sentillas as the bell sounded which was the ruling by Games and Amusement officials supervising the bout.

The moment Sentillas went down really hard GAB medical personnel rushed into the ring to help him and according to Dr. Rene Bonsubre who is also a writer for philboxing.com said Sentillas told GAB physician Dr. Jose Unabia that he did not want to continue fighting.

Casimero who improved his record to 15-2 with 9 knockouts is on the comeback trail and recently served as sparring partner of former WBO light flyweight champion Ramon “Principle” Garcia Hirales whose trainer Leo Camacho was impressed by Casimero and predicted he would become a world champion if he trains in Mexico where there are a variety of excellent sparring partners.

Garcia Hirales lost his title to Donnie “Ahas” Nietes last October 8 in Bacolod City, Philippines. Nietes had earlier relinquished his WBO minimum weight title to move up in weight and face Garcia Hirales.

Casimero who dropped a twelve round split decision to Garcia Hirales in a WBO interim light flyweight title defense on July 24, 2010 had won the interim crown with a sensational 11th round TKO of Colombia’s KO artist Cesar Canchilla (28-2, 22 KO’s) , dropping him once in round 8 and twice in round 11.

However, in his previous fight Casimero suffered a setback when he lost by a 5th round TKO top IBF flyweight champion Moruti Mthalane in South Africa on March 26 this year.

Another sparring partner of Garcia Hirales, Jason Canoy, knocked out Erwin Pulvera at 1:12 of the first round with a series of vicious hooks to the ribs. The official end came at 1:12. Canoy is another fighter that Camacho predicted had a big future and expressed interest to promoter Sammy Gello-ani of taking both Casimero and Canoy to train for one year in Mexico.

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=44990

Nathan Cleverly did just enough to retain his WBO light-heavyweight title on points at the end of a real war with Tony Bellew.

Liverpudlian Bellew produced the fight of his life in front of his home fans at the Echo Arena, proving he’s more than just a big puncher with a tremendous display of boxing skills that pushed the champion to the limit.

However Cleverly semed to land the cleaner stuff throughout 12 gruelling rounds, meaning he got the nod on a majority verdict.

The Welshman had it 117-112 and 116-113 in his favour from two of the judges at ringside with the third not able to split the pair, marking it 114-114.

They certainly did not disappoint after all the hype in the build-up, which included them nearly coming to blows at a press conference before their scheduled first fight, one which Bellew had to pull out of due to weight issues.

The extra wait proved worth it though and even referee Richie Davies was ready for fireworks from the moment the first bell sounded, warning the challenger within a minute for using his head.

The telling off did not bother Bellew though, and in the second round he loaded up with some big right hands that had his vocal supporters on their feet to cheer him on.

Cleverly responded to the onslaught with a show of defiance, both to his opponent and the crowd, sticking out his tongue and doing a little jig to suggest none of the punches had caused any damage.

Still, he was again on the wrong end of a few in the third, Bellew surprisingly out-jabbing a man who was supposed to have the superior talent of the two.

But by the seventh it appeared Cleverly’s work to the body was beginning to slow down his rival – only for ‘Bomber’ Bellew to get a second wind and pour forward, including landing a straight right in the 10th that would have floored many a man.

In the end, though, Cleverly’s champion pedigree saw him come on strong at the finish, and it was he who looked much the more confident over the outcome when the final bell sounded to end a sensational Anglo-Welsh battle that will leave many calling for a second instalment.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,12183_7244849,00.html

Orlando Cruz le puso fin a 20 meses de inactividad anteanoche, apuntándose un sorpresivo nocaut en un asalto sobre Michael Franco en Kissimmee, Florida.

El zurdo boricua, quien venía de dos derrotas por nocaut – ante Cornelius Lock y Daniel Ponce de León, respectivamente – salió a boxear en reversa. Franco, a su vez, presionaba y buscaba colar sus manos fuertes.

Pero desde el comienzo, y aunque caminaba hacia atrás, Orlando pudo colar con facilidad sus combinaciones jab derecho-recto izquierdo en el rostro de Franco.

