Burns vs. Gonzalez this Saturday, May 11th in Scotland

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO- World Boxing Organization (WBO), by president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, announced today the referee and judges who will work this Saturday, May 11, in the lightweight world title fight between the champion Ricky Burns and the #1 ranked Jose “Chelo” Gonzalez to be held at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, in a Matchroom Boxing presentation.

For the bout where Scottish Burns (35-2, 10 KOs) will defend for the third time his 135 pounds WBO title against Gonzalez (22-0, 17 KOs), from Puerto Rico, the referee will be Russell Mora, from United States.

Meanwhile, the judges for the Burns-Gonzalez fight will be Lisa Giampa, Julie Lederman and Glenn Feldman, all three from United States.

The WBO supervisor for this fight will be Markus Aslani, from Germany.

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2013/05/burns-vs-gonzalez-this-saturday/

By Scott Gilfoid: –

WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s) is flying blind going into his title defense this month against unbeaten #1 WBO Jose Gonzalez (22-0, 17 KO’s) on May 11th at the Emirates Arena, in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Burns, 30, has seen very little of Gonzalez’s fights because there’s so little footage out there for him.

This means that Burns is stepping into the unknown against the hard hitting Puerto Rican Gonzalez, and that’s not what you want when you’re a light puncher like Burns because Gonzalez has the kind of power where he can take the judges out of the picture by knocking Burns out and rendering Burns’ hometown advantage meaningless.

Burns said to fightnews.com “His knockout ratio doesn’t concern me at all, When I fought [Roman] Martinez he was knocking everybody out and after the first round when I got caught clean I was fine.”

There’s a big difference between the weight drained Roman Martinez and the hard hitting Gonzalez in terms of power. Martinez was weight drained when he fought Burns three years ago in losing by a close 12 round unanimous decision in Scotland. Gonzalez won’t be weight drained and he’s a much harder puncher with either hand compared to Martinez.

The fights I’ve seen of his, I’ve been very impressed with his power. Gonzalez doesn’t have to throw many punches to knock his opponents out. He generally lands one big shot with either hand and his opponents are in deep trouble.

You can say that Gonzalez’s opposition hasn’t been that great, but you can also say the same thing about Burns. He’s faced some pretty awful fighters even while he’s held the WBO super featherweight and lightweight titles.

Gonzalez’s best opponents thus far are Joseph Laryea, Eddie Soto, and Fernando Trejo. Gonzalez destroyed Laryea in a 3rd round TKO last year in July. This is the same fighter that Burns stopped in the 7th round. As you can see, Gonzalez took him out much faster than Burns. That suggests that Gonzalez has major power that could give Burns a lot of trouble.

The thing with Burns is he does a heck of a lot of holding and running when facing a big puncher. Look at his wins over Michael Katsidis and Paulus Moses. Burns was all over both of them, holding on for dear life, and running like no tomorrow.

It was so painful to watch both of those fights because you’re just wondering why the referees were letting Burns hold so much without taking off points in both fights. If you were to make a film in how to not fight, those fights would be perfect examples because those were good fights to get you ready to go to sleep or turn the channel to something more interesting.

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2013/05/burns-not-worried-about-jose-gonzalezs-power/

Ukrainian heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (L) hits Italian-born challenger Francesco Pianeta during their IBO, IBF, WBO, WBA title fight in Mannheim. Picture: Daniel Rowland Source: AFP

–WORLD heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko has defended his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts, outclassing challenger Francesco Pianeta with a sixth-round knockout to register the 60th win of his career.

Although German-Italian Pianeta, who survived testicular cancer three years ago, came into the bout undefeated from 29 fights, he was outclassed by the 37-year-old champion at Mannheim in south-west Germany.

“I want to thank my opponent. There are a lot of challengers who talk a lot, but he got in the ring and fought bravely,” said Klitschko.

After Pianeta fought on, despite first hitting the canvas in the fourth round, the champion paid further tribute to the challenger’s courage.

Ukrainian heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (L) hits Italian-born challenger Francesco Pianeta during their IBO, IBF, WBO, WBA title fight in Mannheim. Picture: Daniel Rowland Source: AFP

“After the battle he has had against cancer, he deserves respect,” said Klitschko.

“He tried everything to hit me. If he had landed one of his big punches, I wouldn’t have got up.”

Pianeta made an ambitious start with one huge right-hand coming over the top of Klitschko’s guard but failing to connect, while the champion responded with two heavy jabs which found their target.

Klitschko relied on his jab in the opening three rounds as the challenger landed several heavy shots, but a big right from the Ukrainian put Pianeta on the floor in the fourth round.

From then on, the challenger was struggling to stay in the fight and, although he showed plenty of heart by fighting on, he was down again in the fifth, but managed to survive the count.

With his coordination compromised, it was only a matter of time before the fight was brought to an end.

With his trainer ready to throw in the towel, Pianeta did not come up again after hitting the canvas after 2mins 52 seconds of the sixth round following a brutal left-right combination which floored him.

