NEW YORK (Aug. 14, 2008) – The new World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Lightweight Champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley will defend his title for the first time against Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry on Saturday, Sept. 13, in the co-feature of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast, which begins live at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

The main event of the world championship doubleheader features Lightweight World Champion Nate Campbell vs. Joan Guzman for Campbell’s International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) 135-pound titles.

The Bradley-Cherry fight is being presented by Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing. The main event is being promoted by Don King Productions from a venue to be determined.

Bradley (22-0, 11 KOs), a four-fight veteran of the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation, captured his belt with an upset, split-decision victory over Junior Witter on May 10, 2008, by scores of 115-113, 114-113 and 112-115 on ShoBox.

“I’ll never forget when they read the scores and I was announced as the new world champion,” said the 24-year-old Bradley who lives in Palm Springs, Calif. “It was a dream come true.”

That night, Bradley became one of 28 ShoBox fighters that have gone on to become world champions after appearing on the series.

“Now it’s time to make my first title defense where the big boys fight, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING,” he continued.

“I’m here to prove that my fight against Witter was just the beginning. I have plenty of exciting fights left and I intend to successfully defend my title against Cherry. I’ve worked extremely hard to become a world champion and I have to admit, I enjoy the view from up here.”

Bradley, who was a long shot to dethrone Witter in England, will have considerable pressure to perform at the championship level against Cherry. Some boxing insiders believe that fighters improve 25 percent when they win a world title as a result of a boost in confidence. If this holds true, Bradley has the chance to be a very special fighter, but the pressure is on to perform.

Cherry, who will be fighting in his first world title fight, is an all-action fighter that can take a punch. Styles make fights and this one has all the ingredients to be a memorable championship scrap.

Cherry (24-5-2, 12 KOs), a chiseled veteran with three straight quality victories, showed tremendous motivation and ability in his last outing by knocking out the crafty Stevie Johnston in the tenth and final round of their lightweight bout in May.

A native of the Bahamas, Cherry now resides in Wauchula, Fla., and has campaigned as a lightweight for most of his career. He’ll be fighting for the first time as a super lightweight on Sept. 13.

Most fighters would prefer a tune up fight before taking on a world champion at a new weight, but Cherry isn’t like most boxers.

“I relish challenges and will never back down from a championship fight,” said the 26-year-old Cherry. “I was considered a big lightweight so moving up five pounds won’t be as a big a deal for me as it would be for others.

“I think I’m in the same position as Bradley was when he fought Witter in May. Bradley had nothing to lose and was hungry for a win since it was his first world title fight. Now it’s me who has the appetite for a world title. The challenger, as Bradley proved, is extremely dangerous in these types of situations.”

After Bradley-Cherry, SHOWTIME delivers what could be the lightweight fight of the year. The brash and colorful Campbell will defend three world title belts against the speedy and undefeated two-division world champion Guzman.

The fighters have verbally slammed each other well before contracts were even signed. With the fight nearing, Campbell and Guzman will likely abandon the trash talk and let their fists speak for themselves.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING announcers Steve Albert and Al Bernstein will call the action from ringside with Jim Gray reporting from ringside. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing.

For information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.

