Boxing Insider Notebook: Tyson, Holmes, Webster, Cotto, Martinez, and more….

By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of May 27th to June 3rd, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Lundy Stops Cuevas in Two

Henry Lundy took part in the main event at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut this weekend, and he was able to stop the son of legendary Hall of Famer Pipino Cuevas, Gerado Pipino Cuevas, Jr., at 2:23 of the second round. Lundy improved his record to 25-3-1 with the stoppage victory.

Derrick Webster Improveds to 17-0

Derrick Webster was supposed to take part in a televised bout on ShoBox a few weeks ago, but a last minute cancellation forced him to take part in the main event of a show at the Pennsylvania Sheet Metal Workers Hall in Philadelphia. He won a six round decision victory over Michael Gbenga (19-14) with scores of 59-55 on two scorecards and 58-56 on the third one.

Bermane Stiverne Gives Back to the Troops

Don King Productions Recently Released the Following Release:

Every title defense, under Don King Productions, Inc., by the people’s Champion Bermane Stiverne, will be given to our overseas troops serving on military bases and ships around the world. The broadcast will be seen via the America Forces Network (AFN.)

It is our way of saying “Thank You” to the men and women who comprise the greatest military force on the planet who fight for liberty, justice, freedom, equality and peace for us. We will present our “Fight For Peace” to you.

Golovkin vs. Geale Set for July 26th

Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (29-0) will face Daniel “The Real Deal” Geale (30-2) at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, July 26th and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing. The card is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. ET and will be promoted by K2 Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions.

Golovkin will be defending his WBA and IBO title against Geale. Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, June 5th at 10:00 a.m. ET and can be purchased through www.ticketmaster.com

ESPN’s Coverage of Miguel Cotto vs. Sergio Martinez

ESPN will present extensive pre and post-fight coverage of Saturday’s Pay Per View bout between Miguel Cotto (38-4) and Sergio Martinez (51-2-2). The PPV is being distributed by BO beginning at 9 p.m. , but as part of ESPN and HBO Sports’ boxing programming and marketing agreement access to key content, including press conference and weigh-in coverage, classic Cotto and Martinez fights, a pre-fight show, non televised undercard fights, and more.

A Bit of Smokin’ Joe Frazier’s History Now Available

Joe Frazier’s business and personal manager for the last 7 ½ years of his life, Leslie Wolff, is putting up for sale several privately, limited edition selection of items- many “one of a kind”- collected during his relationship with Frazier and other things that Frazier gave him.

If you’re interested in purchasing some of the items that Leslie Wolff has available, you can contact him at [email protected]

El Boxeo Documentary to be Released on June 15th

Director Alan Swyer’s new documentary “El Boxeo” (www.elboxeothemovie.com), which tells the dramatic story of the emergence of Latinos in boxing, will be released on Father’s Day on June 15th. The television release will be announced at a later date.

Swyer’s list of credits include HBO’s award winning “Rebound” as well as “The Buddy Holly Story.”

El Boxeo is the look at how boxing has become a Latino-dominated sport both in the ring and in the stands. It features famous boxing figures such as Oscar de la Hoya, Sergio Martinez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Canelo Alvarez, Boom Boom Mancini, Sugar Ray Leonard, Juan LaPorte, Wilfredo Vazquez Sr. and Jr., Bob Arum, Jose Sulaiman, Richard Steele, Larry Merchant, Al Bernstein, Lou Dibella, and more.

Book on Cus D’Amato Wins 2014 Eric Hoffer Prize

Legendary boxing trainer Cus D’Amato was the strategic force behind legendary heavyweights Mike Tyson, Floyd Patterson, Jose Torres, and Muhammad Ali (in an advisory role). The biographical novel based on his life, Confusing the Enemy: The Cus D’Amato Story (Acanthus Publishing, 2013) has swept through the ranks and taken the 2014 Eric Hoffer Book Award. Co-authors Dr. Scott Weiss and Paige Stover, are honored with this prestigious literary achievement having already received glowing reviews from readers and the media alike. A reader on Facebook has posted, “It is impossible to have a full understanding of boxing history without this book.” The Boxing Magazine has declared it “an instant classic for the boxing bookshelf.”

Jim Ross Gives Statement on his Pro Boxing Broadcasting Debut

“I had a great time in El Paso at Fort Bliss broadcasting Golden Boy Promotions boxingevent Monday night that aired on Fox Sports 1. It was a new experience for me professionally and one that I enjoyed. The feedback has been largely positive even from the establishedboxing community. Getting back into the groove after a somewhat long layoff on Monday Night TV wasn’t as difficult as I perceived that it might be. We signed a one fight deal with @GoldenBoyBoxing and @FoxSports1 so, for those asking, I don’t know what the future holds as it relates to more boxing broadcasts but we’re open to it.”

Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes to Appear at Turning Stone Resort Casino

Renowned boxing legends and International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes will participate in an exclusive, live discussion at theTurning Stone Resort Casino Showroom on Wednesday, June 4, at 6:00 p.m. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, “Kings of the Ring: A Conversation with Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes,” will feature an open dialogue between the two world-class heavyweights. They will recount their famed 1988 championship fight, reflect on their remarkable boxing careers, and take questions from the audience. Longtime sports columnist for the Syracuse Post-Standard and Syracuse.com, Bud Poliquin, will serve as moderator.

Ruslan Provodnikov excepts:

Ruslan Provodnikov: I’m very happy to be fighting in New York. I’m happy to be the first big Russian fighter to fight at the Barclays Center. HBO thank you very much for supporting the rest of my team. I appreciate everybody’s support. Everything’s going well. And I’m glad to be here with Freddie Roach

Q: Ruslan, please explain where you’re from, what you overcame and also what you feel personally – what you try to bring across in appealing to your audience?

Ruslan Provodnikov: I came from a small village in Russian called Beryozovo. I had a very hard upbringing. Hard work. The reason, you know, for the fans I think that’s a good question for the fans. I don’t know why. I’m doing a lot of … that’s a good question for the fans to ask why they like me.

Q: Why do you fight the way you do and when you say things like the belts aren’t important, the money isn’t important, it’s the way I fight and what people think of the way I fight. Do you think that is an aspect of your fighting style and your personality that goes to your fans?

Ruslan Provodnikov: Everything I said is because the way I fight comes from inside of me. It’s my character. And I’m probably never going to fight differently. And people love me probably because of that, and of who I am. I am who I am in the ring and I just put everything in the ring. It’s who I am.