“I’m ok, just very disappointed and sad,” added Pianeta after receiving treatment in the ring.

Ukrainian heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (L) hits Italian-born challenger Francesco Pianeta during their IBO, IBF, WBO, WBA title fight in Mannheim. Picture: Daniel Rowland Source: AFP

Victory gave Klitschko the 51st knockout of his career, but the last of his three defeats came nearly a decade ago.

For his next fight, Klitschko has been ordered by the World Boxing Association to face Russia’s Alexander Povetkin in Moscow on August 31.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/more-sport/wladimir-klitschko-defends-four-belts-against-francesco-pianeta/story-e6frfglf-1226635391257

B:  Mike Chiari

Boxing fans and pundits everywhere fully expected Wladimir Klitschko to successfully retain his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring Heavyweight Championships against Francesco Pianeta on Saturday, and that is precisely what happened as “Dr. Steelhammer” won by way of sixth-round knockout.

The fight, which was staged at SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany, had a party atmosphere and was packed to the guilds. Klitschko simply has that type of drawing power in Europe, as David Haye so eloquently put it for ESPN UK.

Pianeta entered the fight with an impressive 28-0-1 record, but many of his victories were over low-level talent or former stars past their prime such as Oliver McCall and Francois Botha. Klitschko was the bigger man as he always is and he used the height and weight advantage to perfection.

With the win, Klitschko picked up his 60th career victory — 52nd by knockout — and was successful in a title defense for the 14th consecutive time. According to ESPN Boxing, Klitschko has now won the third-most world heavyweight title fights of all time with 21.

Here is how each of the six rounds broke down as Klitschko was dominant yet again, but Pianeta showed plenty of heart ind defeat.

Round 1

Klitschko and Pianeta set the stage for a cat-and-mouse affair in the first round as there was plenty of gamesmanship involved. The Italian challenger attempted to get inside and land some meaningful punches, but the 6’6″ Klitschko used his jab to hold Pianeta at bay.

Whenever Klitschko landed a couple strong blows in a row, Pianeta made sure to wrap him up and prevent further damage. While neither man was overly impressive in the round, the champion clearly looked better.

Round 2

Klitschko had his way with Pianeta in the second round as he measured him with his left hand constantly and landed right hands up the middle. He seemed to rock Pianeta at one point as the challenger backed into the ropes, but Pianeta gestured toward his arm to suggest that Dr. Steelhammer didn’t hurt him.

Although Pianeta tried to battle back, he couldn’t break through with anything of note. There wasn’t as much clutching and grabbing, as Pianeta was more aggressive but it didn’t work to his advantage.

Round 3

Although Klitschko was once again the better fighter in the third round, Pianeta acquitted himself much better. Rather than waiting around and allowing the champion to pick him apart, Pianeta started to throw more punches. Most of Pianeta’s attempts were wild bombs, but he did manage to catch Klitschko flush in the side of the face with a left-hook haymaker.

Klitschko didn’t appear to be hurt, but it did seem to surprise him. If nothing else, it probably woke him up a bit and reminded him that he needed to be careful with a power puncher like Pianeta.

Round 4

Pianeta hit the canvas twice in the fourth round, but he was able to survive Klitschko’s barrage. The first came early in the round, but it was ruled a slip. Klitschko caught him with a strong right a little while later, however, for the first knockdown of the fight. Pianeta looked more frustrated than hurt as he got back to his feet.

Klitschko backed Pianeta into a corner, but rather than going for the kill, he seemed to back off over the final 30 seconds or so. He probably could have finished Pianeta off, but he decided to play it safe with a big lead.

Round 5

Klitschko knocked Pianeta down once again in the fifth, but the challenger found a way to make it to the sixth round. Pianeta wasn’t rattled by the knockdown, but his will appeared to be broken as he went in defense mode for the rest of the round. Rather than trying to battle back, he was simply trying to survive.

There were one or two occasions when Pianeta tried a couple wild haymakers, and he was lucky that Klitschko didn’t make him pay. It was hard to imagine that Pianeta could go on like this for much longer than he already had.

Round 6

After playing with fire for a few rounds, Pianeta finally got burned in the sixth. The challenger did everything he could to mount a comeback, but Klitschko’s reach was too much to overcome. In fact, his constant measuring with his left hand was illegal, yet the official never made him stop. Even so, it’s unlikely that Pianeta could have done much against the champion.

Klitschko seemed to knock the wind out of Pianeta with a body shot and then he finished him off with a combination. Pianeta was clearly dazed, but he tried to get to his feet anyway with help from the ropes. He seemed willing to continue, but the referee did the right thing by stopping it.

It was blatantly obvious throughout the fight that Klitschko had the upper hand and was landing the better punches, but everything was truly put into perspective by CompuBox. According to the statistics, Klitschko landed over 90 more punches than Pianeta did over the course of the bout.

Pianeta often had to resort to wild haymakers due to Klitschko’s length advantage, and very few of them ultimately landed. The challenger only connected with one loud shot, but he was unable to follow it up with anything of note, so Klitschko pressed forward.