Faltando 30 segundos del round inicial, Cruz derribó a su rival con un gancho de derecha. Franco se recuperó de la caída y siguió presionando.

Poco después, Orlando sorprendió al entonces invicto oponente con un izquierdazo al rostro seguido por un potente gancho derecho a la mandíbula que envió a Franco de bruces a la lona, cuando apenas quedaba un segundo en el capítulo inicial.

Cruz, de 30 años, mejoró su marca a 17-2-1, con su octavo triunfo por la vía rápida y obtuvo el título regional Latino de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo en la división pluma. Fue su primera victoria desde el 19 de enero del 2009, cuando noqueó en cinco vueltas al entonces también invicto Leonilo Miranda, en Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Félix ‘Tutito’ Zabala, hijo, promotor del evento, indicó tras el combate que llegó a un acuerdo promocional con el ganador.

Franco, de 24 años, quedó en 19-1, con 12 nocauts.

http://www.elnuevodia.com/orlandoganoenflorida-1093827.html

For weeks, B.J. Flores emphasized that his pursuit of a chance at a WBA, WBO or WBC cruiserweight championship belt would rely on a total destruction in his October homecoming.

After all, the Willard native and former Golden Gloves champion is trying to convince iconic boxing promoter Don King to make his dream come true.

But Flores’ fight Saturday night arguably cast doubt on whether that will happen anytime soon.

Flores needed all 10 scheduled rounds to score a unanimous decision against cruiserweight Paul Jennette before a crowd of roughly 3,000 at the O’Reilly Family Event Center.

Jennette is 43, has not won a fight in two years and is not ranked within the top 100 of any of the top three world sanctioning bodies.

“It was the best I could do tonight,” said Flores, now 26-1-1. “I’d grade it a B-plus. I wanted to knock him out, but I didn’t get the knockout.”

The fight came two months after he signed with King, whose company could breathe life into Flores’ stalled career.

Flores, 32, is nearing his ninth year as a pro, and his fight Saturday was his second independent matchup since ending a contract last year with another promoter.

By signing with King, Flores conceivably could land his dream bout: A shot at a cruiserweight championship belt in either the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Organization or World Boxing Council.

King controls the rights of several cruiserweights, including WBA champion Guillermo Jones.

But two months after announcing Saturday’s fight — promoter Wes Slay said he couldn’t have anything less than a knockout — Flores may still have work to do.

Jennette avoided several of Flores’ roundhouses midway through the bout — it was for the WBA Continental Americas cruiserweight title — by adjusting his body angles and maintaining quality footwork.

It threw off Flores, who said he was forced to shift strategy and began to sense the fight would go deep — despite the crowd cheering for a knockout several times.

“I was very surprised that he was that tough,” Flores said.

Jennette, from Greensboro, N.C., wanted no part of a moral victory.

“I really didn’t feel like I won anything. I wish him the best. I wish he gets the championship fight. He deserves it,” Jennette said.

Flores and Slay for weeks had been adamant that a victory would “guarantee” Flores such a prized matchup.

But their public comments conflict with a representative from Don King Productions, Allan Hopper, who recently told the News-Leader that Flores must work his way to a No. 1 ranking in the WBA, WBC or WBO in order to challenge Jones or one of the other cruiserweight champs.

In boxing, three sanctioning bodies require a mandatory fight every six months to a year between its champion and its No. 1-rated boxer. Flores is ranked No. 4 in the WBO but No. 19 in the WBC and No. 13 in the WBA, in which Jones is champion.

“Maybe that’s what they’re going to tell you (the News-Leader),” Flores said, saying he could be in the top four to face Jones.

Article by: Kary Booher

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20111016/SPORTS03/110160414/A-win-no-knockout-Flores?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

Wladimir Klitschko will defend his WBO/WBA/IBF world heavyweight titles against the former cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck on 10 December at the ESPRIT Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany. .

