Round Up: Tarver, Ouma, Diacunu, Garcia

The number 1,412 will be announced for the 20th straight time this coming Thursday, as promoter Roy Englebrecht declares his 20th straight Battle In The Ballroom sellout, dating back to February of 2005. And the 1,412 boxing fans will be in store for a solid six bout show.

Undefeated fighters Arron Martinez, Luis Ramos, and Jennifer Barber will put their perfect records on the line and they all will face tough opposition. Martinez out of Los Angeles and with a 7-0-2KO mark, faces 4-1 Christian Valverde from Hollywood. Santa Ana’s rising star 3-0 Luis Ramos meets experienced 6-5 Michaelangelo Lynks, and Cal State Northridge grad 5-0 Jennifer Barber faces San Antonio’s 5-5 Elizabeth Villarreal.

Rounding out the card are two heavyweights looking for their first win as Doug Fifta 0-1 meets 0-1 Jim Collins. Top amateur David Gaspar out of Carson makes his pro debut facing 2-1 Constancio Alvarado, and in the six round featured bout, Palmdale light heavyweight Alex Virgen at 5-5 faces 7-2 Paul Vasquez.

While no tickets remain for the April 24th show, fans may want to go online at www.battleintheballroom.com and purchase tickets for the Thursday, June 19th show, as the Main Event will feature the Inaugural Battle In The Ballroom Championship, where the winner of this eight round fight will receive a beautiful Battle In The Ballroom Belt. Rumor has it that 9-0 John John Molina will be in this featured bout!

The heart wrenching story of former world champion Kassim Ouma hits the big screen this weekend with the world premiere of “Kassim the Dream” at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival co-founded by Robert De Niro in Lower Manhattan.

In this inspiring tale of survival and determination, we see Kassim “The Dream” Ouma transformed from a Ugandan child soldier to a world champion boxer.

Ouma was born in Uganda, kidnapped by the rebel army and trained to be a child soldier at the age of 6. When the rebels took over the government, Kassim became an army soldier who was forced to commit many horrific atrocities, making him both a victim and perpetrator. He soon discovered the army’s boxing team and realized the sport was his ticket to freedom. After 12 years of warfare, Kassim defected from Africa and arrived in the United States. Homeless and culture shocked, he quickly rose through the boxing ranks and became Junior Middleweight Champion of the World.

Kassim, now age 29, seems to have obtained the American Dream with his jovial nature, fame and hip hop lifestyle. In the film, as Kassim trains for his next world title fight against Jermain Taylor in Little Rock Arkansas, keeping his demons out of the ring becomes increasingly difficult. His desires to reunite with family in Uganda intensify when Kassim’s only hope for a safe return is a military pardon from the president and government responsible for his abduction.

Award winning producer/director Kief Davidson shot over 200 hours of footage over the last 3-years for the documentary feature film. Actor Forest Whitaker, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, is the Executive Producer of the Ouma film. The film will compete against 11 other films for the Best Documentary in the festival, a prize that went last year to “Taxi to the Dark Side,” which later went on to win the Academy Award.

More information and a movie trailer are available at the Kassim the Dream.com website or the Tribeca Film Festival website.

Urango vs Vilches, a 12 round IBF title elimination bout, headlines a Hard Rock Live Hollywood, FL bout card presented by Seminole Warriors Boxing. Doors open at 6:30pm and the first bell rings at 7:30pm. ESPN2’s Wednesday Night Fights broadcast begins at 9pm ET / 6pm PT.

In the co-feature, middleweight sensation “Mean” Joe Greene is wasting no time getting back into the ring after his spectacular showing against Francisco Mora in February, and he will take on an opponent to be announced in a 10 round contest. Also featuring Wilmer Vazquez, David Estrada and more.

Webcast Replay on DonKingTV.com
Beginning Tonight at 7 p.m. ET

REPLAY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK

BUCHAREST, Romania—A Worldwide Web replay of Saturday’s excellent showdown between undefeated Adrian Diaconu and Chris Henry will be available beginning tonight at 7 p.m. ET at DonKingTV.com and can be accessed with a simple click at any time thereafter for the following week.

Diaconu won a close, unanimous decision to become the interim World Boxing Council light heavyweight champion in a match staged at the Sala Polivalenta in Bucharest, Romania.

Diaconu (25-0, 15 KOs), born in Romania and now fighting out of Montreal, had been the WBC mandatory challenger at the 175-pound weight limit and was to have faced WBC champion Chad Dawson during a Don King-promoted fight card on Sept. 29 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. Diaconu was forced to bow out two weeks prior to that contest after suffering a hand injury that included bone contusions and soft tissue damage.

Philadelphia’s rising star, Jr. welterweight Danny Garcia, improves to (5-0, 5 KO’s) as he dismantled Guadalupe Diaz at the 1:53 mark of round one on the undercard of Calzaghe vs Hopkins.

Garcia whose known for his fast hands and powerful punch, hurt the Michoacan native early with a barrage of punches. Tony Weeks was forced to stop the beating after Diaz was on wobbly legs.

“I really wanted to go some rounds in this fight, but if the opportunity arises I have to take him out. Diaz didn’t seem to durable so I applied a lot of pressure and landed some big shots. My focus is to get back in the gym and get ready for the next one. I’ve been working very hard and its paid off. I cant wait to get back in the ring.” ~ Danny Garcia

Alexander Frenkel will fight Cory Phelps for the vacant IBF youth cruiserweight title in Bayreuth on May 17. The 23-year-old German, who boasts a perfect record of 14 wins in as many fights (10 KOs), last stopped Arthur Williams in the fifth round of their meeting in Nurnberg (Feb. 16). Less than two years after making his professional debut, the gifted youngster is now eager to win his first title. And in order to do so, Frenkel has worked harder than ever before. “After the fight against Williams I just took one day off and then returned to practice straight away,” he said. “First we worked out in the Max-Schmeling-Gym and since last week we have been in a high-altitude training camp in Switzerland to shape up. I feel great. The mountains, the fresh air and the landscape give me a lot of energy.”

Frenkel claimed he won´t take Phelps (12-3, 7 KOs) lightly. “I don´t yet know too much about him but I am nobody who underestimates his opponent,” he said. “The fight against him is very important for me. Even though it will be my first ten-rounder, I don´t think the fight will go the distance.”

Larry Phelps, father and coach of the “Cobra”, believes his son got what it takes to win the vacant title. “Cory is motivated and hungry,” he said. “He trains very hard and learns very quickly. He is not only determined to make a good fight in Germany but wants to win the title and take it home to Kentucky.”

Paschall (16-0-1, four KO’s) is coming off a solid fourth-round TKO over Bruce Rumbolz on the last Ballroom Boxing show on April 3. Paschall has scored knockouts in his last two bouts. Marks (29-9-1, 16 KO’s) who unsuccessfully challenged Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis for the WBA Welterweight title in 2001, is the most accomplished boxer Paschall has faced. Marks has also fought the likes of former world champions Cory Spinks and Charles “The Natural” Murray as well as contenders Andrew Murray and Tokunbo Olajide. Marks also holds victories over Beltway Boxers Ed Griffin and Purcell Miller.

There is a possibility that this will be a 10-round contest. If that holds up, that will be virgin territory for Paschall.

Tickets are available by calling Ballroom Boxing at 410-766-7474.