Despite being 37 years of age, Klitschko continues to dominate the moribund heavyweight division. There don’t seem to be any viable contenders out there, so it will be interesting to see what Klitschko does moving forward.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1628999-wladimir-klitschko-vs-francesco-pianeta-round-by-round-highlights-and-recap

By Scott Christ –

Photo:  Dennis Grombkowski –

By:  Scott Christ –

Mikey Garcia will defend his WBO featherweight title against Juan Manuel Lopez in Dallas.

According to Mikey Garcia via Twitter, with a photograph of the contract dated May 1, Garcia will defend his WBO featherweight title on June 15 at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, against Juan Manuel Lopez.

Garcia vs Lopez has been discussed plenty since Mikey’s January win over Orlando Salido, but there was always the belief that the fight would take place at a 128-pound catchweight. The contract clearly states it will be a title fight, with the max weight the divisional limit of 126 pounds.

Garcia (31-0, 26 KO) has thus far been terrific as a pro, and his win over Salido — though cut short due to injury — was a pretty thorough clinic for the majority of the eight rounds it lasted, with Salido down four times and just totally outboxed by the younger man.

Lopez (33-2, 30 KO) is an extremely entertaining fighter, though not the elite talent he was hyped as being during his younger days. Now 29 (and turning 30 on June 30th), Lopez is a known quantity. He’s strong, he’s all-action, and he’s got enormous defensive flaws. Both of his losses came in brutal slugfests against Salido, who stopped him in both 2011 and 2012.

Since the second loss to Salido, Lopez has won two straight, scoring easy wins over Aldimar Silva Santos and Eugenio Lopez.

http://www.badlefthook.com/2013/5/1/4292122/mikey-garcia-vs-juan-manuel-lopez-reportedly-done-june-15-2013-hbo-boxing-news

Mannheim, Germany – Undefeated challenger and cancer survivor Francesco Pianeta has vowed to shock undisputed world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko when the pair meet on Saturday night with the Ukrainian’s four world titles on the line.

The 37-year-old Klitschko will defend his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts in Mannheim, south-west Germany, against German-Italian Pianeta, from Gelsenkirchen, who survived testicular cancer three years ago and has an unblemished record of 28 wins and one draw.

“I will bust my backside to get those belts. I am sure that everyone is beatable,” said the 28-year-old Pianeta, who has a tattoo bearing Julius Caesar’s famous phrase “veni, vidi, vici” – “I came, I saw, I conquered”.

Klitschko is looking for the 60th win of his career and having put in 143 sparring rounds in preparation, he said he is ready.

“I’m as ready as I always am, but I will not underestimate him,” said Klitschko, who has used Pianeta as a sparring partner in previous years and has a record of 59 wins, 50 KOs, and three loses.

“It is the opportunity of a lifetime and he has already won his toughest fight, because he has defeated cancer.”

A crowd of 13,000 is expected in Mannheim and the fight will be broadcast in 150 countries, but Klitschko wants a quick knock-out.

“I will give everything for a clear win,” he said.

A Klitschko victory, and one for ‘regular’ WBA belt-holder Alexander Povetkin of Russia, would see the pair meet in Moscow on August 31 at the city’s 60,000-seater Olympic Hall.

Russian promoter Vladimir Hryunov won the purse bid to stage that bout with a staggering $23.33 million bid last week.

As the real champion, the Ukrainian is entitled to 75 percent of that figure, which would give him a career-high $17,250,000 purse.

Confusingly, Povetkin is the ‘regular’ WBA champion and Klitschko the organisation’s ‘super’ champion – an honour bestowed on him when he united the WBA belt to his three others following a victory against David Haye in 2011 – but they are obliged to fight in order to leave just a single WBA belt-holder.

The two former Olympic champions were due to clash twice before but Povetkin pulled out in 2008 because of injury and then backed out inexplicably a second time in 2010.

Klitschko has banned any questions about the possible Povetkin fight – ”I am not going to answer any more questions on this subject. That would be disrespectful to Francesco” – and has said his dream is to fight at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Having won super-heavyweight gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games, Klitschko will have turned 40 by the time the next Summer Olympics come round, but the World Association of Amateur Boxers (AIBA) has not ruled out the idea, even though he will be too old to fight under the current rules.

“The AIBA has heard the dream of Wladimir Klitschko,” AIBA spokesman Sebastien Gillot told SID, an AFP subsidiary.

http://www.boxingscene.com/w-klitschko-says-he-not-underestimating-pianeta–65047

Wladimir Klitschko and Francesco Pianeta held their open work out at the Olympics Training Center in Heidelberg (Germany). Over 800 fans showed up to watch both fighters showing off their boxing skills in preparation for their heavyweight championship fight this Saturday, May 4. IBF, WBA, WBO, IBO and “Ring Magazine” Champion Klitschko and his contender Francesco Pianeta will face off at the SAP arena in Mannheim, Germany.