By Jim Amato

He was possibly the greatest light heavyweight of all time, The wily “Old Mongoose” Archie Moore. The man who scored 140 knockouts in a career that spanned from 1936 to 1963 never lost his crown in the ring. Although he unsuccessfully challenged twice for the heavyweight title, he did campaign successfully among the “Big Boys” throughout his tenure as a professional boxer. His record reads lie “Who’s Who” of boxing history. In 228 recorded bouts, Archie was only stopped seven times, a testimony to his courage and uncanny defensive ability.
Born on December 13, 1913, ( or 1916 to Archie) Moore boxed for years without due recognition. He fought all over the country. He even traveled to Australia and Argentina in search of fame and fortune. After six years on the circuit, Archie began to make his move toward the big time. In 1942, he knocked out Shorty Hogue in two rounds. Hogue had decisioned Archie no less than three times earlier in his career. He also beat rugged Jack Chase and drew with Ed Booker. In 1943, he won two out of three against Chase. In 1944, Moore lost by a knockout to Booker and also dropped a decision to the great Charley Burley. 1945 was a good year for Archie as he lost only two of fourteen fights. He beat Clevelander Lloyd Marshall twice. He was stopped by another Clevelander, the outstanding Jimmy Bivins. He lost a decision to Holman Williams but kayoed Holman in a rematch.
By this time Archie was formidable enough to warrant a title shot but it would be seven long years before he was granted one. Along the way, Moore would beat Curtis Sheppard twice and Bert Lytell twice. He would beat Bivins four times in rematches. He would defeat Harold Johnson in three put of four contests. He also scored victories over Ted Lowry, Bob Satterfield, Phil Muscato, Alberto Lovell and Jimmy Slade. The only boxer who could handle Archie was Ezzard Charles. Ezz beat Moore three times. The last time by a spectacular eighth round knockout in Cleveland. Finally on December 17, 1952, presumably just after his 39th birthday, Archie met yet another Cleveland legend, Joey Maxim. With Maxim’s world light heavyweight title on the line Archie won a persuading decision to become a champion at last.
As world champion the legacy of Archie Moore would flourish. He defeated Maxim twice in title rematches. He beat heavyweight Nino Valdes twice, Bob Baker and Bert Whitehurst. He would successfully defend his crown with knockouts over Harold Johnson and Bobo Olson. On September 21, 1955, Archie would get his first crack at the heavyweight crown when he met Rocky Marciano. In the second round Archie sent Marciano to the canvas. Rocky beat the count and lasted out the round. Slowly the tide turned in Marciano’s favor. Rocky proved to be too strong for the gritty Moore who finally succumbed in round nine. He kayoed Yolande Pompey in a title defense and on November 30, 1956, he was matched with Floyd Patterson for the heavyweight championship that Marciano had vacated. Although Archie was given a good chance to win by experts the youthful Patterson was much too fast and stopped Moore in round five.
Archie went back to defending his light heavyweight crown stopping the highly regarded Tony Anthony in seven rounds. Moore continued to meet heavyweights in hope of securing one more shot at that title. Archie defeated Howard King twice, Roger Rischer, Willi Besmanoff and Charley Norkus before putting his title on the line. Moore’s 1958 bout with Canada’sYvon Durelle secured Archie’s place in fistic history. Repeatedly knocked down in the early rounds and then down again in the fifth, Moore refused to surrender. By the middle rounds Durelle began to tire. Archie came on to stop Durelle in the eleventh round to retain his title in a classic thriller. In their 1959 rematch Yvon was a lot less troublesome as he exited in round three. Moore did not defend his title at all in 1960 much to the dismay of the National Boxing Association who withdrew recognition of Archie as a champion on October 25th. Old foe Harold Johnson beat Jesse Bowdry to claim the vacant NBA title. Still recognized be New York State and the European Boxing Union Archie decisioned Giulio Rinaldi in his final title defense. On February 10, 1692, New York and the EBU stripped Archie of his crown. A feat no mere mortal could accomplish in the ring. Finally the ageless wonder began to slow down. Archie still had enough left in 1962 to draw the future protege Cassius Clay. Clay had won the light heavyweight Gold Medal at the 1960 Olympics and had trained briefly under Archie early in his pro career. The brash upstart overwhelmed the aging warrior as he had predicted in round four. Archie had no more illusions of becoming heavyweight champion.
Upon his retirement, Archie did some acting and he also became very involved in helping the youth of America. He started a program called “Any Boy Can” and used this as a vehicle to reach young people in a positive manner. Archie’s book which is aptly titled “Any Boy Can” explains Archie’s views on helping youth as well as Archie covering his life and boxing career.

Written By Jim Amato

Ever since it was announced that Kelly Pavlik was going to meet Bernard Hopkins, I’ve felt that this would be a tough fight for Kelly. I still do. I’ve really thought about this fight. I’ve tried to break it down to its likely conclusion. Here goes…

Pavlik depends on pressure. He applies it from the opening bell until the end. Bernard is famous for his stalling tactics but he will find Kelly a hard man to discourage. In a nut shell, Pavlik will not dance to Bernard’s tune. Kelly will set and dictate the pace of this fight. This is not good news for Bernard’s aging legs and often weary arms. To Hopkins credit he is a crafty old coot. He will have a plan B. One of Bernard’s best assets is his counter punching ability. He is a very cunning fighter. Kelly likes to work behind his jab and then throw long, lethal rights to the head and body. He likes to get full extension on that right to generate maximum power. When Kelly wings the right he is not in the best position to defend himself. Hopkins has a great counter left hook and Pavlik may be opening the door for Hopkins to land it. To me this is Bernard’s best chance to win the fight. Possibly the only chance.

It will not surprise me if Hopkins puts Pavlik down somewhere in the first five or six rounds. It also won’t surprise me when Kelly gets back up. What will surprise Hopkins is the great tenacity of the young man he is fighting. I feel Kelly will have a slight lead over the first half of the fight because of his work rate. I do expect Bernard to have his moments though.

As we get into the second half of the fight the momentum will change at an accelerated rate. You have all heard the adage ” a fighter can grow old overnight “. By this point of the battle Bernard will begin to feel the effects of the pressure. Pavlik is not shy about going to the body and it will be around this time that those thunderous body blows in the earlier rounds sap the spring in Bernard’s time worn legs. His arms will no longer obey his command to throw combinations. A one punch at a time output is a bad recipe when facing a youthful gunslinger like Pavlik. Hopkins will begin to take inhuman punishment. His great pride will not allow him to fall. Either pride will finally be overpowered or a merciful referee will step in. Succumb he will to the young lion before him. On this night, one legend will end and another will begin.

