Compiled By: William Holmes
The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of October 17th to October 24th; covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.
Team Fury Take in the Sights of Bulgaria Ahead of Landmark Showdown on Saturday Night
Having landed in Sofia on Saturday evening, British boxers Hughie Fury and Savannah Marshall took in the sights and sounds of Plovdiv- some 150km away in Southern Bulgaria on Monday afternoon, as they took time out from their preparations for Saturday’s ‘Fire & Fury’ event, which is live at 9pm on free to air Channel 5.
British heavyweight champion Fury, 24, and women’s super-middleweight sensation Marshall, 27, visited the ancient city- the second largest city in Bulgaria, taking in some of the cultural landmarks that reflect more than 2,000 years of history including the Roman Antique Theatre, Saint Ludvik Cathedral, Alyosha Monument and the Plovdiv Roman stadium.
After visiting the famous landmarks, the British pair turned their attention to how they could make their own history on Saturday night.
Hughie Fury said: “Since we arrived here on Saturday we’ve had such a warm and friendly welcome from the people of Sofia. They’re genuinely excited about the fight on Saturday. I know the majority of the fans out here will be supporting Pulev but that doesn’t faze me. I’m just going to do my thing and show them what I’m all about.”
Savannah Marshall said: “Bulgaria is a beautiful place. I’d like to get out and see a little bit more but I can’t take anything for granted, my focus is 100% on taking down Yanina Orozco this Saturday night.”
Fury takes on Bulgarian native Kubrat Pulev in an IBF Heavyweight Final Eliminator at the Armeec Arena on October 27. Marshall will face Argentina’s Yanina Orozco in a 10-round bout on the undercard.
For more information or current fight news, visit or www.hennessysports.com/ or follow @HennessySports on Twitter.
Tripleheader Action on HBO’s World Championship Boxing this Saturday Live from New York City
HBO Sports heads to the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the explosive tripleheader WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: DANIEL JACOBS VS. SERGIY DEREVYANCHENKO, ALBERTO MACHADO VS. YUANDALE EVANS AND HEATHER HARDY VS. SHELLY VINCENT 2 presented SATURDAY, OCT. 27 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) on HBO. The HBO Sports team will call the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.
In an intriguing middleweight showdown, Brooklyn-born headliner Daniel Jacobs (34-2, 29 KOs) takes on an opponent he knows well – Ukraine native Sergiy Derevyanchenko (12-0, 10 KOs), who now resides in Brooklyn – in a scheduled 12-round battle for a vacant title. Set to train in the Bay area, Jacobs, 31, is determined to regain a 160-pound title belt. Making his HBO debut, Derevyanchenko, 32, looks to keep his perfect record intact, showcase his considerable ring skills and pull off a stunner. In a red-hot division, this is one of the most anticipated bouts of the fall.
Both fighters have been trained by Andre Rozier. For the Oct. 27 showdown, Rozier will be in Jacobs’ corner, while Gary Stark Sr. mans the corner for Derevyanchenko.
The middle bout of the telecast bout is a scheduled 12-round super featherweight title bout between Alberto Machado (20-0, 16 KOs) of Puerto Rico and Cleveland’s Yuandale Evans (20-1, 14 KOs). Defending champ Machado, 28, is making his third HBO appearance. With back-to-back wins in 2017, the 29-year-old Evans seeks to take the title back to Ohio.
Leading off the tripleheader is a 10-round thrilling rematch of two fierce competitors: Heather Hardy of Brooklyn, NY (21-0, 4 KOs) and Shelly Vincent from Providence, RI (23-1, 1 KO). This battle renews their hot rivalry which resulted in the 2016 women’s fight of the year. The vacant world featherweight belt is on the line.
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of HBO Sports is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jonathan Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.
Badou Jack’s “Ripper Nutrition” Lands Multimillion-Dollar Asian Distribution Deal
Two-division world boxing champion Badou Jack’s burgeoning nutrition line Ripper Nutrition has announced a multi-year multimillion-dollar deal across Asia with Hong Kong-based ERS Ventures (HK) Ltd., a company specializing in marketing and distributing consumer products globally, for his line of premium pre-workout OXY RIPPER and post-workout AMINO RIPPER sports supplements.
Jack, who is one of the most accomplished fighters in the Mayweather Promotions stable, is a two-division world champion having held the WBC Super Middleweight Title and WBA Light Heavyweight Title. Outside of the ring, the continued growth of Ripper Nutrition is an important aspect of Jack’s success as he continues to promote health and fitness worldwide.
“My team and I are very excited to partner with ERS Ventures and introduce Ripper Nutrition to the Asian market,” said Jack, who is the co-owner of Ripper Nutrition. “We are proud to offer the most advanced and cleanest supplements ever formulated and taking the Ripper Nutrition brand global is something that we wanted to do from day one. I strive to be an international ambassador for the sport of boxing through my projects outside of the ring and this deal is another huge step in that direction.”