The fight will be shown live on RTL in Germany. EPIX will show the fight in the US.

Remaining tickets for the fight night are available on www.saparena.de and via phone under +49-621-18190-333.

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2013/03/burns-v-gonzales/

Photo/google images/www.thesun.co.uk

By Stevie Ocallaghan: –

On May 11 at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland’s Ricky Burns defends his WBO Lightweight title against arguably his toughest opponent since he first won a world title in beating Roman Martinez back in September 2010.

Puerto Rican Jose Chelo Gonzalez, who comes to the ring with an impressive 22-0 with 17 stoppages is arguably taking a big step up in facing Burns but as the mandatory , deserves his chance.

Gonzalez is a huge puncher who moves really well and likes to keep a tight guard. He doesn’t waste many punches and he likes to walk opponents down. He is similar shape to Burns, big for the weight and very physically strong. It’s a good match-up.

Burns, since his win against Martinez has went from strength to strength , beating the likes of the rugged Michael Katsidis, the big hitting former champ Paulus Moses and then the impressive 4th round destruction of Kevin Mitchell. Burns is in good form himself.

It’s a good fight arguably for both as its a fight Gonzales will like, Burns isn’t the hardest to hit, but he does possess a solid chin, and Gonzalez will fancy knocking Burns out.

Burns will like this also as he has a proven track record at a higher level than Gonzalez. Burns is the ultimate professional in the way way he trains and realistically I don’t think there is a fitter fighter out there. Burns will count on his workrate to get the job done.

Both guys are 29 years old but Burns has far more experience against a higher level of fighter. Burns is 2″ taller at 5’10″ but Gonzalez has a 3″ longer reach. Both have a common denominator in Joseph Laryea. Laryea against Burns retired at the end of seven hard round with a suspected broken knuckle. At the time Buns was handily ahead. Gonzales stopped Laryea at the end of the 3rd but Laryea’s best days are now gone.

My only critic of Gonzalez opponents are that most of his fights where against guys who were on their way down, but I suppose you could say that about some of Burns’s opponents before he got the Martinez fight.
It’s a good match-up, but I can see Burns taking it on a UD. I think his big game experience will come through in the end, but in boxing you just never know.

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2013/03/burns-v-gonzales/

Wladimir Klitschko’s fight with Francesco Pianeta is live on ESPN this Saturday. Click here for details on how to subscribe

Wladimir Klitschko has vowed not to underestimate Francesco Pianeta on Saturday night – but promises to teach the Italian a lesson in the ring.

The Ukrainian puts his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles on the line in Mannheim, Germany, on May 4, but has refused to take his challenger lightly despite being the heavy favourite to emerge victorious from the contest.

“I don’t want to and I won’t underestimate Francesco Pianeta,” Klitschko, who has produced 50 knockouts throughout his career, insisted. “I have prepared how I’ve should, because I know what to expect.”

Pianeta – based in Germany – has yet to lose in 29 bouts, and Klitschko is wary of the threat the 28-year-old will pose, but is determined to extinguish his opponent’s hopes of triumphing on the night.

“He’s a young chap who of course doesn’t know his limits. They have to be shown to him in the ring,” Klitschko added.

Klitschko enters the ring for the first time since November where he defeated Mariusz Wach by a unanimous decision, and “Dr Steelhammer” revealed he finds himself in a situation he has grown accustomed to since establishing himself as the champion he is.

“He’s very ambitious I understand. I was in the same skin and this is familiar to me, and therefore what is in his head and in his team’s is that this is the chance of his life, and of course he’ll give everything to win this fight,” he said.

“This is familiar to me, and as I’ve already said, I have been through this and seen it in others who have fought against me. They see the weaknesses in themselves, and I wish them luck with that.”

Jinju, KOREA–World Boxing Organization (WBO) female minimumweight world champion Su-Yun Hong of South Korea impressively retained her world crown with a fifth round technical knockout victory here over game Thai challenger Kuanern OneSongchai Gym.

The win improved Hong’s unblemished record to 8 wins with 1 KO in her first defense of the world title he won by dethroning another Thai Teeraporn Pannimit last year in Macao, China.

“The champion proved too much. She was just too good today,” said fight supervisor Leon Panoncillo in an interview at ringside, after the referee stopped the bout sensing the Thai was in clear danger had the fight dragged on.

OneSongchai Gym took the first round by outboxing the tentative reigning champion, but as soon as the second round started, Hong took off like a house on fire, taking the challenger to school with a variety of shots to the head and body.

The Thai’s trainer Michael Du, in a separate interview, said his fighter was in no shape to continue, and accepted the referee’s fine verdict.

This city hopes to promote more WBO fights in the future, and most likely, prodigious Korean banger Mino Kim will be tapped to headline the next event.