The Germany-based Ukrainian, who holds several “alphabet” belts and is recognised as the world champion, will face the veteran in Dusseldorf’s Esprit Arena in his first fight since easily beating David Haye in July.

Haye got off the floor to stop Mormeck when they met for the WBC cruiserweight title in France in 2007. Mormeck, 39, has laboured his way to three wins at heavyweight since then and has not stopped an opponent in five years.

Klitschko, 35 and with a record of 56-3 (49 KOs), will be expected to make Mormeck his 50th knockout victim. He said: “I know that I go into every fight as the favourite but I also know that every opponent will be prepared to be at their best against me.

“Mormeck is one of the most experienced opponents I’ve ever faced. He has already competed in numerous world title fights, he’s technically strong, has excellent boxing skills and fights extremely intelligently. To underestimate him would be fatal.”

Mormeck (36-4, 22KO wins) vowed to seize his chance. “I’ve longed for this opportunity. I know I can take it. Unlike against David Haye, when I had him on the ground before losing, I will finish the job now. Wladimir has a glass chin that I will break. He can’t take punches. On 11 December I’ll come home to Paris with a suitcase full of championship belts.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/oct/06/wladimir-klitschko-jean-marc-mormeck?newsfeed=true

A REMATCH between newly crowned World Boxing Organization light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes and Ramon Garcia won’t be happening soon as ALA Promotions is targeting a bigger fight for their prized-fighter.

“We are not looking for a rematch because Donnie clearly won the fight, and it was not a split decision that warrants a rematch as the three judges scored it for Donnie. If you compare it to the (Z) Gorres-(Fernando) Montiel fight, Gorres lost via split decision when some thought that he won but we never demanded a rematch. Also with the (Vic) Darchinyan-Gorres, when Filipino judge Jon Davis scored it for Darchinyan, we respected his decision. But with this fight, Nietes clearly won as he was more accurate as Garcia was throwing rabbit punches and elbows,” ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.

 

Last Saturday night at the University of St. La Salle Gym in Bacolod City in “Pinoy Pride 9”, Garcia’s camp demanded for an immediate rematch after a unanimous decision loss to Nietes, which they believed was a robbery.

 

Nietes’s next fight will be a voluntary title defense possibly in March followed by a possible unification bout with one of the most feared boxers in the light flyweight division–unbeaten World Boxing Association light flyweight king Roman Gonzalez.

 

“We are looking at March for his next fight. What we heard is the team of Roman Gonzalez made it clear that they want to fight Donnie. It’s a fight that Donnie wants.

 

I’m sure the coaches of team Nietes will work on his weaknesses and what went wrong in the middle rounds that will make Donnie more formidable in preparation for the bigger names in his weight division,” said the young Cebuano promoter.

 

Aside from the 24-year-old Gonzalez, which is one of Nietes’ dream opponents, International Boxing Federation light flyweight titleholder Ulises Solis is also in the horizon.

 

Following his victory over Garcia, Nietes has broken into the 108-pound rankings of The Ring Magazine, which is considered as the bible of boxing, at No.8.

 

“We are very proud of Donnie and what he has accomplished. It is nice to know that Donnie is recognized by The Ring Magazine as one of the top fighters of his division,” Nietes made history after winning his second division world title and joined the ranks of fellow Filipino multi-division world champions Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire Jr., Brian Viloria, Dodie Boy Peñalosa, Gerry Peñalosa and Luisito Espinosa.

 

ALA Promotions, Nietes’s handler, isn’t keen on a rematch with the 29-year-old Mexican because the Cebu-based promotional company believes that Nietes won the fight fair and square and deserves to face some of the bigger names in the division

By Edri K. Aznar

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/sports/2011/10/13/ala-turns-down-garcia-s-request-rematch-nietes-184889

 

On December 10, it will be Jean-Marc Mormeck (France) to challenge WBO/WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. Both fighters had a first encounter in the ESPRIT arena, Düsseldorf (Germany) on Wednesday, nearly 8 weeks before their highly anticipated clash.

