Compiled By: William Holmes
The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of February 13th to February 20th; covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.
Daniel jacobs to Face Maciej Sulecki at Barclays Center on April 28th
Brooklyn native and former Middleweight Champion Daniel Jacobs (33-2) will return to action on April 28th at the Barclays Center to face Maciej Sulecki (26-0). This bout has been announced to be televised on HBO.
Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (20-0-1) will face Johann Duhaupus (37-4) in the opening bout of the telecast in a twelve round bout.
“I’m looking forward to fight Sulecki on April 28, he’s an undefeated guy that I know will be looking to make a name for himself by beating me,” continued Jacobs. “I’m looking to have a great training camp and get myself focused to really put on a show for the Brooklyn fans come April 28.”
“This is an excellent opportunity for me to fight one of the very best middleweights in the world,” said Sulecki. “I’ll be very well prepared to stay undefeated and defeat Jacobs in front of the Polish boxing fans at Barclays Center as I continue my march to become a world champion.”
Said Miller, “Nothing makes me more gratified and blessed to do what I love best and that’s to get back in the ring and continue to solidify my place as the next heavyweight Champion of the world.
“This fight on April 28th is just the next step to being recognized as the best in the world and a training ground for Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder,” Miller continued. “Thank you HBO, Eddie Hearn and Dmitry Salita for this amazing opportunity. Big Baby Miller and Big Baby Promotions is here.”
Said Duhaupus, “A top Heavyweight does not have to be heavy or light, fat or slim – a heavyweight just needs to be strong. I will show on April 28 that I am strong enough to beat Jarrell Miller.”
Wallin vs. Granat Grudge Match Set for April 21st in Sundsvall
Swedish heavyweights Otto Wallin (19-0, 13 KOs) and Adrian Granat (15-1, 14 KOs) will meet in a grudge match for the European Union title on April 21 at the Gärdehov ice hockey arena in Sundsvall, Sweden.
The 26 year-old fighters have been on a collision course since joining the professional ranks in 2013, and following years of speculation, now the time has come to see who is Sweden’s number one heavyweight.
Wallin, the current WBA Continental Champion, has a record of 19 wins and 0 defeats, while Granat, a former IBF International Champion, has suffered just 1 defeat in his 16 contests, and boasts a frightening near perfect KO ratio of 88%.
Having previously exchanged barbs in the press, there is no love lost between the warring heavyweights, and as anticipation for a fight has grown so to have their hostilities which have reached boiling point ahead of this championship contest.
“I don’t like him,” says Granat, who must travel to Wallin’s hometown of Sundsvall for the fight. “Boxing is supposed to be entertainment, but he’s not entertaining. He’s not got an entertaining boxing style or personality. I think he’s dull all the way through, and I’m 100% confident I will win this fight.
“He’s got a weak mind and no punch so it’s going to be difficult for him. He’s fought lower level journeymen his whole career so it’s going to be a big step up for him to face me, and I think he’s going to notice the difference.
“For me, it doesn’t matter that the fight is in Sundsvall. I think that’s great. It’s going to be fun. I look forward to the crowd booing me in, and they’ll be booing me even more at the end when Otto is lying on the canvas!”
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this fight and finally we will see who is the best heavyweight in Sweden,” said Wallin. “I’m very confident I will win. I’m confident in my ability and in my work rate. I know when I enter the ring, I would have prepared to the best of my ability and done everything possible to win.
“Granat is a big guy with some strength, but I believe I’m the better boxer. I’ve known him for many years since we were amateurs so I know what to expect. I don’t think he’s improved and I don’t think he understands what it takes to become something in this game.
“He’s always tried to do things the easy way. He’s disrespected me and he’s disrespected his other opponents. I want to show him that’s not the way to behave. This is a gentleman’s sport, and I plan to teach him a lesson.”
“This is going to be a fantastic fight,” said Wallin’s promoter Nisse Sauerland. “It’s a fight the fans wanted and we’re very happy that we’ve been able to deliver it. On April 21, Sweden’s top two heavyweights will go toe-to-toe, and I believe the winner of this fight will go on to become a World Champion.”
Granat’s promoter Erol Ceylan adds: “I think that Adrian is well aware of his situation. He will give everything to defeat him. Wallin may have home advantage but he will need to withstand the pressure that comes with that first. I think he does not know how strong Adrian is. This is going to be a great fight. A huge heavyweight fight that will be talked about for years to come.”
Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame to Include Sen. Harry Reid, Laila Ali, Shane Mosley, and Earnie Shavers
Laila Ali will become the first child of a Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame inductee to be enshrined when she is inducted into the NVBHOF on Saturday, August 18 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Tickets to the induction gala, priced from $95 to $500, go on sale at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT today and can be purchased at www.nvbhof.com (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nevada-boxing-hall-of-fame-6th-annual-induction-dinner-tickets-43144441185) Caesars Palace is once again offering a discounted room rate for the event. Rooms can be reserved now via this link: Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.
Ali, the daughter of legendary former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, headlines an elite 14-member class.