OXY RIPPER and AMINO RIPPER are the first sports supplements to combine the highest quality Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) with the revolutionary plant based peptide LUNASIN, a powerful antioxidant that clinical studies have shown to reduce inflammation, support heart health, and boost your immune system. LUNASIN is the first peptide that has been discovered to positively affect gene expressions and has a multitude of large-scale scientific studies done to prove its positive effects.
“Having launched Ripper Nutrition just a few months ago, this deal speaks volumes about the progression of our company, the science behind our products and the future of Ripper Nutrition,” said Amer Abdallah, co-founder of Ripper Nutrition. “We have some more major announcements coming soon and this is just the beginning.”
Under the terms of the agreement, ERS Ventures (HK) Ltd. will be the exclusive distributor in Asia for Ripper Nutrition LLC., OXY RIPPER and AMINO RIPPER sports supplements.
“We’re very excited to be working with Badou Jack ‘The Ripper’ and his team in representing and distributing Ripper Nutrition Sports Supplements in Asia,” said Robert Schwartz, President of ERS Ventures (JK) Ltd. “Badou is a world champion and having his name on these supplements allows us to share his incredible back story of how Ripper Nutrition started. We also share his passion to introduce to the world an effective and incredibly powerful American made premium sports supplement.”
Arizona’s First Seven Round Fight-Ramirez vs. Valdez
When Tucson’s Jensen Ramirez (6-2-3, 1KO) squares off with Nogales’ Thomas Valdez (16-4-2, 6KO) at the Casino Del Sol’s AVA Amphitheater, it will be the first seven-round bout in Arizona’s history. The featherweight bout headlines the Nov. 17 event, dubbed Guerra De Gallos.
Raging Babe’s Michelle Rosado had to think outside the box when negotiating the card’s main event. One camp wanted an eight-round fight and one wanted a six. Rosado, consulting with her mentor, Hall-of-Fame Promoter J Russell Peltz, lamented the potential loss of a solid, local main event. Peltz had a solution. “Why not meet in the middle and make it seven rounds?” Rosado was skeptical. “I told him to get outta here,” Rosado said. “I was laughing, but Peltz wasn’t joking. School was in session.”
There was a precedent. Peltz told the story of “The Long-Haired Boxer” Edwin “Chu Chu” Malave vs. Harold Weston, Jr. in a welterweight bout that took place in August of 1971 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Malave wanted the bout to be eight rounds, and Weston wanted 10. The New York State Athletic Commission proposed that the bout be nine rounds. Malave went on to win a split decision, with two judges scoring the fight 5-4 in his favor, and the third scoring it 5-4 for Weston.
Rosado had her fight.
“I bought right into it when Russell told me about the Malave-Weston bout,” she said. “I knew we had a good fight, and there was something special about having a seven-round main event.” Both Ramirez and Valdez’s teams agreed, and the Pascua Yacqui Commission sanctioned the seven-round bout. On Nov. 17, Tucson boxing fans will see Arizona’s first seven-round bout between two local “gallos.”
Raging Babe will host a press conference this Thursday, October 25 at Casino Del Sol’s Paradiso Lounge at 2 p.m. The presser will be open to the public and will include a tribute to promoter Don Chargin.
Stars of Creed II, Legends of Boxing to Assemble for 29th Annual Fight Night DC
Fight For Children, the Washington D.C. based non-profit that has improved the health and well-being of at-risk children throughout the area for three decades, today announced an exciting lineup for its 29th annual Fight Night fundraiser. One of the most storied charity events of the year, the star-studded affair on Thursday, November 1 at the Washington Hilton will bring together nearly 2,000 leaders of business, government, philanthropy, sports, and entertainment for a memorable evening of fundraising, networking, boxing, and musical performances.
The organization’s mission is to provide at-risk children in Washington with access to high quality youth sports programming, and ensure they are active, socially and emotionally engaged, performing well in school and on a path to a successful future. Since the inaugural event in 1990, Fight Night has become one of the premiere events of the year and, through the generosity of its supporters and contributors, has raised more than $65 million.
“Fight Night is the engine that drives Fight For Children,” said Raul Fernandez Vice Chairman and Owner, Monumental Sports and Entertainment and Chairman of Fight For Children. “The overwhelming support we receive from our partners enables us to provide thousands of children in DC with incredible opportunities each year.”
Fight Night 2018 highlights: (#FightNightDC)
• “CREED II” integration. Thehighly anticipatedsequel from Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures (MGM) and Warner Bros. Pictures hits theaters on November 21, 2018. Guests will be treated to special appearances by “CREED II” star Florian Munteanu (“Viktor Drago”) along with acclaimed “CREED II” director, Steven Caple Jr.
• Live boxing includes the main event, a USBA Jr. Welterweight Championship fight between Sonny Fredrickson (19-1) and Manuel Mendez (16-2-3). Leading up, guests will enjoy the women’s Jr. Welterweight Fight between Jessica Camara and Jenna Johlin Thompson, and an amateur bout featuring light heavyweights Joel Tchantchung out of Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing and Keon Burroughs from Washington’s Headbangers gym.