Former WBA/WBC cruiserweight champion Mormeck appeared very confident and said he knew how to beat Klitschko. “I have overcome every challenge I have set myself in the past. I have tried to win every championship belt in the past and now I have the chance to get them. I am strong enough to do it, I am a warrior in the ring,” he said.

The youngest of the Klitschko brothers will be returning to the ring for the first time since his dominating win against Britain’s David Haye in their unification fight in Hamburg in July. “I don’t want to give him any chance, I want to destroy him”, said Klitschko of his opponent. “I might have a glass jaw, but I will knock you out before you even touch it,” he added in response to claims made by Mormeck recently.

The fight will be broadcast live on RTL in Germany and also shown in 120 countries worldwide. Tickets are available on www.eventim.de and +49- (0)1805 – 12 13 14 with prices starting from 20 Euro

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/klitschko-mormeck-presser-98480

El presidente de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), Francisco “Paco” Valcárcel, anunció que además de los campeones y ex campeones mundiales que estarán presentes durante la semana de la 24ª Convención Anual de la OMB, otras importantes personalidades del pugilismo tendrán diferentes funciones en la actividad, que se llevará a cabo del 24 al 29 de octubre en el Hotel Ritz Carlton de Isla Verde, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

“Tendremos muchas figuras del boxeo, desde el primer día cuando se hará el torneo del golf, donde esperamos a Oscar De La Hoya (ex campeón mundial y ahora promotor), así como otros promotores y figuras del boxeo a nivel mundial”, dijo Valcárcel sobre la Convención del organismo, que se viene celebrando desde 1988. “También, como siempre, tendremos los distintos seminarios, y en el de entrenadores contaremos con Emmanuel Steward, mientras que en el de jueces y árbitros estará Joe Cortez”, añadió.

La Convención contará también con su tradicional cartelera, en la que se medirán los ex campeones mundiales, el puertorriqueño Iván “Iron Boy” Calderón, y el mexicano Raúl “Rayito” García, por el título interino de las 105 libras de la OMB, así como combates de los también ex monarcas del mundo boricuas Wilfredo Vázquez Jr. y Carlos “El Indio” Quintana en una transmisión de DirecTV para Puerto Rico como parte de su serie “Noche de Campeones DirecTV”, que será vista gratis para todos los suscriptores de DirecTV y su canal 161 de On DirecTV.

“El canal TV Azteca también estará transmitiendo la cartelera, que contará con la participación de muchos peleadores clasificados por diferentes títulos, y una pelea de féminas”, agregó Valcárcel. “Será una semana llena de boxeo la que tendremos del 24 al 29 de octubre”, remarcó.

TRANSMISIÓN POR EL BOXING CHANNEL

Por otro lado, Valcárcel también informó que los trabajos de la 24ª Convención de la OMB serán transmitidos por el Boxing Channel ( www.boxingchannel.tv ).

Más detalles sobre las diferentes actividades de la 24ª Convención Anual de la OMB, las peleas en la cartelera y su transmisión se estarán brindando próximamente.

Se espera la presencia, además, de entrenadores, manejadores, promotores, oficiales, así como figuras del ambiente político, social y cultural de Puerto Rico y de otros países. Además del programa boxístico mundial y de las actividades en distintos puntos, se discutirán, como todos los años, diversos temas de interés, reglamentos y clasificaciones, entre otros.

Artículo escrito por www.NotiFight.com

Nathan Cleverly, 22-0 (11), makes the maiden defence of his WBO
light-heavyweight title at Liverpool’s Echo Arena this Saturday night.  His
opponent, Tony Bellew, hails from Liverpool and has spent the last few months
trying to get under Cleverly’s skin as he bids to net his first professional
world belt.  Some have enjoyed Bellew’s aggressive approach, others believe that
‘Bomber’ is trying to bully his opponent and will pay for it on the night.
Cleverly insists that he is not the type to wilt under verbal or physical
pressure.