I won’t vote for Virgil Hill when he finally becomes eligible for induction into the Hall Of Fame .Granted there are lesser boxers inducted but that doesn’t make it right. Adding another less then ” great ” fighter just compounds the problem that has evolved. Over the years the International Boxing Hall Of Fame has become lax in their criteria for induction. I’ve been casting my vote for the last two years. I would have never voted for Barry McGuigan. To me Pipino Cuevas was border line and he beat Angel Espada, Billy Backus, Clyde Gray, Pete Ranzany and Harold Weston Jr. He didn’t just win fights, he destroyed his opponents. He broke bones ! I was more impressed with his career then I’ve ever been with Hill’s and that was before Virgil lost to Maske. Still I would have been hard pressed to vote for Pipino. I’d vote for Danny ” Little Red ” Lopez in a heartbeat. There are several boxers I would vote for before Hill. Virgil was a good fighter who won titles and had longevity in an era when the light heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions were weak. I don’t believe that Hill would have been able to beat Michael Moorer or Prince Charles Williams when they each held a piece of the title at 175. Could you imagine Virgil mixing with the guys from the late 1970’s and 80’s ? Fighters like Galindez, Conteh, Saad Muhammad, Marvin Johnson, Yaqui Lopez, Pierre Fourie, Richie Kates… I don’t think Virgil would have fared as well in this Golden Era of the light heavyweight division.Good God could you imagine Hill vs Michael Spinks ? Now that could have been downright scary. Virgil would have been wasted by the great Bobby Foster.

Virgil may be a good guy. Mr. McGuigan too but they were not great fighters and that is what the Hall Of Fame is supposed to be. The absolute elite of a very, very tough profession.

Jim Amato

FAIRFAX, VA - After being sidelined with an injury over the last 17 months, popular Northern Virginia boxer Jimmy Lange (28-3-2, 20 KOs) will return to action by headlining a live, professional boxing card on Saturday, November 1, 2008 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. The event, produced by Ice Promotions and headed by Jackie “First Lady of Boxing” Kallen, marks the fighter’s sixth appearance at his hometown venue.

Lange has fully recovered from surgery to a shoulder injury that occurred in the first round of his May 12, 2007 World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental America’s 154-pound title fight against Fontaine Cabell. Due to his inability to box during the long layoff, Lange voluntarily relinquished his championship belt which is now held by Julio César Chávez Jr., oldest son of legendary three-time world champion Julio César Chávez, who won the title in an elimination bout on February 9, 2008.

“I look forward to regaining the momentum from my last fight and continuing my quest to become a world champion,” said Lange. “I feel physically stronger than ever, fully recovered from the surgery and ready to step back into the ring at the Patriot Center this fall.”

Next month Lange heads down to Vero Beach, Florida to begin his regular, six-week boxing training session with head trainer James “Buddy” McGirt in preparation for the November 1st fight.

Lange’s opponent has not yet been secured for the fight card which will feature five to six additional bouts.

A native of Arlington, Virginia and a Bishop O’Connell High School graduate, Lange has headlined all five professional boxing events at the Patriot Center on the George Mason University campus, including the sport’s debut at the arena on September 17, 2005. The junior middleweight drew national attention as a participant on the first season (2005) of the NBC boxing reality program, The Contender, and possesses an impressive 28-3-2 (20 KOs) record.

Ticket, priced at $30, $50, $75, $100, $150, $200, $300 and $500 (VIP Ringside), are on sale and can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling phone charge at (703) 573-SEAT (7328), logging onto www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the Patriot Center Box Office. Group tickets and sponsorship are available by calling (703) 536-6060.

Media Contact:

Brian Bishop – brian@bwfcom.com

Brotman ▪ Winter ▪ Fried Communications

Tel: 703-533-4830

MANILA, Philippines—Freddie Roach may have barked out instructions that Manny Pacquiao would readily oblige, but this time the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer is not about to carry out his wishes to take the money and run.

Breaking his silence over the weeks-old negotiations with the camp of legend Oscar De La Hoya, Pacquiao said in his newspaper column that he cannot accept the 70-30 deal of the HBO pay-per-view buys as it’s like “a slap on his face” being the world’s most exciting fighter around.

“Mr. De La Hoya, however, has shown little interest by offering me a percentage that only an up-and-coming fighter rightly deserves,” Pacquiao said.

“If he really wants the fight, then he should at least, at the very least give me what I truly deserve, a fair share of the pie. He should understand that we are both superstars in the game and our mere names will sell everything and we stand to break all existing records in the sport, even the one that he established with Floyd Mayweather Jr.”

