By: William Holmes
Chris John Remains Undefeated
Little known but undefeated Chris John (47-0-2), who has a previous win over Mexican standout Juan Manuel Marquez, took on Shoji Kimira (24-5-2) in Singapore on Saturday. Chris John is a boxing star that has experienced little stateside exposure in his career, and he easily defeated Kimura with scores of 118-110, 118-110, and 117-110.
Ponce De Leon Shut Outs Lazcanao
On Friday in Las Vegas, Daniel Ponce De Leon (43-4) swept the cards as he beat Eduardo Lazcano (24-3) in the junior lightweight division. Ponce De Leon has now won two fights in a row, and has bounced back nicely since losing to Yuriokis Gamboa and Adrien Broner. Ishe Smith (23-5) also won on that same card as he beat Ayi Bruce (21-7) by TKO at 2:10 of the fourth round.
Andrade Disposes Cisneros
Demetrius Andrade (17-0) took on Rudy Cisneros (12-4) in the main event of a special edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights on the same night as the Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. Andrade made very quick work of Cisneros. The referee called off the fight with only one second left in the first round, and it gave Andrade plenty of time to shower up and watch the mega fight.
Marquez Makes Short Work of Aiken
Rafael Marquez (41-7) also had a short night against Eric Aiken (16-9-1) in the featherweight division. Aiken took the fight on three weeks notice, and had little answer for Marquez until the referee stopped the bout in two minutes and twenty six seconds in the first round.
Joel Diaz Shines as a Prospect
Joel Diaz Jr. (9-0) defeated tough veteran Yogli Herrera (22-15) on April 28th at the Mountaineer Casino and Resort in Chester, West Virginia. Herrera was unable to rise from his stool at the start of the fifth round, and was dropped several times by Diaz in the earlier rounds.
Hopkins and Mitchell Release Statements After their Battles on April 26th
Hopkins indicated that even though he’s quickly approaching fifty, he has no plans on retiring. “I fought hard Saturday night and feel the fight was closer than two of the scores reflected,” said Hopkins. “Regardless of the result, I will continue my career and challenge any champion in my division. I might be older, but I don’t feel a decline in my skills or abilities in the ring. I love to fight and am still competing at a level where boxing cannot deny me the opportunity to succeed.”
Seth Mitchell, a fast rising American prospect in the heavyweight division, surely turned a lot of heads after his TKO victory. “Every experience I have in the ring allows me to improve my learning curve in the sport as I continue to climb the heavyweight division,” said Mitchell. “I know I have the heart, which the fans saw Saturday night. I am very proud of my victory over Chazz and look forward to my next challenge. There is only one dream for me and that is to be the bona fide heavyweight champion of the world.
Tyler Foundation Announces Harmony and Hoops
Former WBO Heavyweight Champion Shannon Briggs will be participating with NBA legends Jim Cleamons and Sam Cassell on May 19th in an event to end violence and create awareness for autism through the Harmony and Hoops Celebrity Basketball Game, May 19th, 2012 at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, CA. More information can be found at www.harmonyandhoops.com.
Randall Bailey and Mike Jones Scheduled to do Battle June 9th
Welterweight standouts Randall Bailey and Mike Jones will do battle on June 9th for the vacant IBF Welterweight Championship on June 9th, serving as the co-feature on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley PPV card. Bailey is the IBF #2 ranked fighter, and Jones is the IBF #1 ranked fighter.
Fres Oquendo Announces Joey Abell As Next Opponent
“Fast” Fres Oquendo (33-7) will be facing Joey Abell (28-5) in his next bout. They’ll be the 10 round main event of Hitz Boxing’s latest “Fight Night at the Horseshoe” event on Friday May 25, 2012 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammon, Indiana. Tickets can be bought at www.ticketmaster.com.
Ricky Hatton Breaks Silence on Sky Split
It was recently announced that Sky Sports would not give Hatton Promotions any further dates after their Manchester show scheduled for June 16th. Ricky Hatton however seems unfazed. He has stated, ““The news came as a blow and I feel we have been unfairly treated, but there are meetings already set up with other TV channels. Next season I am very confident that my fighters will have a big television platform to perform on. I have a great stable of fighters, many champions and a hard working team. TV companies have contacted me – not me them which is encouraging. It shows the great promotions I have staged for Sky hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
Andy Ganigan Passes Away
Former boxing champion Andy Ganigan of Waipahu passed away in Las Vegas on May 2nd. He was a former champion and a member of the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame. He passed away at the age of 59. It comes two years after an assault in his hometown of Waipahu left him severely debilitated.
Milano Crowned WSB Team Champions
The pinnacle of the World Series of Boxing season saw Dynamo Moscow and Dolce & Gabbana Milano Thunder battling it out in a packed ExCeL arena in London for the 2011-2012 Team Final. The Italian squad became the WSB champions for the very first time. More information can be found at www.worldseriesboxing.com
Estrada vs. Gonzales Has Been Announced
Jason “Big Six” Estrada (18-4) will be taking on Alex Gonzales (20-6) in the eight round main event of “Take Over” on Friday, June 29th at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence Rhode Island. Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com
Kessler Ready for Green on May 19th
Mikkel Kessler will be moving up in weight and challenging Allan Green for the WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship. Kessler feels confident, and believes the extra weight has added to his power. In response to a question about how his training is going, he stated, ““Brilliant. I have put on some pounds and I am hitting harder than ever. And I must say I haven´t lost any of my speed either. Going up to light heavyweight has given me much more one-punch KO power.”
Roberto Gurrero vs. Selcuk Aydin Set for July 28th
Roberto Gurrero is set to clash with welterweight sensation Selcuck Aydin on July 28th at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. The bout will be broadcast on Showtime, and will have major implications in the welterweight division.
Beibut Shumenov Ready to Take on Enrique Ornelas
WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Beibut Shumenov returns on Friday, June 2 to take on Enrique Ornelas at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The bout will be telecast on the foxsports networks, and tickets can be bought at www.ticketmaster.com
DiBella Entertainment Proud of Carlos Quintana and DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley
Two of DiBella Entertainment’s former world champions, Carlos Quintana and DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley both traveled to their oppoenent’s hometown and score impressive upset knockout victories. Quintana upset former world title challenger DeAndre Latimore in the opening bout of the HBO PPV undercard of Mayweather-Cotto, and the 37 year old Corley flew to Belfast, Northern Ireland and defeated Paul McCLoskey despite being a 7-1 underdog.