By: William Holmes
The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of July 22nd to July 29th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.
Locked ‘n Loaded Results: Reyes Defeats Perez
On Friday night Artemio Reyes (20-2) defeated Sergio Perez (28-15) by a third round knockout. Perez went down from a left hook to the body in the third round and was sent down again with another left hook to the body when he got back to his feet.
Jolene Blackshear (8-3) captured the WIBA Jr. Flyweight World Title by delivering a split-decision victory against Sindy Amador (10-1). The scores were 76-74, 76-74, and 74-76.
Cristian Mijares and Marco Antonio Rubio Victorious in Mexico
Cristian Mijares (48-7-2) defeated Carlos Jacobo (20-6-1) in the featherweight division on Saturday night in Comitan, Mexico. Mijares easily dispatched Jacobo and finished him in the sixth round when Jacobo was not defending himself while taking several hard shots by the ropes.
Marco Antonio Rubio (58-6-1) quickly disposed of Dionisio Miranda (22-9-2) in the middleweight division in Chihuahua, Mexico. He knocked Miranda down in the first round and again in the second round. Miranda was able to get back to his feet but Rubio wasted little time in jumping back on Miranda and knocking him down again for the finish.
Burgos Draws with Amidu
Juan Carlos Burgos (30-1-2) decisioned Yakubu Amidu (18-4-2) on Friday night in Lincoln, California, in their lightweight bout. Burgos was expected to defeat Amidu easily but, had a much harder time than expected. Burgos was able to pull off a split-decision victory when the scores of 116-112 Burgos, 116-112 Amidu, and 114-114 were announced.
Odlanier Solis Stops Saglam in the Seventh Round
Fading heavyweight Odlanier Solis (20-1) stopped Yakup Saglam (29-3) in the seventh round in their heavyweight matchup in Cruxhaven, Germany on Saturday night. Solis, however, did not look overly impressive, but was still clearly winning the fight before the end came. He knocked Saglam down in the seventh round, but Yakup was able to beat the count. The referee, however, felt Saglam could not continue and stopped the fight.
Selcuk Aydin also fought on this card and stopped Aaron Herrera (25-3) in the eighth round.
Pacquiao-Rios Notebook: Beijing Edition
Stop No. 2 on the Manny Pacquiao – Brandon Rios 23,722-mile international media tour to promote their historic 12-round welterweight rumble has landed them in Beijing. On Monday, Pacquiao, Rios and their respective trainers, Hall of Famer Freddie Roach and Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia, began the day with a little morning roadwork – approximately 3,000 steps worth — as they climbed a portion of the Great Wall, at Shuiguan, which was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and is famous for its precipitous cliffs and beautiful views.
Before embarking on the massive climb, Rios and Garcia ducked into a souvenir stand and emerged wearing cowboy hats. “The rancheros have hit Beijing,” exclaimed Rios to the delight of the media and the hundreds of tourists visiting.
Pacquiao and Rios, trailed by media crews and newly-made fans, began the steep and arduous climb of the Great Wall, a military structure that was built from the 3rd Century BC to the 17th Century. With a total length of more than 20,000 kilometers, it is the only work built by human hands on this planet that can be seen from the moon.
“I hadn’t planned on beginning training camp until August 12, but I think I began it today,” said Rios, who raced up a portion of the steps against Pacquiao.
“Now I know that I’ve got my work cut out for me after racing against Brandon up those steps,” said Pacquiao. “He’s already in good condition! This is my third visit to Beijing and it always seems so new to me. It’s a great cultural experience that is saturated in history.”
Following a festive traditional Chinese lunch, the duo made a stop at Tiananmen Square, where they walked around the historic area snapping photos and signing autographs for fans who recognized them.
Vitali Klitschko vs. Bermane Stiverne WBC Purse Bid Postponed
When heavyweight contender Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (21-1, 20 KOs) upset Chris Arreola (35-3, 30 KOs) on HBO this past April 27, in a title elimination bout, it set-up the dangerous Canadian for a super fight versus future Hall of Famer and long-time World Boxing Council (WBC) World Heavyweight Champion, Vitali Klitschko (45-2, 41 KOs).