“The WBO is made up of very professional officials and supervisor. We want to have their belt. The officials don’t give us any problem, and they are always on time for scheduled meetings and other activities. The best so far,” said Korean Boxing Commission’s Aaron Jang.

http://philboxing.com/news/story-82787.html

By:  Eddie Alinea –

Manila(PNA) – Newly-crowned World Boxing Organization mini-flyweight champion Merlito Sabillo, plans to stay in the 105-pound division throne as long as he can.

“I will focus hard in training so I can keep my title,” said Sabillo, who in winning the crown, became one of the only three remaining world boxing champions following successive defeats suffered by his more illustrious compatriots Manny Pacquiao, Brian Viloria and Nonito Donaire Jr.

Sabillo knocked out Colombian Luis dela Rosa in the eighth round in his first overseas fight at the Coliseo Mario de León in Cerete, Colombia last March 9. It was for the interim title, and after Moises Fuentes moved up in weight and vacated the crown, the WBO decided to install the Filipino as the new champion.

Sabillo carried his belt as he graced yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate along with his trainer Michael Domingo and ALA Promotions vice president Dennis Cañete.

Cañete said Sabillo will make his first title defense on June 29 in Bacolod City.

“We are waiting for the WBO approval for his voluntary defense before we choose an opponent. But it will be among the top 10 in the mini-flyweight class,” said Cañete.

Sabillo sent Dela Rosa down in the seventh round of the brutal and exciting contest then finished him off in the 2:52 mark of the next round.

“It was an exciting bout and even WBO president Paco Valcarcel was impressed and said Sabillo can become a great champion,” said the ALA Promotions official.

Sabillo is undefeated in 21 fights with 11 knockouts, two of them coming in the first round. But he has what it takes to last as well because three of his wins came in 12-round decisions.

Sabillo, who turned pro when he was 24, is aware of the fact that the Philippines just lost three world titles following successive losses by Manny Pacquiao, Brian Viloria and Nonito Donaire Jr.

He wants to use this as motivation.

“It’s a little sad to see them lose. But that’s sports. You win some and you lose some,” said Sabillo, now ranked among Donnie Nietes (WBO minimumweight) and Johnriel Casimero (IBF light-flyweight) as the remaining Filipino world champions.

Photo- Merlito Sabillo celebrating with trainer Edito Villamor

http://philboxing.com/news/story-82877.html

WBO Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel announced today the referee and judges who will work this Saturday’s world title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Francesco Pianeta to be held at the SAP-Arena in Mannheim, Germany in a K2 Promotions presentation. The referee will be Ernest Sharif from United States. Judges will be Patricia Morse Jarman and John Lawson, both from United States, and Roberto Ramirez Sr., from Puerto Rico. The WBO supervisor will be Paco Valcarcel himself.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/klitschko-pianeta-officials-191765

Ricky Burns insists he will not even consider a world title unification fight with Adrien Broner until he sees his way past Jose Gonzalez.

It was announced yesterday that the WBO lightweight champion will face unbeaten Puerto Rican Gonzalez in Glasgow on May 11.

The WBO insisted that Burns take on their mandatory challenger or face losing his strap – ending any immediate hopes of a super fight with WBC champion Broner.

The American is now due to move up two divisions to take on WBA welterweight belt holder Paulie Malignaggi on June 22 but there are still hopes that Burns and Broner can square off in future.

Burns, however, is not looking that far ahead.

He said: “At the moment, I can’t look beyond this fight. I never look beyond an opponent. I’ve got to give this guy what he’s due. He’s not the mandatory challenger for nothing.

“There is talk of Adrien Broner moving up to 147 to fight Paulie Malignaggi. We don’t know if he will stay at his current weight or what. I just need to get past May 11 first.”

Burns has not fought since beating Kevin Mitchell in September last year after his last two fights were called off at short notice.

A scheduled bout with Miguel Vazquez next month was axed after he split with former promoter Frank Warren, after the initial date was postponed, while a date with Jose Ocampo in December was also called off at short notice too.

But the Coatbridge fighter – whose fight with Gonzalez is his first since linking up with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Sport promotions company – insists his extended lay-off will not affect him by the time fight night arrives.

He said: “Although the fights were cancelled, it is not as if I’ve been out of the gym or stopped my training. I was always preparing for the fights and it was then that they were called off at late notice.

“After that it was just a case of taking a break, letting the batteries recharge and then getting back in the gym.

“We started back training last week and it will be six weeks on Saturday until the fight. So whatever happens, I’ll be ready to go.”

Burns is already a two-weight world champion after moving up from super featherweight but plans to move to light-welterweight are at least two years off, he says.

“A lot of people have been talking and saying that I have been struggling to make the weight, asking if I’m going to move up to light-welterweight,” said the 29-year-old.

“But for now I’m definitely staying at lightweight. I’m going nowhere. There are a couple of big fights out there, the unification fights, that I am confident I can win.

“So for the next couple of years anyway I will definitely be staying at lightweight.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/burns-full-focus-on-gonzalez-not-thinking-broner–63792

Wladimir Klitschko (59-3, 51 KOs) and Francesco Pianeta (28-0, 15 KOs) participated today in the fight week press conference at the SAP arena in Mannheim to talk about their fight on May 4. IBF, WBA, WBO, IBO and “The Ring Magazine” Heavyweight Champion Klitschko and his undefeated Italian contender Pianeta will face off next Saturday at the SAP arena Mannheim, Germany.

