News: Mercer, Arthur, WBC, Belshaw, Grant

A MERCILESS TASK FOR HERSISIA

Fight Production manager Olaf Schroeder today confirmed reports coming out of Sweden that Dutch heavyweight Richel Hersisia, 30-2 (24 KO’s), will indeed clash with veteran former WBO ‘world’ champion ‘Merciless’ Ray Mercer, 35-7-1 (26 KO’s), in Karlstad, Sweden on September 5 in a bout scheduled for 6 x 2 minutes, the maximum allowed distance in that country.

“From our side, it’s on,” said Schroeder, “we just wait for promoter Anders Homberg of Pugnus Boxing Promotion to sign the contract, but negotiations with Anders went smooth and easy, so I don’t expect any problems. I am very happy that Anders is giving us this great opportunity!”.

On his last visit to Swedish shores in September ’07, Mercer knocked Mikael Lindblad out cold in the first round. For that fight, Lindblad sparred with Hersisia at the gym of ex-‘world’ champion Graciano Rocchigiani in Germany, so the ‘Dutch Sonny Liston’ will surely be warned. Mercer may be 47 years of age, but he proved that his punch is still up there with the best of them. However, in fact Hersisia has an even higher knockout ratio than Mercer – although at a lower level – so a spectacular punch-out looks to be looming.

“This is the biggest fight to be held in Sweden in the last 40 years, or since Floyd Patterson lost to Jimmy Ellis for the WBA ‘world’ heavyweight crown in Stockholm in 1968,” proclaimed an exited promoter Anders Holmberg.

Grant Scores Impressive Victory!

Former NABF Champion and #1 contender “Big” Michael Grant (43-3, 33 KOs), returned to action in the main event last night at the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia and scored an impressive victory over a difficult foe.

In his first fight in just under a year, Grant pounded out a unanimous eight-round decision over Detroit’s always dangerous Demetrice King by three identical judges’ scores of 79-73.

Promising he was fighting with a renewed confidence from the expert tutelage of new trainer Eddie Mustapha Muhammad and career guidance of promoter Nick Garone of X-Cell Worldwide, the 35-year-old Grant imposed his will on his younger opponent. “In hindsight we really picked the right guy. King made him work hard, but Michael looked good and handled him well,” Garone revealed post-fight. “King, was on a five-fight knockout streak over tough guys like (then 12-0, 12 KOs) Bermane Stiverne and the Canadian Champion, Raymond Olubuwale but Michael stayed focused and controlled the action.”

Garone, who acknowledges that time is of the essence if his fighter is ever to reach his enormous potential, says he will look to keep Grant extremely active in the coming months, with an eye on securing a big fight or title opportunity in the near future.

King Arthur addresses business executives, makes charity donation

King Arthur Abraham and Ulli Wegner made a special appearance on Thursday night when they provided sports and business executives with a fascinating insight of a boxer´s everyday life. Speaking at the first SPONSORs Pokernight, a charity event hosted by sports business magazine SPONSORS, sports rights agency Kentaro and legendary football club FC St. Pauli, the IBF middleweight champion said: “A man has to be able to defy pain.”

Apart from questions about motivation and risk assessment, King Arthur also talked about his epic clashes with Edison Miranda. Back in 2006, he had beaten the Colombian despite a fractured jaw. Three weeks ago in Florida, he knocked Miranda out in the fourth round. “I still had something to prove,” King Arthur said, while Ulli Wegner added: “In his first fight in America Arthur really showed how much potential he has.”

Following his speech Abraham then served as the patron for the charity poker tournament. He ran out of luck and closely missed out on the final round – unlike Ulli Wegner and Jochi Sauerland. The wife of Mr. Sauerland went on to win the tournament. Kentaro had provided 5,000 euros for both the poker champion and King Arthur. Jochi Sauerland, who spontaneously added 1.000 euros during the victory presentation, and Abraham gave the money to King Arthur´s charity foundation “Sporty Aschxahr”, which supports young athletes in Armenia.

WORLD BOXING COUNCIL NEWS

July 11, 2008 – Mexico City.

From WBC President Jose Sulaiman:

Chad Dawson contacted the WBC to inform that he will not fight Adrian Diaconu for the undisputed light heavyweight championship and therefore is relinquishing the title, even though representatives of both fighters had participated in a purse offer that was won by the Romanian promotor Gangkor Promotions.

The WBC feels very disillusioned with Dawson’s decision, as he was going to make the highest purse of his career against Diaconu. The WBC has always supported Dawson since he won the WBC Continental Americas title in 2003. He later asked for the permission of the organization not to fight Adrian Diaconu in a final elimination bout, but to be allowed to directly fight Tomasz Adamek for the title in a voluntary defense, which the WBC accepted and Dawson became WBC champion of the world in 2007. The WBC once again supported Dawson in allowing him to make a voluntary defense against Glen Johnson, for which Dawson signed a letter agreeing to fight Diaconu next.

It happens that he found the way not to fight Diaconu again.

Apparently the reason that Dawson did not comply with the WBC Rules is because of a commitment that he has with a television network, which it seems is interfering with the rights and infrastructure of the WBC, which must be addressed in the near future

Heavyweight Scott Belshaw Added To Williams vs. McDermott Bill

Danny Williams, current British heavyweight champion and the most likely Briton to win a heavyweight world title since Lennox Lewis, gets into the ring on Friday, July 18 to defend his prestigious Lonsdale belt against Essex man John McDermott at Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham, England.

Williams, 39-6 (31), is the favorite of the bookies and knows that a good performance could see him sharing the ring with WBC champion Samuel Peter before the end of this year, but William’s likable opponent, John McDermott, 25-3 (16), has something to say about this.

“People are writing me off, saying I am just here to make up the numbers,” said McDermott. “But this is my opportunity to prove that I can fight and I do have the heart, determination and skill to go to a new level. I’ve worked hard and sparred many rounds for this fight.

“Although I respect Danny Williams, I’m in the ring to beat him. If I have to outbox him, I will. If I have to outpunch him, I’ll do that too. July 18 will be my moment of truth.”

Also on the bill will be young Belfast heavyweight, 6 foot 7 inch tall Scott Belshaw. The 23 year old has relocated to Chislehurst and changed his entire training team since losing to Daniel Peret, 13-16 (4), this past March but will get the opportunity to avenge that defeat when he meets Peret in Dagenham on July 18.

Belshaw, 8-1 (7), spent 10 days in a Portuguese training camp, employing new conditioning coach Carl Kemp, who is working alongside Belshaw’s new boxing trainer, Brian Lawrence.

Lawrence has told promoter Frank Maloney not to expect too much at the moment but in the next two or three years, Belshaw can become a threat in the heavyweight division.

“People forget what Brian Lawrence has done,” said Maloney. “But he’s worked with former European super middleweight champion James Cook MBE, former WBO heavyweight champion Henry Akinwande, current British bantamweight champ and man of the moment, Ian Napa, not to mention the revitalized Anthony Small.

“Lawrence is probably one of the best trainers to emerge in Britain over the last few years and has never been given the credit he deserves; but I’ll make sure that he does if he can turn Belshaw into a champion.”

Frank Maloney Promotions presents “Collision Course”, the British heavyweight title fight between Danny Williams and John McDermott with full undercard on Friday, July 18, 2008 at the Goresbrook Leisure Center in Dagenham, England.

Tickets are priced at £85 and £45 and are available by logging onto www.frankmaloney.com or by calling the Box Office at 0871 226 1508.

Sky Sports will televise live on SS1 at 10PM.