“I’m very competitive,” confirmed Cleverly when speaking to BoxingScene.com.
“I had a bit of insecurity in the past that was probably installed as a
youngster.  A little bit of bullying went on.  I either go into a shell or fight
my way out of it.  I chose to stand strong.  I don’t want to give in to those
kind of people.”

Bellew was in the frame for a crack at Cleverly in May when then-WBO titlist
Juergen Braehmer failed to turn up for his mandatory title defence in a move
that prompted a furious search for a replacement.

Things really kicked into gear when Tony contacted this site to confirm that
he was up for the clash only for the BBBoC to veto the bout due to worries over
Tony’s ability to safely make the weight at such short notice.  It was a major
disappointment for both men, especially after an impromptu slanging match at the
presser announcing Cleverly-Bellew lit the torch paper on a domestic grudge
match.

Five months on, and Cleverly still believes that Bellew’s insistence that he
would outman the champion in a ‘street battle’ could be proven to be wide of the
mark if Nathan opts to engage in a dog fight.

“It could do end up going that way,” his answer to the question of whether
things could get rough.  “I try not to get emotionally involved, stick to a
gameplan.  I can make it an easy night’s work or a hard night’s work for
myself.  As soon as the bell goes I’ll know what kind of fight it will be and
I’ll go on my instinct.

“This rivalry has been gradually brewing over the year.  I suppose it all
ignited at the press conference in May.  After Braehmer had pulled out, Tony was
making phone calls to Frank Warren and Sky TV saying, ‘I want to take this
fight’.  Tony said he could make the weight no problem.  In reality he was never
going to make it and he led everyone up the wrong path.  Both of us have said a
lot, the fight is here now and in a way it’s good to have a bit of needle.”

Cleverly has picked up Commonwealth, British and EBU titles en route to his
world crown, beating established European names such as Antonio Brancalion, Karo
Murat and Nadjib Mohammedi whilst Bellew has struggled in two of his title
bouts, against Bob Ajisafe and Ovill McKenzie (in their first meeting)
respectively.  Pundits gave Bellew little chance when this one was made, that
little slice of optimism over Tony’s odds stems from Nathan’s perceived lack of
respect for Bellew.

Nathan denies this, revealing that he has a healthy amount of admiration for
the three-time ABA medallist.  “I think it is a step forward, really.  Although
Tony Bellew is just on the British scene with his titles potentially he can go
further.  It’s a fight that people want to see, TV are very interested in the
fight and it had to happen.

“Light-heavyweight’s one of the strongest divisions out there.  With myself
and Tony that’s a good British rivalry for the public.  There are some really
good American names and there’s five names that really stand out.”

Carl Froch recently intimated that Bellew could be in with a chance of
victory, pointing out that Cleverly’s a puppy in world title terms and claiming
that, “I can’t see Cleverly hearing the final bell”, during a recent interview
with BoxingScene’s Shaun Brown.  Whilst dismissive of Froch’s comments, Cleverly
believes they have added extra spice to another big showdown should Froch step
up to 175lbs during 2012.

“Part of me asks is it really 100% genuine?” his verdict on Carl’s comment.
“Is it because he’s sparring Bellew, maybe he’s gotten a bit friendly with
Bellew and he’s trying to stand up for him?  There’s no real issue for me.  When
I fought [Danny] McIntosh he was sparring Froch and holding his own – it ended
up a really comfortable night’s work for me.  I take it as a positive that a
fighter of Froch’s standard is sparring my opponent.”

He added: “Obviously with that statement it adds spice to a potential fight
in the future.  Providing I’m still going it’s a fight that makes sense.”

The Cefn Frorest man’s aggressive all-action fighting style belies his
intelligence.  Cleverly may like a bit of machismo in the ring yet he is a
calculating thinker outside it, earning a degree in mathematics whilst still
learning the ropes.

“It was definitely a challenge, especially during exam time.  The workload
was unbelievable.  My sleep pattern wasn’t really the best because of my
nocturnal hours.  My diet wasn’t as sharp as it should have been,” Cleverly’s
recollection of straddling a nascent fistic career with his student days.