Last year’s De La Hoya-Mayweather fight reportedly sold 2.4 million buys and earned Mayweather $22 million on a similar 70-30 split, something Roach said is “a great payday” for a fight that would only make Pacquiao an even bigger name in the sport.

In a separate interview by Maxboxing.com, Roach sent across this message to Pacquiao: “I just want to tell him, does he understand what’s on the table? And is the comparison between fighting Oscar and (junior lightweight Humberto) Soto worth the risk?”

Roach said a Pacquiao-Hoya bout could get at least 2 million PPV buys.

BEIJING – What USA Boxing needs is more medaling and less meddling.

Personal coaches retain too much influence, national coach Dan Campbell said yesterday, and that continuing conflict has created a mutinous climate and contributed to what is now sure to be America’s worst Olympic boxing showing in at least 60 years.

“If you look at what happened, a lot of the guys who lost reverted to what they did domestically,” Campbell said at the end of a dispiriting evening at the Workers’ Gymnasium. “You can’t win doing that. You absolutely cannot win here boxing the way you do domestically.

Getty Images
U.S. heavyweight Deontay Wilder (left) was the lone American to advance to the medal round at Beijing. He defeated Morocco’s Mohammed Arjaoui in the quarterfinals.
“(But) a lot of guys would talk to their personal coaches prior to going into the ring and whatever they said to them superseded anything we said.”

Campbell’s characterization errs on the side of euphemism. What we have here is much closer to anarchy than argument: boxers slipping away from the national team for clandestine meetings with their hometown mentors; unscheduled absences; threatened boycotts; desperate discipline.

Chaos.

The net effect finds USA Boxing at its lowest competitive ebb since the Truman administration.

Heavyweight Deontay Wilder was the only American boxer to advance to the medal round in Beijing, and Wilder wouldn’t have made it were he not the beneficiary of a last-minute, two-point head-butt penalty and a judging tiebreaker yesterday (San Diego time) against Morocco’s Mohammed Arjaoui.

Advertisement “I thought they were going to raise (Arjaoui’s) hand,” Wilder said. “I really did. You can see it for yourself. The judges are not on our side. Over and over you can see it.
“I hate to put it that way, but you know the truth is the truth. It is that way. I don’t want the world to remember the USA team as being failures ’cause . . . I can’t express how much hard work we’ve put in, dedication, sacrifice. You know what I’m saying?”

Wilder’s strange and narrow escape is all that separates American boxing from the first medals shutout in any Olympics it has entered. The same program that produced Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya is now a proverbial punching bag.

“I don’t blame anybody,” Campbell said. “I think there is a maturity process in that the majority of (personal) coaches have never even been to an international bout and they’re advising guys how to box in the Olympics and it causes problems.

“You have the kid caught in between his allegiances to his personal coach. We all understand that. And so it becomes, can they trust me enough to not listen to what somebody else is telling them who has never been to an international bout?”

Answer: Not likely. Campbell may have the right idea, but he’s getting the wrong results to build an effective power base. Not all personal coaches are leeches looking for a meal ticket, but even the most altruistic among them is going to want facts to justify his faith.

We’re still at the stage where American boxers are blaming judges rather than recognizing the need to change their approach. Conditioned to throw punches that deliver damage, Team USA has been slow to embrace the strategic model necessitated by amateur boxing’s move to electronic scoring.

Olympic boxing is based on scoring points rather than inflicting pain, an approach that holds little appeal to an aspiring professional and even less when those points are not readily recognized.

“I threw a lot of punches, but the judges (weren’t) giving me my points,” said American welterweight Demetrius Andrade, a 2007 world champion who was eliminated by Korea’s Jungjoo Kim.

“There’s nothing I can do about it. I tried to go to the body, slow him down, (and) it was working, but I wasn’t getting (any) points for it. . . . It was just pointless for me to be in there.”

Campbell’s challenge is to restore confidence to a U.S. boxing team that won eight medals as recently as 1988. To that end, he is considering inviting personal coaches for a seminar on the international scoring system. He also is considering recruiting a lower tier of talent on the theory that such boxers might be more willing to listen.

“You have to go back to the beginnings of computer scoring,” Campbell said. “The reason we are not doing well is nobody wanted to accept it. None of the coaches accepted it, including myself. We didn’t take the approach of how to beat a guy with (computer scoring). We continued to train our guys the same way, and you can’t win like that.”