Wladimir Klitschko: “I know that Francesco Pianeta will have a fight plan but there is the famous quote by Mike Tyson that says: ‘Everyone has a plan until he gets hit’. Pianeta will be super motivated and wants to use his big chance but I am very experienced and will show him his limits.”

Francesco Pianeta: “I had a very good preparation and am highly motivated. It will be my son’s birthday four days after the fight and I would like to give him the belts on this day.”

For the second time, the press conference was also broadcasted on the official Klitschko Brothers’ Google+ page ( www.google.com/+Klitschko ). Fans and journalists worldwide were thus able to follow Klitschko and Pianeta five days before their fight.

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-klitschko-pianeta-face-face-final-presser–64977

By Scott Christ –

Fernando Guerrero was game, but Peter Quillin was just too strong, flooring his challenger four times en route to a seventh round stoppage in Brooklyn.

Peter Quillin successfully defended his WBO middleweight title tonight in Brooklyn, overcoming a good effort from Fernando Guerrero to largely dominate the fight, scoring four knockdowns on his way to a seventh round stoppage at the Barclays Center.

Guerrero (25-2-1, 19 KO) was down two times in the second round, barely surviving the frame (a third knockdown could have been called), and he lost arguably the first five rounds, maybe winning only the fourth.

In the sixth, though, Guerrero started landing some shots, and his commitment to trying to find a big shot to bring himself back into the fight led to his fighting with reckless abandon, and when a guy is clearly outgunned, that’s the most you can ask of them, and usually, it’s more than you should ask of them. This is, after all, The Hurt Game, where things Hurt.

But to Guerrero’s credit, as soon as he knew Quillin’s power could hurt him, as soon as he figured out how hard it was to get offense in, and how well Quillin could counter, he didn’t turtle up, or run, he threw caution to the wind and fought.

After a good sixth, though, it came crashing down, as Quillin (29-0, 21 KO) decked him two more times, with the referee stopping the bout on the second knockdown.

Our live coverage from the Barclays Center continues here, with Garcia vs Judah up next. Strap in.

http://www.badlefthook.com/2013/4/27/4277082/quillin-vs-guerrero-results-peter-quillin-scores-four-knockdowns-wins

Photo: Chris Farina/Top Rank –

WBO world featherweight champion Mikey Garcia receives a Proclamation and a Certificate of Congressional Recognition from Council member Victoria Baca (R) from the City of Moreno,California for his achievement of becoming the new WBO World Featherweight champion.

Rumor has it that Mikey could return on June 22 on a big Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. card at a site to be named in Texas, possibly against Orlando Cruz.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/mikey-garcia-update-2-188753

by Pablo Fletes  –

Japanese bantamweight Tomoki “Mexicanito” Kameda (27-0, 18KOs), ranked sixth in the ratings of the World Boxing Organization (WBO), is looking to make history in Nicaragua. On Thursday, Tomoki came to Nicaragua with his father Shiro Kameda, to sit down with Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, president of the WBO, and other local authorities, to organize a grand event in late May or early June, in which Kameda would challenge WBO champion Paulus Ambunda (20-0, 10KOs) in the country.

Shiro Kameda, the head of the Kameda Clan, said – “One of the main dreams of our company Kameda Promotions, is for all three [of the Kameda] brothers to become world champions this year. We want to set a Guinness record, with all three brothers being champions at the same time. And if WBO supports us in organizing this fight for Tomoki, we would be more than happy.”

“If we do this card, it would be a tribute to Alexis Arguello, and the event should be done before June. So next week it should be determined if the event can be done or not,” said Valcarcel.

http://www.boxingscene.com/paulus-ambunda-vs-tomoki-kameda-title-bout-play–64835

By:  Cory Olsen –  GRAND RAPIDS, MI — WBO Middleweight Champion Peter Quillin acquired his love of fighting on the streets of Grand Rapids and his passion for boxing inside the old Michigan Golden Gloves Association gym on Leonard Street.

Saturday will mark his first title defense when he takes on Fernando Guerrero (25-1, 19 KOs) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Although he now resides in New York where he refined his boxing skills, Quillin (28-0, 20 KOs) is quick to talk of his love for his hometown.

“I come from (Grand Rapids), I fight hard for them and I’m very blessed to have all the support I get from the folks there,” Quillin said. “I hope to get another win for them on Saturday.”

Quillin is the fifth world champion associated with Grand Rapids boxing and having his name in the same sentence with Stanley Ketchel, Roger Mayweather, Tony Tucker and Floyd Mayweather is a treat for the 29-year-old.

“It’s a huge feeling I get in my heart that money can never buy,” Quillin said. “I’m still climbing up ladders and my dream is to inspire youth that’s there in Grand Rapids.