• Special appearances by legends of boxing including former Heavyweight Champion Buster Douglas, Ray Mancini, Gerry Cooney and Earnie Shavers; pro athletes includingformer Washington Redskins greats Ken Harvey, Gary Clark and Santana Moss; Pro boxing champion Ava Knight; Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Army (retired) Captain Florent Groberg; “Ballers” actors Omar Miller, Donovan Carter, Kris Lofton and Carl McDowell.
• MGM National Harbor presents the entertainment for the evening; including musical performances by E3, a special performance of the National Anthem from Bob McDonald and Caleb Green, and the evening’s headliner, multi-platinum rap performer Flo Rida
• Featured Fight Night partners include The Fernandez Foundation, The Joseph E. Robert Jr. Charitable Trust, MGM National Harbor, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, FedEx, Washington Capitals, Washington Nationals, Washington Wizards, and Mystics.
• Fight Night 2018-2019 grantees include Beacon House, DC Scores, STEER For Student Athletes, Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, Washington Tennis
Bounty Placed on Aussie Stars for Victory 8 Saigon
Vietnam has named an imposing line up for their battle with a crack Australian squad at the Victory 8 Fight Night in HCMC November 3rd. The Vietnam Boxing Federation (VBF), which administer to the successful running of the amateur version of the sport, have managed to lure some of the most talented boxers in the country for this historic event to be conducted under professional rules.
Their efforts have not gone unnoticed by local promoter VSP Boxing. “We are super excited by the depth of talent in this Vietnam team, which have a huge challenge in store against an International squad loaded with national amateur and professional champions.” Headlining for Australia will be unbeaten wunderkid Mateo Tapia and 3x world champion Gretchen Abaniel. VSP Boxing spokesman Mr. Lim Song said it was a major coup to secure boxers of such high calibre and bring them to the country for the first time. “I’m a huge fan of Tapia and Abaniel. I have seen Gretchen Abaniel fight live in China and Korea and she hits fast and hard! Mateo Tapia is a freak. To do what he has done and he’s only 20 is quite amazing. He is definitely world class potential.”
Gretchen Abaniel matches up with national champion Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi whilst Mateo Tapia faces dangerous SEA Games winner Truong Dinh Huong in the main event. To add to the interest that these two showdowns are already creating, and in recognition of the task facing the local fighters, VSP Boxing has placed a bounty on the heads of the Aussie stars. “VSP Boxing is offering 400,000,00 dong ($20,000USD) to the Vietnamese warriors if they can conquer their opponents in these two bouts. This is the biggest prize ever offered in Vietnam, and believe me, we are more than happy to pay it!”
The Australian team will fly to Saigon next Tuesday in early preparation for the Victory 8 Fight Night. The talented young boxers are under the expert tutelage of Tony Del Vecchio and Tommy Mercuri. The two trainers are amongst the most respected in the industry. Del Vecchio won a world title in Japan recently with stable star TJ Doheny, whilst Mercuri is former trainer of international star Lenny Zappavigna. When told of the bounty placed on his top fighters’ heads, Del Vecchio was unfazed. “We train hard, and we train our fighters to be champions. All these kids have skills – and they all know how to dig deep and go to war! Don’t get me wrong, we are extremely excited to see Vietnam for the first time and we know the big challenge that lies ahead.” When questioned on the subject of the Vietnamese opponents he was circumspect “The job of coach Tommy Mercuri and myself is to give each of our team a solid preparation and game plan. We don’t want to elaborate publicly on the perceived strengths and weaknesses of our opponents. I will say this though, from what i have seen, the Viet fighters are very strong and exciting to watch.” But when pushed on the topic, and asked had he been impressed by any members of this Vietnam team he offered “Clearly Truong Dinh Hoang and Nguyen This Tam are quality. TDH is a smart boxer that has timing, great chin and heavy hands. Nguyen Thi Tam medalled at ASIAD then won well in Budapest. She is fast and has a great work rate. But this Nguyen Van Duong – man, this kid has got me worried!” Tommy Mercuri interjected “ Nguyen Van Duong is dangerous. The kid is 56kg and is a beast! He is fast, he is strong – he can easily go pro! In fact I will go as far to say, if Vietnam legalises professional boxing, Nguyen Van Duong is maybe the hottest talent in the country!” High praise indeed from two world class trainers.
Victory 8 Saigon Fight Night will be shown live on HTV digital in Vietnam, and streamed internationally by Epicentre TV. http://www.epicentre.tv/events/victory-8-saigon-fight-night/
The full fight card for the event held at the Nguyen Du Stadium on Saturday November 3rd is:
Jayden Buan v Pham Duc Doan
Jye Lane Taylor v Nguyen Ngoc Hai
Tommy Mercuri v Vu Than Dat
Mickey Pengue v Tran Duc Tho
Gretchen Abaniel v Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi
Kamil Syed v Nguyen Van Duong
Linn Sandstrom v Nguyen Thi Tam
Mateo Tapia v Truong Dinh Hoang