Years ago I worked with an older gentleman who always said, ” Don’t worry about it. It will all come out in wash ” Well after much haggling and reams of print written about a proposed Oscar De La Hoya - Manny Pacquaio fight, it has ” all come out in the wash. ”

Greedy Oscar would not budge on his 70 / 30 split and Manny told him to take a hike. Pacman should kiss Oscar’s golden rear end. De La Hoya ’s love of green saved Manny a lot of red, Blood that is… There is no way I could logically see Manny winning this fight. Why should Pacquaio take a first class beating for chump change ? I’m glad the fight fell through ( for now ). Pacquaio is a great little fighter. No need for him to take this match. There are more then enough other fish to fry. I still can’t believe how many fans were willing to buy into the whole De La Hoya - Pacquaio promotion. Think of the precedent that would set. What’s next…The winner of the Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones Jr. bout will square off against the victor of the Ricky Hatton - Paulie Malinaggi fight ? Think about it.

As for Oscar, he should step up and fight Antonio Margarito. This is the fight that everyone wants to see. Give De La Hoya a contract but don’t hold your breath. There’s not enough green out there for Oscar to pick up that pen.

Jim Amato

Former World Champion Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez (left) and Hector Alatorre (right) pose on August 14, 2008 at the weigh-in for their August 15, 2008 fight at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois which will be televised on Telefutura’s Solo Boxeo.

Caption for HernandezAlatorreWeighIn_HOGANPHOTOS(1).jpg: Former World Champion Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez weighs in on August 14, 2008 for his August 15, 2008 fight against Hector Alatorre at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois which will be televised on Telefutura’s Solo Boxeo.

Tom Hogan

Super welterweight contender Ray Sanchez of Albuquerque, N.M. is working out in Las Vegas blast-furnace heat to wire in for his showdown against Joaquin Zamora of Pecos, N.M. on Sept. 5.

“Ray is working real hard to be fully prepared,” said chief trainer Jesse Reid at the Top Rank gym today.

Reid said Sanchez is working “…..on getting the right kind of angles.”

“It’s a 45-degree thing, angling in to effectively fight Zamora,” said Reid. “Ray is going to work on that, spar a lot, run a lot.”

Sanchez knows all about Zamora. Sanchez told Chris Cozzone of Newmexicoboxing.com that “….I’ve know Zamora for years and we’re great friends. Zamora is tough and he has proved himself. In the last 4 years he has stepped up and polished his skills — I better be ready.”

Sanchez plans to train in Las Vegas through August 29, then head home to Albuquerque.

Sanchez vs. Zamora is the centerpiece of a huge Top Rank/Prime Time Promotions fight card at the Isleta Hotel and Casino in Albuquerque, N.M. on Friday, Sept 5.

Urbano Antillon, 23-0, will take on Guadalupe Rosales, 26-2, in a 12-round NABF, NABO super featherweight title bout which will open the televised portion of the card on Telefutura. Antillon, who has been fighting at lightweight, is going down to the 130 pound division for this bout.

Demetrius Hopkins, 28-0, of Philadelphia will make his Top Rank debut against Juaquin Gallardo, 18-7-2, of Oakland in a 10-round bout. Hopkins is a tremendously skilled contender handled by Cameron Dunkin who manages champions and star fighters…

++++++++++++++++++++++++

More updates:

//Tickets are off to a very strong start for Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins on Oct 18 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Top Rank and Golden Boy are promoting. “We are thrilled with the response from fight fans,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank…..

//Running and light exercises for Miguel Cotto in Puerto Rico…..Miguel will be at ringside for the Aug 22 fight card featuring Daniel Jimenez vs. Shamir Reyes in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Top Rank and Cotto Promotions are co-promoting…

//Hard puncher Mike Alvarado, 22-0, will fight in his hometown of Denver on Friday, Oct. 3. On the undercard Top Rank matchmaker Brad Goodman has put together an all-out scorcher: Brandon Rios, 18-0, of Oxnard, Ca. vs. Manny Perez, 12-4, of Denver in a battle of 130-pounders. “There are some fights you cannot wait to see and this is one of them. I’ll be at ringside on Oct. 3,” Brad said today. Telefutura will televise. Fights will be at the Stockyard Arena….

//Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan, the wildly popular U.S.A. Olympian from Glendale, Ca., will return to action on Sept. 19. Top Rank will soon announce the venue for that fight card….

//Stat of the day, from Kevin Iole at Yahoo Sports, about 31-0, light fly world champion Ivan ‘Iron Boy’ Calderon:

“Calderon has done astonishingly well with his physical gifts. He’s won 415 of the 500 rounds during his 15 title fights, an amazing 83 percent round-winning ratio.”