“I am so excited about our latest class, because we not only do we get to honor some of the greatest boxers ever, but also because of the historic connection between Muhammad Ali and his daughter, Laila,” said Michelle Corrales-Lewis, the CEO of the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. “Just like her father, who was known as ‘The Greatest,’ Laila was believed by many to be the best female boxer during her career.
“It’s also exciting for us to induct Sen. Harry Reid. Sen. Reid was a boxer himself, and loved the sport and used his influence over the years to help boxing and boxers in his beloved State of Nevada. We can’t wait for our fans to be able to see these great people receive recognition for their amazing careers.”
Of the 14-member class, nine are being elected as boxers and five as non-participants. The living inductees are Laila Ali, Chris Byrd, Todd duBoef, Kevin Kelley, Don Minor, Shane Mosley, Sen. Harry Reid, Jerry Roth and Earnie Shavers.
Alexis Arguello, Henry Armstrong, Jack “Doc” Kearns, Bill Miller and Aaron Pryor will be inducted posthumously.
Star Boxing Returns to the Paramount on March 16th
Star Boxing’s critically acclaimed ‘Rockin’ Fights’ returns to the Paramount, Long Island’s premier venue, on March 16. The show is bound to be yet another sellout at the unique venue.
Star Boxing’s series at The Paramount has developed some of Long Island and Star Boxing’s biggest stars, like former world champion Chris Algieri, light heavyweight star Joe Smith Jr. and jr. welterweight knockout artist Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin.
Star Boxing has also brought in talent from all over the world to the Paramount including two-time world champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (Rhode Island), and former world champion, Joshua Clottey (Ghana, Africa).
Rockin’ Fights at The Paramount has continuously sold out (this is Star Boxing’s 30th show there) with a Long Island crowd that fills the venue with unrivaled energy. The series has even brought out the likes of celebrities such as actor Burt Young, famously known for his role in Rocky and hip-hop artist and actor LL Cool J, amongst many others.
The Rockin’ Fights series at The Paramount offers an affordable and extremely entertaining night out, that is guaranteed to see action packed professional fighting from the opening bout, through the main event.
On March 16th, Star Boxing plans to make the 30th edition of Rockin’ Fights yet another thrilling night of entertainment.
Telemundo Deportes Kicks Off Boxeo Telemundo Spring Season with Mexico vs. Puerto Rico
Telemundo Deportes kicks off the 2018 spring season premiere of “Boxeo Telemundo Ford,” the #1 Spanish-language boxing program in the U.S., this Friday, Feb. 23 at 11:30 p.m. ET, live from the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida. The season will open with an event featuring Mexican Ricardo “Meserito” Rodríguez, 16-5 (5 KOs) and Puerto Rican Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez, 19-2-1 (12 KOs) battling for the WBO Regional Flyweight Title.
Telemundo and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo app will broadcast live with commentators René Giraldo and Edgar López from the venues calling the bouts.
The season opener will have Mexican title contender Rodriguez looking to redeem himself from the last performances and extend his undefeated winning streak versus Puerto Rican fighters with a 5-0 record in regional title fights. Rodriguez will face Gonzalez – nicknamed “Bomba” because of his past explosive knockouts – who recently signed with All Star Boxing, Inc. after gaining an International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) Youth World Championship title and two Puerto Rican championships. Gonzalez has used the recent natural disasters in Puerto Rico as a motivation to fight for all those who have been affected and is ready to make his debut on Telemundo.
The undercard for the 2018 spring season premiere will feature Olympians Antonio Vargas (5-0-3 KOs) of Kissimmee, Florida and Jeyvier Cintron (2-0-1 KO) of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Vargas represented team USA in Rio in 2016 and will be coming off a spectacular win over undefeated prospect Jonathan Garza last November. Cintron was the first and only two-time Olympian boxer to have represented Puerto Rico in the amateur ranks, and he is looking to make up for the lost time after the natural disasters that hit the island by staying very busy in 2018, starting with this bout.
“Boxeo Telemundo Ford” 2018 spring season will continue on March 2 with an exciting bout between David “Severo” Carmona and Jesus “Azul” Iribe for the vacant World Boxing Council Latin Bantamweight Title. On March 9, Telemundo returns to Mexico City for another all-Mexican bout, featuring Gilberto “Yaqui” Parra, who is ranked among the top ten in the world in his weight class, and Saúl “Baby” Juárez for the World Boxing Council Latin Light Flyweight Title.
The “Boxeo Telemundo Ford” season will be broadcast live on Telemundo and live streamed on Telemundo Deportes En Vivo app and will be complemented with extensive news and content on TelemundoDeportes.com, including access to the weigh-in and exclusive behind the scenes content. “Boxeo Telemundo Ford,” the longest-running boxing program on U.S. Spanish-language television, debuted in 1989. Since then it has showcased more than 50 world champions, including Erik Morales, Felix Tito Trinidad, Wilfredo Vazquez, Daniel Zaragoza, Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, Oscar “Chololo” Larios and Israel “El Magnífico” Vazquez, earning a reputation as the show “where champions are born.” “Boxeo Telemundo Ford” wrapped up 2017 with its highest fourth quarter ever among adults 18-49 with 227,000 and 480,000 total viewers, according to Nielsen.