A purse bid was set and postponed, reset and re-postponed. Finally, July 22 was supposed to be the final purse bid date when, surprisingly, the WBC once again granted another extension requested by the Team Klitschko, forcing the mandatory challenger to wait once again for his world title shot that he has now earned twice by winning a pair “title elimination” bouts. WBO No. 1 contender Stiverne, who is also rated No. 10 in the world by The Ring Magazine, had knocked out Ray Austin in the 10th round of their WBC heavyweight title eliminator on June 25, 2011.
“It’s a bit frustrating to hear only two days before the scheduled purse bid that it has once again been postponed,” explained Stiverne’s manager, Camille Estephan, CEO of Eye Of The Tiger Management (EOTTM). “We are waiting for a new date. At this point, we have worked really hard to secure potential venues. Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre and Montreal’s Bell Centre are still at the forefront. Regardless, Bermane is ready now, or in a few months, and the longer Klitschko plays politics rather than man up and fight, the more ready we will be and the older he will get. Bermane will KO him wherever and whenever it happens.”
Demetrius Andrade vs. Vanes Martirosyan on September 7th for WBO Junior Middleweight Title
On Saturday September 7th, former U.S. Olympian and undefeated Demetrius Andrade will vie for his first world championship, when he takes on fellow former U.S. Olympian Vanes Martirosyan in a twelve round bout from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The bout, which will be televised live on HBO Championship Boxing, will be the co-feature to the Super Middleweight clash between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Bryan Vera.
Fight Night Returns to SteelStacks in Bethlehem, PA on August 21st
Seven action-packed bouts featuring boxers from the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico and the opportunity to meet former boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. highlight the second Fight Night at SteelStacks Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the event are on sale now at www.artsquest.org and 610-332-3378.
Presented by Jay Newman and VIP Fighting Events LLC, “Fight Night at SteelStacks II” will include bouts by Jeffrey Dorsey Holmes of Easton and Rashad Bogart of Easton. The evening will also feature championship-caliber boxers from Mexico and Puerto Rico; the complete lineup will be announced as soon as confirmed.
“The first Fight Night at SteelStacks included some very talented local boxers who are working their way up the ranks to becoming top-ranked fighters,” said Newman. “It was a memorable and exciting night of sports entertainment that had the audience on edge of its seats from the first bell, so we’re excited to have the opportunity to bring this event back.”
Fight Night II will take place in the Musikfest Café, located in the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem. The event is sponsored by Boyle Construction Inc., Contrail Aircraft Charters Inc., Embassy Bank and Service Electric Cable TV and Communications. Tickets are also on sale at the ArtsQuest Center Box Office; American Printing Unlimited, 201 Northampton St., Easton; and Mr. Bill’s Poultry at the Allentown Farmers Market.
Downtown Chicago Stops to Watch Miracle Mile Open Workouts
This morning (Tuesday, July 30) there was a boxing event held at U.S. Cellular Field on Friday, August 16.
With a huge crowd of 7:00 am, morning rush-hour commuters watching intently, and numerous local fan favorites went through their morning training routines in a boxing ring set up on the northeast corner of Lake Street and Michigan Avenue.
Among those participating were main event fighter and Chicago’s “Polish Prince” IBO Light Heavyweight World Champion, Andrzej Fonfara, top-rated junior welterweight prospect Adrian “El Tigre” Granados, pro debuting female Kristin Gearhart, as well as middleweight veterans Henry “The Western Warrior” Coyle and Trinidad Garcia.
Afterwards, all the fighters posed for photos and signed autographs
Undercard Announced for Mohegan Sun: NBC Sports Network August 3rd: Three to See
The televised bouts for NBC Sports next card includes middleweight Curtis “Showtime” Stevens, 24-3, 17 KOs, against Saul Roman, 37-9, 31 KOs; Tomasz Adamek, 48-2, 29 KOs, and Dominick Guinn, 34-9-1, 23 KOs in a heavyweight affair; and a cruiserweight clash between “Fast” Eddie Chambers, 36-3, 18 KOs, and Thabiso Mchunu, 12-1, 9 KOs.
The preliminary bouts are as follows:
Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov, 14-1, 10 KOs, returns from his 10-round draw against Malik Scott, then 35-0, 12 KOs, to face Byron Polley, 25-15-1, 11 KOs, in a heavyweight 8-rounder that tops the undercard. Glazkov, of Ukraine, is one of the rising young stars of the division, and must topple his opponent from Michigan to restart his winning streak and regain the momentum he was building before the draw.