//Those are some kind of numbers. Calderon defends against former champion Hugo Cazares on Top Rank’s Latin Fury 6 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on August 30. That’s a scorcher of a fight too…

Thanks everyone - have a great weekend, Lee

TOP RANK SCHEDULE
lee@toprank.com

Friday, Aug 22, The Hilton Hotel, Ponce, Puerto Rico - Telefutura
10 Rds., Lightweights
DANIEL JIMENEZ, 17-3, 10 KOs, Dominican Republic
vs. SHAMIR REYES, 18-5-2, 7 KOs, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Saturday, August 30, Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum, Bayamon, Puerto Rico - PPV
Latin Fury 6
12 Rds., WBO Jr Flyweight Championship
Champion IVAN ‘IRON BOY’ CALDERON, 31-0, 6 KOs, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
vs. HUGO CAZARES, 26-4-1, 19 KOs, Los Mochis, Mexico

12 Rds., NABO Jr Featherweight Championship
ROMAN MARTINEZ, 19-0-1, 11 KOs, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
vs. SANTOS BENAVIDES, 14-1-1, 12 KOs, Chontales, Nicaragua

12 Rds., NABO Bantamweight Championship
ERIC MOREL, 38-2, 20 KOs, San Juan, Puerto Rico
vs. HERIBERTO RUIZ, 39-6-2, 23 KOs, Los Mochis, Mexico

12 Rds., WBO Latino Welterweight Championship
EURI GONZALEZ, 16-0-1, 11 KOs, Santo Domingo, D.R.
vs. EDWIN VAZQUEZ, 22-12-2, 8 KOs, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Friday, Sept. 5, Isleta Hotel-Casino, Albuquerque, N.M. - Telefutura
10 Rds., Jr. Middleweights
RAY SANCHEZ, 21-2, 15 KOs, Albuquerque, N.M.
vs. JOAQUIN ZAMORA, 15-2, 10 KOs, Pecos, New Mexico

12 Rds., NABF, NABO Super Featherweight Championship
URBANO ANTILLON, 23-0, 16 KOs, Maywood, Ca.
vs. GUADALUPE ROSALES, 26-2, 17 KOs, San Luis Potosi, Mexico

10 Rds., Super Lightweights
DEMETRIUS HOPKINS, 28-0-1, 11 KOs, Philadelphia
vs. JUAQUIN GALLARDO, 18-7-2, 5 KOs, Oakland, Ca.

6 Rds., Super Featherweights
ARGENIS MENDEZ, 11-0, 7 KOs, San Juan, Dominican Republic
vs. ERIK RODRIGUEZ, 15-2-1, 7 KOs, San Antonio

6 Rds., Super Bantamweights
ROBERTO MARROQUIN, 3-0, 3 KOs, Dallas
vs. GINO ESCAMILLA, 5-3-1, 2 KOs, Laredo, Texas

4 Rds., Bantamweights
SAMMY DIPACE, 3-0, 3 KOs, Las Cruces, New Mexico
vs. JULIO VALADEZ, 2-0, 0 KOs, San Antonio

4 Rds., Super Bantamweights
RICKY VASQUEZ, 2-1-1, 1 KOs, Las Cruces, New Mexico
vs. DAVID SPRINGER, 0-0-3, 0 KOs, Las Vegas

Friday, Sept. 19, Site TBA - Telefutura
Main Event to be Announced

Friday, Oct 3, Stockyard Arena, Denver- Telefutura
10 Rds., Super Lightweights
MIKE ALVARADO, 22-0, 15 KOs, Denver
vs. TBA

10 Rds., Jr. Lightweights
BRANDON RIOS, 18-0, 12 KOs, Oxnard, Ca.
vs. MANNY PEREZ, 12-4, Denver

Friday, Oct 17, Site To Be Announced - Telefutura
Main Event to be Announced

Saturday, Oct. 18, Atlantic City Convention Hall, Atlantic City, NJ - HBO PPV
“Unstoppable” - Hosted by Caesars Atlantic City
12 Rounds, Light Heavyweights
World Middleweight Champion KELLY PAVLIK, 34-0, 30 KOs, Youngstown, Ohio
vs. BERNARD HOPKINS, 48-5-1, 32 KOs, Philadelphia

He was one of the best fighters to come out of New Jersey in the 1980’s. He was a viewer favorite during the popularity growth of ESPN boxing. Mike Tinley held his own with some of the best middleweights of the decade. Tinley turned professional in 1981 and quickly established himself as a prospect to watch. Tinley suffered the only stoppage loss of his career in 1982 due to an eye cut against Robert Thomas. Tinley came right back to upset undefeated Mark McPherson. In 1983 Tinley pulled off another upset outscoring talented Robbie Sims. Mike then won the ESPN middleweight title with a twelve round decision over Bruce Johnson. He continued to perform as a crowd pleaser by defending the ESPN crown against the game Teddy Mann. In 1984 Tinley dropped a decision to rugged contender Doug DeWitt.