“In the future I’d like to do something for them and teach them they can get their pride from Grand Rapids. We have to inspire and work hard and teach them they can do something they believe in, just like I do.”

Quillin scored six knockdowns against previous opponent Hassan N’Dam but will have his fists full with Guerrero, who emphasizes his southpaw style with a vicious left upper-cut and ability to stay in the pocket and trade punches.

“My job is to work hard in training camps,” Quillin said. “I put myself through hell in the gym and when you go out there and try to match (previous) performances you can’t always do that. I hope to have good moments and capitalize on opportunities.”

Quillin’s career ambitions have always been clear.

“When you try to be the best in the world, nothing else matters,” he said. “Being famous doesn’t matter, not one of these things I did were given to me, I had to make them happen myself. I’m blessed to be here and I don’t take anything for granted.”

Quillin’s fight is on the undercard of junior welterweight matchup pitting Danny Garcia vs. Zab Judah.

http://www.mlive.com/boxing/index.ssf/2013/04/wbo_middleweight_champ_peter_q.html

Nathan Cleverly produced his most disciplined performance on Saturday to retain his WBO world light-heavyweight title for the fifth time as he defeated mandatory challenger Robin Krasniqi by winning every round bar one on the cards of the three judges.

Frank Warren Promotions’ Rule Britannia has been delayed five weeks but Cleverly (12st 6lbs 8oz) hadn’t over-trained, he was as sharp as ever as he romped home to a 120-108, 119-109, 120-108 points win to improve his record to 26-0, 12KO.

Krasniqi (12st 5lbs) was handed his first defeat in seven years, leaving his record to 39-3, 15KO. The challenger had spent all week attempting to rile Cleverly, giving him a skirt reading “Princess” at the press conference but Cleverly laughed off the insult and even wore the skirt to weigh in and the coolness was reflected in the ring.

A short right wobbled Krasniqi half way through the opener but he survived a follow up attack, it was a sign of things to come. It wouldn’t be the only moment that Cleverly hurt the challenger who was unbeaten in 38 fights prior to this weekend; a right slip-uppercut in round four, left hooks to the pit of Krasniqi’s body in the round six and a flurry at the end of round ten also made their mark on the Serbian born German.

Krasniqi refused to fold and sent a few of his own reminders, most notably in the middle rounds, but Cleverly stuck to his game plan and made relative easy work of an opponent many were tipping to cause the Welshman some trouble.

Krasniqi’s first mark was made in round three as a right hand landed flush but every time he enjoyed success, Cleverly raised his game to have the last and most telling say. Much had been made or Krasniqi’s uppercut that saw him rise through the WBO rankings via four straight knockout wins but it was absent on the whole as Cleverly rotated to his right to nullify Krasniqi’s greatest asset.

Throughout the bout Krasniqi was over-reliant on his right hand and it was something Cleverly had prepared for, opting to box at range and go to his right away from the shot. The 26-year-old Welshman was aided by a great jab that varied from a piston shooting straight down the pipe to a blinding flick from the hip. Whenever Krasniqi, also 26, caught up with Cleverly the Welshman would utilise his superior footwork to regain centre ring and start again.

Donned in the blue of Cardiff City who celebrated promotion to the Premiership earlier that day, Cleverly sustained a ruthlessly efficient output, producing on average 87 punches per round – the exact same rate he threw against Shawn Hawk in November.

It was a polished and mature performance from Cleverly who showed many of the attributes he’s been criticised for neglecting in the past and it demonstrated that he’s a level above mandatory challenges as he goes in search of a big fight.

With long term target and IBF champion Bernard Hopkins due to defend his title against former Clev victim Karo Murat in July, there are preliminary plans for Cleverly to feature on the undercard and against WBA champion Beibut Shumenov.

http://www.nathancleverly.co.uk/2013/04/23/clev-cruises-past-krasniqi/

Photos:  Boxingscene/Boxing Photos

Nathan Cleverly has declared 2013 as the year he will unify the light-heavyweight division after polishing away the ring-rust against outclassed Robin Krasniqi at Wembley Arena on Saturday night.

Cleverly defended his WBO title for the fifth time with a landslide points decision against the tough but limited mandatory challenger, winning every round on two scorecards and all but one on the third.

It was only his fifth appearance in nearly two and a half years, but the 26-year-old hopes it is the beginning of a busy and triumphant chapter of his career that will see him acquire two more belts.

First in the crosshairs is WBA champion Beibut Shumenov with victory in that contest setting up his dream showdown with IBF king Bernard Hopkins.

“This is the year to stay active and push for the big fights. It’s very important for me to get back in the ring as soon as possible,” the Welshman said.

“I need to stay active and keep the rust away and try to unify the light-heavyweight division. 2013 could be the year to do that.

“I want fights that test me and that’s the elite fights now – Hopkins and those guys.

“They’re technically brilliant and will tell me if I’m an elite level fighter or just a world champion. I’m looking forward to finding out.