Philadelphia lightweight Karl “Dynamite” Dargan, 13-0, 7 KOs, looks to extend his undefeated run in a 6-round bout against Staten Island’s Michael Brooks. However, Brooks, an undefeated southpaw, 10-0, 2 KOs, will fight hard to keep his own streak intact.
Undefeated Tony Harrison, of Detroit, 13-0, 10 KOs, takes on Camden, NJ’s Alex Sanchez, 2-2, 2 KOs, in a junior middleweight 6-rounder. Harrison, an Emanuel Steward protege, not only has more experience than his opponent; he has boxing in his bloodline. Tony’s grandfather was Henry Hank, one of the best contenders of the 1950s and 1960s. However, Sanchez is a tough fighter who has scored knockouts in each of his two victories, and will definitely come to fight. As they say, someone’s O must go.
Fighting for the fifth time this year and the third time at Mohegan Sun, New Haven welterweight Jimmy Williams, 4-0, 2 KOs, faces his toughest test to date when he battles Philadelphia’s Greg Jackson, 3-0, 1 KO, in a four-round bout. The always-busy Williams is coming off a July 5th unanimous-decision win over Saul Almeida, 0-3. In his last appearance at Mohegan, Williams stopped Marques Jackson, 2-10, at the end of the third round of their scheduled four-round bout.
Looking to rebound from a knockout loss to Jason Sosa (9-1-3) in January, Hartford’s Joseph “Chip” Perez (10-2, 3 KOs) returns to Mohegan to face Ashbury Park, N.J., super featherweight Chris Green (4-3-1, 1 KO) in a six-round bout. Green, a 5-foot-7 southpaw, looks to revive his career in his first fight since April of 2011, when he lost a six-round decision to Osnel Charles (9-6).
New Haven welterweight Edwin Soto (9-0-2, 4 KOs) ends a 14-month layoff in a another six-round bout. Soto last fought in June of 2012, knocking out previously-unbeaten Kevin Womack Jr. in the fourth round of their scheduled eight-round bout.
Liam Walsh vs. Joe Murray and Dereck Chisora and Frankie Gavin Added for September 21st
Undefeated fighters Billy Joe Saunders, John Ryder, Liam Walsh, and Joe Murray will be at the grand opening of London, England’s Copper Box Arena on Saturday, September 21st.
“The O’Sullivan performance was the best of my career, but that’s in the past, Ryder is next and he’s the biggest threat to my career. He’s a good strong fighter and a real fighting man. I’ve got to produce the goods against Ryder. He’s out to get my British title, but there’s no way he’s getting hold of it,” said Saunders
“Roll on the 21st September at the Copper Box Arena,” Ryder replied. “I’m ready to take that British title from Saunders. He had a good win against O’Sullivan, but I’m a totally different fighter to him, and he won’t get the chance to do what he did to him against me.”
Promoter Frank Warren also confirmed today that Cromer ace Walsh will defend his Commonwealth Super-Featherweight title against Manchester’s Joe Murray with the Vacant WBO Intercontinental belt also on the line.
Talks are ongoing for the possibility of Chisora challenging for the European title at the Copper Box Arena. Purse bids for the fight between Chisora and champion Kubrat Pulev are being held next week, but it’s looking likely Pulev will instead take on American veteran and David Price conqueror Tony “The Tiger” Thompson on August 24 in Germany.
Chisora said, “I’m ready to rock the box on September 21st. Del Boy is back in business and I don’t care who I fight or who is in the opposite corner, I’m just excited to be back in the ring and doing what I do best, winning.”
British Welterweight Champion Frankie Gavin aims to win his prized Lonsdale belt outright when he makes the third defense against a challenger to be confirmed.
Amir Khan Parts with Business Manager Asif Vali
Boxer Amir Khan and business manager Asif Vali have parted ways after a mutual agreement. Vali leaves Premier Consultancy UK, the sports management company founded in 2005, after eight years.
“I would like to sincerely thank Asif for all his hard work and wish him the very best for the future,” said Khan.
Shah Khan, father of Amir, added: “Asif has done a tremendous job since Amir turned professional and I would like to express my gratitude to him.”
“I would like to wish Amir and his family the very best for the future,” replies Vali.
“I have enjoyed my time working with them and plan to remain in boxing as I explore new exciting ventures.”