“It was demanding and there were times when I wanted to focus on just the one
thing.  The mental strain of it was heavy, demanding and physically it was tough
to remain undefeated in the ring.  There was a time where I was tempted to leave
boxing.  Get a good job, a good living and not bother with it but I dug deep and
when I won the Commonwealth title against [Tony] Oakey it was an indication for
me that I could go far and win titles.

“I was burning the candle at both ends – I didn’t do too bad when it came to
women either!  I lived in the city centre when I was in Uni, the halls of
residence was like a holiday camp and the following year I lived with some mates
in a house, they were probably the best years of my life.  But there comes a
point where I had to stop something.  For the last two years I got my head down,
moved back home and told myself, ‘Let’s be a winner and do it 100%’.”

The Welshman has not boxed in Wales since 2007, winning and defending titles
on the road is par for the course for boxing’s version of Jack Kerouac.  Nathan
is a firm believer in the ‘A ring is a ring’ school of thought, although he
intends to return to his home country sometime soon.

“I’ve been on the road a lot in different venues in the UK.  When Joe
Calzaghe retired there wasn’t really a depth in Welsh boxing, we’d need a strong
welsh undercard for me to headline shows.  It’s only now developing.  Bit by bit
behind the scenes I’ve been building my reputation and me fighting in Wales is
just around the corner.

“The Echo is the perfect capacity for a fight for me and Bellew.  It’s not
ideal me fighting away but I’ve been doing it for the last nine fights.  So
there’s less pressure.  It means that there’s no real expectation on me as there
would be from a home crowd to put on a show.  I’m looking forward to the
challenge and silencing his fans.”

British boxing fans need to make the most of Cleverly, he already has one eye
on stepping away from the sport once he has secured his own legacy, with the
24-year-old arguing that he is six years or even six fights away from having put
the seal on his career.

“I can’t see me being in the sport past thirty. I turned pro at eighteen and
everything was accelerated.  I developed a professional style very quickly.  I
was brought up with a professional attitude.  Another five fights or six fights,
get big names on my record, and earn a lot of money in these fights,” Cleverly’s
prediction of his future career trajectory.

By Terence Dooley, Cleverly quotes provided by Shaun Brown

French boxer Jean-Marc Mormeck said on Wednesday he is confident that he can
beat current WBO/IBF/WBA title holder Wladimir Klitschko in their heavyweight
bout on December 10.

“I have overcome every challenge I have set myself in the past,” said the
veteran fighter, born on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.

“I have tried to win every championship belt in the past and now I have the
chance to get them. I am strong enough to do it, I am a warrior in the ring,” he
added during a press conference here in Dusseldorf.

It is in this west German city that 39-year-old Mormeck will face Klitschko,
35, in December.

The youngest of the Klitschko brothers will be returning to the ring for the
first time since his comprehensive win against Britain’s David Haye in their
unification fight in Hamburg in July. “I don’t want to give him any chance, I want to destroy him,” said the Ukrainian-born, but German-based, Klitschko of his opponent.”I might have a glass jaw, but I will knock you out before you even touch it,” he added in response to claims made by Mormeck recently. Klitschko has 56 career wins, including 49 knock-outs, to just three defeats. Former WBA cruiserweight champion Mormeck is the current North American heavyweight champion. He has a 36-4 record, with 22 knock-outs. He will be the first Frenchman to dispute a heavyweight title since Lucien Rodriguez in 1983.

Article
Link – http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=44866#ixzz1agxfEJ6k

Timothy Bradley began boxing at age 10. As an amateur, Bradley had a great record, including over 140 amateur bouts. He won titles at the PAL National Tournament, and became the Under 19 National Tournament Champion and the Jr. Golden Gloves Champion.

Bradley was also a two-time National Champion and before turning professional was ranked 3rd in the nation. Bradley started his professional career in August of 2004 against Francisco Martinez in Corona, California with a TKO in the 2nd round. His won his first title in 2005 when he defeated Francisco Rincon by unanimous decision and claimed the vacant WBC Youth Welterweight Title.