Tinley got right back on track with a points win over the always tough Jorge Amparo. Tinley then won the New Jersey middleweight title outpointing Andre Cooper. A return match with Robbie Sims again went Tinsley’s way after ten rounds. In 1985 Tinsley met Iran Barkley for the WBC Continental Americas middleweight crown. Tinsley lost a controversial twelve round verdict. Nine months later Tinley dropped a decision to unbeaten Michael Nunn. In 1989 Mike had one more chance to put himself into position for a shot at the world’s championship. He met the cagey Tony Thornton for the USBA 160 pound championship. Again Mike fell short dropping the twelve round duke to Thornton. That was Tinley’s last fight.

Tinley engaged in 29 pro fights and won 22 of them. He met three men who would claim world titles. He reminded me a lot of Cleveland middleweight Sanderline Williams who also campaigned around that time. They both could compete with the best. They just couldn’t catch a break.

by Jim Amato

Bradley vs. Cherry Precedes World Lightweight Championship

Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008, LIVE at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (Aug. 14, 2008) – The new World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Lightweight Champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley will defend his title for the first time against Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry on Saturday, Sept. 13, in the co-feature of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast, which begins live at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

The main event of the world championship doubleheader features Lightweight World Champion Nate Campbell vs. Joan Guzman for Campbell’s International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) 135-pound titles.

The Bradley-Cherry fight is being presented by Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing. The main event is being promoted by Don King Productions from a venue to be determined.

Bradley (22-0, 11 KOs), a four-fight veteran of the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation, captured his belt with an upset, split-decision victory over Junior Witter on May 10, 2008, by scores of 115-113, 114-113 and 112-115 on ShoBox.

“I’ll never forget when they read the scores and I was announced as the new world champion,” said the 24-year-old Bradley who lives in Palm Springs, Calif. “It was a dream come true.”

That night, Bradley became one of 28 ShoBox fighters that have gone on to become world champions after appearing on the series.

“Now it’s time to make my first title defense where the big boys fight, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING,” he continued.

“I’m here to prove that my fight against Witter was just the beginning. I have plenty of exciting fights left and I intend to successfully defend my title against Cherry. I’ve worked extremely hard to become a world champion and I have to admit, I enjoy the view from up here.”

Bradley, who was a long shot to dethrone Witter in England, will have considerable pressure to perform at the championship level against Cherry. Some boxing insiders believe that fighters improve 25 percent when they win a world title as a result of a boost in confidence. If this holds true, Bradley has the chance to be a very special fighter, but the pressure is on to perform.

Cherry, who will be fighting in his first world title fight, is an all-action fighter that can take a punch. Styles make fights and this one has all the ingredients to be a memorable championship scrap.

Cherry (24-5-2, 12 KOs), a chiseled veteran with three straight quality victories, showed tremendous motivation and ability in his last outing by knocking out the crafty Stevie Johnston in the tenth and final round of their lightweight bout in May.

A native of the Bahamas, Cherry now resides in Wauchula, Fla., and has campaigned as a lightweight for most of his career. He’ll be fighting for the first time as a super lightweight on Sept. 13.

Most fighters would prefer a tune up fight before taking on a world champion at a new weight, but Cherry isn’t like most boxers.

“I relish challenges and will never back down from a championship fight,” said the 26-year-old Cherry. “I was considered a big lightweight so moving up five pounds won’t be as a big a deal for me as it would be for others.

“I think I’m in the same position as Bradley was when he fought Witter in May. Bradley had nothing to lose and was hungry for a win since it was his first world title fight. Now it’s me who has the appetite for a world title. The challenger, as Bradley proved, is extremely dangerous in these types of situations.”

After Bradley-Cherry, SHOWTIME delivers what could be the lightweight fight of the year. The brash and colorful Campbell will defend three world title belts against the speedy and undefeated two-division world champion Guzman.

The fighters have verbally slammed each other well before contracts were even signed. With the fight nearing, Campbell and Guzman will likely abandon the trash talk and let their fists speak for themselves.

Written By Jim Amato

The camera rolls and the highlight clip begins. It shows a young, undefeated but green Marvis Frazier dancing while taunting heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. In the blink of an eye Holmes unloads a right hand sucker shot that sends Marvis backward and into a sprawled position on the canvas. Marvis showing he is a true Frazier gamely arises. Quickly Holmes pins him in a corner and pummels him unmercifully till the ref intervenes. The look on Frazier’s face isn’t so much a look of pain. It is a bewildered, shellshocked look like Ken Norton had after Gerry Cooney had worked him over in a corner. A look that said “What the hell hit me ?”

Now fast forward to another highlight clip. A not quite ready for prime time Mike Tyson is waiting in his corner to do battle with Marvis Frazier. This is considered a good test for Tyson at this stage of his budding career.

The bell sounds and within seconds Tyson is on top of Marvis forcing him into a corner. Then Mike connects with one of the most vicious uppercuts of all time. The punch appears to nearly lift Frazier’s head clear off his shoulders. The follow up is needless, Marvis is done.