“Fighting back in Wales is a possibility at the back end of 2013, but next will be a fight in America in July.”

The plan could yet be derailed by Juergen Braehmer, another mandatory challenger to the WBO belt, although unification fights take precedence over defences ordered by governing bodies.

With that in mind, promoter Frank Warren will be keen to nail down meetings with Shumenov and then Hopkins and hope that Cleverly’s belief that Braehmer is not genuinely interested proves correct.

A slight tinge of disappointment laced Cleverly’s words as he reflected on his performance against Krasniqi, although he could have done little more against the Kosovan.

The 120-108 119-109 120-108 decision was entirely justified and on two occasions it seemed as though Krasniqi was on the verge of being stopped, indeed he was saved by the bell in the 10th.

“I’m still learning, but I’m winning and winning quite well now,” said Cleverly, who extended his unbeaten record to 26 fights.

“Maybe I was a little bit rusty. There were times when my lungs felt a little bit heavy.

“It’s been a good few months since I was in the ring, so maybe that was a factor.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=64730

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO- World Boxing Organization (WBO), by president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, announced today the referee and judges who will work this Saturday, April 27, in the world title fight between middleweight champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin and Fernando Guerrero to be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, in a Golden Boy presentation.

In this fight that Quillin (28-0, 20 KOs) will defend for the first time his WBO middleweight belt against the ninth ranked Guerrero (25-1, 19 KOs), from Dominican Republic, the referee will be Harvey Dock.

Meanwhile, the judges for the Quillin vs. Guerrero fight will be Julie Lederman and John McKaie, both from United States, and Nelson Vazquez from Puerto Rico.

The WBO supervisor for this fight will be Alberto Rodriguez Perez.

Quillin won the title when beat Hassan N’Dam N’Jikan by unanimous decision on October 20, 2012, at the same venue where he will to defend for the first time this Saturday.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/2013/quillin-holding-wbo-title-belt-hostage/

By:  Scott Christ –

Nathan Cleverly easily defended his WBO title today in London, scoring a wide decision win over Robin Krasniqi.

Nathan Cleverly dominated Robin Krasniqi today in a mandatory WBO light heavyweight title defense, winning on scores of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109.

To be totally clear, due to the Fury-Cunningham fight, I did not see the first five rounds. But Krasniqi, while tough and staying in there the whole was, just wasn’t good enough to deal with Cleverly’s activity and speed. Cleverly (26-0, 12 KO) looked sharp from what I saw, and though there could fairly be criticism that he didn’t finish the fight, that’s short-sighed, I believe, and I’m a Cleverly critic in some ways. He outclassed Krasniqi (39-3, 15 KO) and won the fight handily.

Cleverly did address the one thing most likely to be noted as a con about his performance.

“The only thing missing was the finish. I thought he was going to go a few times, but he dug deep, and he stayed the full 12 in there,” Cleverly said after the fight.

Cleverly will be back in July, according to promoter Frank Warren, and it appears he will fight another mandatory challenger, Juergen Braehmer. It remains a hope that he will unify with Bernard Hopkins later this year.

http://www.badlefthook.com/2013/4/20/4246998/cleverly-vs-krasniqi-results-nathan-cleverly-dominates-over-12-epix-boxing-news

Photos: Eroll Popova / SES Boxing –

WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (25-0, 12 KOs) and Robin Krasniqi (39-2, 15 KOs) faced off at the pre-fight press conference for Saturday night at Wembley Arena in London. Referencing the three times the fight was postponed by the Cleverly Camp, Krasniqi presented Cleverly with a skirt with “Princess” written on it.

Nathan Cleverly: When I’m prepared mentally 100% and physically ready, there’s no way this guy can beat me. I’ll make sure of that on Saturday night. I’m going to take this guy out and move on to bigger and better things,

Robin Krasniqi: I’m not coming to London for a holiday, I’m coming to win the title….I will be flying back to Germany with the belt and the title.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/cleverly-krasniqi-heats-up-187472

By Salvador Rodriguez –

Former four division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez (55-6-1, 40 KO’s) has revealed that he plans to continue his career by challenging WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (30-0, 12 KO’s) for the WBO welterweight championship on September 14th at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The fight is almost sure to land on HBO Pay-Per-View

“I had a meeting, I spoke with my family. The decision was made because I still feel good. I feel capable and I can probably do two or three more fights,” Marquez told ESPN Deportes Radio.

Marquez says he was given two return options – Bradley or WBO interim-junior welterweight champion Mike Alvarado. He selected Bradley.

“They discussed two opponents for September 14: Mike Alvarado and Timothy Bradley. I like challenges, Bradley would be a difficult fight for me. Apart from being world champion it would be a challenge to fight him and win another big challenge title in a fifth division, which for me is something that fills me with pride to have the opportunity to try,” he said.

This move by Marquez would leave Manny Pacquiao with the likely option of facing Alvarado on a date in October in Macau.

http://www.boxingscene.com/marquez-im-facing-tim-bradley-on-9-14-las-vegas–64561