Bradley made four successful title defenses, and in 2008 won his first world title by defeating Junior Witter by split decision to claim the WBC Jr. Welterweight title. After one successful defense, Bradley went on to unify the titles by defeating Kendall Holt by unanimous decision. He was now the WBO/WBC Jr. Welterweight

Champion. In January 2011, Bradley had his most notable win when he defeated then undefeated Jr. Welterweight champ Devon Alexander. When asked why he is known as “Desert Storm”, Bradley explains he offers his opponents and his fans an all-out war each time he steps in the ring and this was a great way to honor all the service men and women that have successfully defended our country.

REGIONAL TITLES:

1. WBC Youth World Jr. Welterweight Champion

WORLD TITLES:

1. WBC Jr. Welterweight Champion (twice)

2. WBO Jr. Welterweight Champion


(Thailand) won 80 (KO 44) + lost 3 (KO 1) + drawn 1 = 84 rounds boxed 545 KO% 52.38

Early years at Light Flyweight

Arce turned pro at the age of 16, winning his first four fights. He lost to future champion Omar Romero and drew with Gabriel Munoz in back-to-back fights in the summer of 1996, but then won 10 straight bouts and a pair of regional belts before losing on points to veteran (and future IBF light flyweight champion) Jose Victor Burgos on December 12, 1997.

He recovered from that setback with four straight wins, earning his first world title shot on December 4, 1998 against Juan Domingo Córdoba for the WBO light-flyweight title. Arce won the fight and became a world champion at the age of 19.

After making one successful defense of his title, Arce drew a big-money fight in Tijuana against three-time former champion Michael Carbajal on July 31, 1999. Arce was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards after 10 rounds, but in the 11th, the veteran Carbajal connected with a stunning right hand and captured the crown via a technical knockout, as Arce was unable to continue.

After a four-month layoff, Arce returned to the ring and won a WBO regional belt as he scored 7 consecutive wins while working his way back up the rankings for another title shot. That came on October 20, 2001, when he defeated Juanito Rubillar for the interim WBC version of the light flyweight title. Nine months later, he beat Yo-Sam Choi, the reigning champion who had been out with an injury, to take full distinction. He held the title until the summer of 2005 before relinquishing it to move up in weight. In his first defense, he defeated Augustin Lara. In 2003, he successfully defended his title three times against Ernesto Castro, Lee Marvin Sandoval, and Melchor Cob Castro.

Towards the end of 2003, he participated in the Televisa version of Big Brother, the Big Brother V.I.P. show that put celebrities together. He arrived in third place, then went training for his next defense, against former world champion Joma Gamboa on January 10 of the following year. Arce invited his Big Brother celebrity friends to the fight with Gamboa, his first fight of 2004, which he won by a second round knockout. But during and after the fight, chaos ensued. One of his friends, actress Arleth Gonzalez, was kicked off her chair by another person. And Verónica Castro was pursued by the press when she was trying to leave the fight site, taking her more than two hours to get to the site’s parking lot.

On April 24, 2004, Arce successfully defended his title in a rematch against former champ Melchor Cob Castro in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. Arce had beaten Castro in May 2003, but the fight was called off after six rounds due to a clash of heads which injured Arce. The fight went to the scorecards and Arce won a narrow, but controversial, decision. He left no doubt in the rematch, knocking Castro out in the fifth round.

On September 4 of that same year, he retained the title with a twelve-round decision in a rematch with Rubillar. The fight caused some controversy afterwards, when Rubillar’s manager accused the fight’s judges of robbing his fighter, going on to offer Arce 100,000 dollars for a rematch, which would be held in the Philippines.

Arce moved on to defend his title for a seventh time on December 18, defeating Juan Centeno by a third-round TKO. He then decided to try his luck in the flyweight (112-pound) weight division.

Flyweight

On March 19, 2005, Arce stopped Hussein Hussein in the 10th round of a fight for the right to challenge Pongsaklek Wonjongkam for his WBC flyweight title. He later relinquished his light-flyweight crown, and was matched by the WBC with Angel Priolo on July 30 for their interim title after Wonjongkam suffered an injury. Arce scored a third-round TKO win in the fight, held in La Paz, Mexico.

