By: William Holmes
The following is the boxinginsider notebook for the week of June 4th to June 11th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing.
Lemieux Knockouts Zepeda
David Lemieux improved his record to 26-2 with a 2nd round knockout over Jaudiel Zepeda (12-6-1) this Friday in Montreal. Lemieux dropped Zepeda once in the second round before finally putting him away for good with a left hook to the body.
McWilliams Arroyo Stops Casillas
Former Olympian McWilliams Arroyo (12-1) stopped Rigoberto Casillas (8-7-1) in the seventh round of their flyweight bout. Arroyo dropped Casillas in the seventh round, and finished him off with combinations before the referee stopped it at 2 minutes of the seventh.
Don King Arrives in Montreal
Don King arrived in Montreal this evening to appear at a Wednesday press conference formally announcing his fighter, undefeated International Boxing Federation light heavyweight champion Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud (24-0, 19 KOs), will face former World Boxing Council light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (26-2-1, 16 KOs) on Aug. 11 in a highly anticipated showdown of two young fighters in their collective prime at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
King was greeted arriving in the Customs area of Montreal-Trudeau Airport by England’s Merseyside Chesire Amateur Boxing Association team. They were arriving in advance of their match up against Canada’s Montreal Select team on Friday and Sunday.
Cloud vs. Pascal on Showtime
Undefeated Tavoris Cloud will be defending his IBF Light Heavyweight Title against Jean Pascal on August 11th on Showtime. Super Middleweight Adonis Stevenson will be the co-feature, and the card will be held at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
Ortiz Pegged As Opponent For Alvarez
Saul Alvarez was looking for an opponent for his PPV date of September 15th after Paul Williams and James Kirkland were forced to withdraw. Victor Ortiz has been announced as that opponent, provided he can win his bout on June 23rd.
Gary Shaw Productions Signs Five New Fighters
Gary Shaw Productions and Univeresal Promotions have signed long term contracts with three blue chip prospects and two amateur standouts from Puerto Rico. These fighters include Jose Pedraza, Thomas Dulorme, Jonathan Gonzalez, Luis Del Valle, and Jorge Maysonet Jr. All five boxers will be fighting on Friday, June 15th at the Mario Quijote Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
Showtime Announces All Access Series For Upcoming Ortiz Bout
The first installment, All Access: Victor Ortiz will premiere on Wednesday, June 13th at 10 p.m. ET ahead of his fight against Josesito Lopez on June 23rd. All Access will provide viewers with intimate portraits of the most compelling personalities in sports. Although not limited to the fight game, initial series subjects will take viewers behind the curtain and inside the provocative and often edgy world of boxing and mixed martial arts with virtually unrestricted access
The schedule is as follows:
ALL ACCESS: Victor Ortiz Schedule
Wednesday, June 13 10 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME (PREMIERE)
Wednesday, June 13 Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT CBS Sports Network
Wednesday, June 13 3 a.m. ET/Midnight PT CBS Sports Network
Thursday, June 14 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME
Thursday, June 14 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT CBS Sports Network
Friday, June 15 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME
Friday, June 15 Midnight ET/PT SHOWTIME
Monday, June 18 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME
Tuesday, June 19 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME
Wednesday, June 20 Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT CBS Sports Network
Wednesday, June 20 3 a.m. ET/Midnight PT CBS Sports Network
Thursday, June 21 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT CBS Sports Network
Thursday, June 21 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME
Friday, June 22 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME
Friday, June 22 Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT CBS Sports Network
Saturday, June 23 1:30 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME
Saturday, June 23 6:30 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME
Adrien Broner To Return July 21st
Adrien Broner will be returning to Cincinnati on July 21st for a title defense against Vicente Escobedo at the U.S. Bank Arena for a broadcast of HBO’s Boxing After Dark. Cincinnati is the hometown of Broner, and Escobedo is the number one ranked WBO contender in the 130 Junior Lightweight Division. Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Strikes Plea Deal in DUI Case
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. recently struck a plea deal with the prosecutors in relation to his 3 misdemeanor charges following his arrest in L.A., two for DUI and one for driving without a valid license. He pled no contest to one count of driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher, and the other DUI count and license charge was dropped. This was reported by TMZ at http://www.tmz.com/2012/06/08/julio-chavez-no-contest-dui/
Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School Graduated It’s Sixth Class
June 7 was Graduation Day for the sixth graduating class of the Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School in Los Angeles, Calif., and the man whose name adorns the school couldn’t be happier.
“This is a big day for me every year, and I’m so proud of all these young men and women who have worked so hard to get here,” said De La Hoya, who spoke at the commencement ceremony along with Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar and Education Activist Sal Castro. “I also want to thank all the staff and teachers at the school for their efforts, as they’re helping to create the next generation of leaders for this community.”
This year’s class included 139 graduates, 75% of whom will go on to four-year universities in the fall. Honored as the valedictorian and salutatorian of the Class of 2012 were Magdalena Tobar and Cynthia Contreras, respectively.
Gary Shaw Productions Turns Down Flores
BJ Flores has recently called out the undefeated Lateef Kayode after his fight against Antonio Tarver. John Beninati, matchmaker for Gary Shaw Productions, said, “Dear BJ, first I want to say that I think you are great for boxing and I am a big fan. However, Lateef Kayode had a draw with the best cruiserweight on the planet last week in Antonio Tarver. Although we at GSP think you’re a good fighter, Lateef Kayode is looking for much bigger fights in the future.
Thompson Boxing Promotions “New Blood” Card set for June 22nd
Jonathan Arellano and Jose Angel Beranza headline the June 22nd fight card at the Doubletree Hotel Ontario, California. The co-main event will be between Ramon Valadez and Aalan Martinez in a junior lightweight contest. Tickets can be purchased by calling 714-935-0900.
Richard Pierson Gets New Opponent
Richard Pierson will now be boxing Aaron Mitchell on Wednesday night at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, NJ. Mitchell has an impressive record of 27-1-1 and has not lost in nineteen years, but has also not had a fight in four years. This fight can be seen at www.gfl.tv and can be purchased at the Boardwalk Saloon in Newark, NJ.
Goossen Tutor Promotions to Honor Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas
Goossen Tutor Promotions is bringing a prominent reoccurring boxing series, titled “Live at the Lodge” back to the San Fernando Valley reflective of their “Country Club Series” in the 80s which enabled Gabriel and Rafael and many others to hone their skills in becoming World Champions. The first of these shows will be held June 23 at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City, Calif. and will be broadcast live on Telefutura’s hit series “Solo Boxeo Tecate.” Dan and Joe Goossen will be honoring Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas for their contribution to the sport of boxing and their inspiring success story of the two World Champion boxers, and their rise from selling candy upon their arrival in America to success in and out of the ring.