While waiting to fight Wongjongkam, Arce stayed busy by rematching Hussein on October 8 in Las Vegas. He retained his WBC interim title with a second-round knockout.

On December 16, 2005, Arce defeated former two time champion Adonis Rivas by 10th round tko. In his next bout, Arce defeated Rivas in a rematch.

On April 8, 2006, Arce took on the well regarded, former WBA world Strawweight and Light-Flyweight champion Rosendo Alvarez of Nicaragua, knocking Alvarez out in the sixth round. It was the 4th successful defense of his interim flyweight title.

Super Flyweight

On September 23, 2006, he moved up to the super-flyweight division where he defeated former light flyweight champion Masibulele “Hawk” Makepula by fourth round knockout (which, according to the HBO commentators, he had predicted earlier). On January 27, 2007, he defeated Argentinian Julio Ler in a 12-round decision, thus earning the WBC #1 super-flyweight ranking.

On April 14, 2007, he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to WBC super flyweight champion Cristian Mijares in San Antonio, Texas. Mijares won the fight by a wide margin, with the official judges scoring the match 119-109, 118-110, 117-111, all in favor of Mijares.

Arce rebounded from the loss by defeating future champion Tomás Rojas by 6th round technical knockout. On December 1, 2007, Arce defeated former flyweight champion Medgoen Singsurat by technical knockout in the first round.

On May 17, 2008, in a very close fight, Arce (49-4-1, 37 KOs) edged Devid Lookmahanak of Thailand (18-2, 9 KOs) with a majority decision in the main event at the Plaza Monumental Aguascalientes in Aguascalientes, Mexico. With a sold-out crowd of 18,000 fans cheering him on, Arce had to dig deep and work hard to pull past the once-beaten Lookmahanak, who turned out to be a very game southpaw and rarely took a step back. The difference in the fight, which also gave Arce the win, was a knockdown in the seventh round. The scores were 115-113, 115-114 and 114-114. Without the extra point for the knockdown, the fight would have been scored a draw. The bout was an eliminator for a shot at the WBC super flyweight title. Arce moves on to a rematch with Cristian Mijares, who earlier captured the WBA’s version of the title with a points win over Alexander Munoz.

On September 15, 2008, Arce won the WBA interim super flyweight title from holder Rafael Concepción.

Arce blasted former champion Isidro García‎, on November 1, 2008, via (48 seconds of the) 4th round technical knockout for a super flyweight belt. He improved to 51-4-1, with 38 wins inside the distance, while Garcia, who has lost 3 of his last 4 fights, was down to 25-6-2.

On February 7, 2009, Arce was defeated by undisputed super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan.

Arce fought Simphiwe Nongqayi on September 15, 2009 for the IBF super flyweight title which was recently vacated by Darchinyan. However, he ended losing by unanimous decision.

Arce defeated Indonesian Angky Angkota on January 30, 2010, winning the vacant WBO junior bantamweight title.[4] Prior to the bout, Arce stated that he would retire from boxing if he woild have lost.

Bantamweight

On April 24, 2010, Arce jumped to the bantamweight division to fight fellow Mexican Cecilio Santos (24-13-3; 14 KO) at the Centro de Usos Multiples in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. Arce defeated his opponent by KO in the 7th round, improving his record to 54-6-1. This was not his first fight as a bantamweight: he already fought once in the weight class in 2007.

Arce was scheduled to fight Eric Morel (42-2; 21 KO) of Puerto Rico on June 26, 2010 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, United States with the interim WBO bantamweight title at stake. The Los Mochis native withdrew from the fight a few weeks in advance due to a cut he received while in training.

In his next fight, on July 31, 2010, Arce took on fellow Mexican and former champion Martín “El Gallo” Castillo at the Palenque de la Feria in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. The Los Mochis native won the bout by KO in the first round.