Today when the name Marvis Frazier is mentioned those two film clips come to mind. Holmes and Tyson both destroyed him. Marvis was just the over hyped son of ” Smokin’ Joe “. How wrong this is. Truth be told, Marvis Frazier was a very capable fighter.

Marvis boxed not slugged his way to over 50 amateur wins. He was considered the best U.S amateur heavyweight until suffering a shocking one punch, one round kayo loss to James Broad. The kayo punch pinched a nerve in his neck and shelved his career. Corrective surgery started Marvis on the road to his professional career.

Many blame father Joe for changing Marvis from a boxer to a puncher. To try and mold Marvis into his unique slugging style. A style he was not really suited for. They said Marvis was too small to slug with the big brutes of the division. There may be some truth to this. Still Marvis enjoyed some success against much bigger and competent foes.

He would meet Broad in a rematch at the professional level. This was not the fat, sloppy looking Broad most of us remember. This was a big but trim and in shape James Broad. It went ten rounds and Marvis using speed, great defense and accurate punching beat him fair and square.

Marvis would also outspeed and out hustle a bigger and talented Joe Bugner. Joe was no slouch. He had traveled 27 rounds in two fights with Muhammad Ali. Bugner had also gone twelve rugged rounds with Papa Joe.

After the Holmes debacle Marvis won a tough decision over Bonecrusher Smith. In a gutsy performance Marvis got off the canvas to win a close verdict.

Mike Tyson put the exclamation point on the career of Marvis. The son of Joe never really got his just due. How would he have done if he boxed as a cruiserweight ? How would he have fared against the likes of Holyfield, Qawi or DeLeon in this bastard division ? It is a shame that we will never know.

Please remember Marvis as more then a whipping boy for Holmes and Tyson. Remember him for more then just being Joe Frazier’s boy. Instead remember Marvis for his talent and his courage. Remember him as a fighter.

August 18 Tournament to Benefit East Los Angeles Latino Community
LOS ANGELES (August 12, 2008) - Tecate, the No. 1 Mexican cerveza in Southern California, announced today its title sponsorship of the 9th annual Oscar de la Hoya Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting the Oscar de la Hoya Foundation. One of the most anticipated golf fundraisers of the year, the star-studded event is designed to raise funds for the organization’s various initiatives that benefit newcomer and second generation Hispanics in East Los Angeles.

Philanthropists and celebrities alike, including Oscar de la Hoya, will swing with Tecate for charity on Monday, August 18 at the Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank, Calif. All proceeds will be donated to projects supported by the Foundation, such as the Cecilia Gonzalez de la Hoya Cancer Center, which provides diagnostic and treatment options for cancer patients, as well as the Oscar de la Hoya Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit and the Oscar de la Hoya Labor and Delivery Center, all located at the White Memorial Medical Center.

De La Hoya commented, “I’m extremely proud and excited that we are in the 9th year of this tournament as it has been very successful in contributing to East Los Angeles community. We are also happy to have Cerveza Tecate as the title sponsor as it brings another level of national exposure and excitement to the event.”

Carlos Boughton, Tecate’s brand director added, “As the title sponsor of the last two Oscar de la Hoya Celebrity Golf Classic tournaments, we are aware of the positive role that the Oscar de la Hoya Foundation plays in the daily lives of our loyal Hispanic consumers in Southern California. Cerveza Tecate is proud to align itself with such a vital organization whose programs support those in need and make a positive impact in our communities. We consider our partnership with the Foundation to be an ideal opportunity to give back to the community and look forward to a very successful fundraising event.”

The format of the 2008 Oscar de la Hoya Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic is “Two Man Modified Best Ball,” where teams of five individuals with full handicap will be able to complete a round at the Lakeside Golf Club. At the end of the day, participants will be invited to cocktails, dinner and an awards reception in the clubhouse.

Opinion by Jim Amato

He lost his professional debut in 1962 but he would go on to later win
the bantamweight title and be a major force for several years. Jesus ”
Chucho ” Castillo rebounded from that initial loss to win fourteen
straight.

As he moved up in competition he suffered an occasional loss but he was
also beating some good fighters like Jesus Hernandez and Lenny Brice.

In 1967 Castillo challenged and defeated Jose Medel for the Mexican
title. He then defeated the rugged Bernardo Caraballo. In 1968 he
continued his march to a title shot with wins over Joe Valdez, Jesus Pimentel and a
two round kayo of Evan Armstrong. On December 6th at the Forum in
Inglewood, California Chucho finally got his title shot. He met the slick boxing
Lionel Rose. After fifteen rounds Rose, who was knocked down in the tenth round
was awarded a split decision. The verdict sparked a full scale riot in protest
of Castillo not being proclaimed the new champion.

Chucho would go on a solid campaign in 1969 to earn another shot at
the title. He knocked out future champion Rafael Herrera. He drew with
Ushiwakamaru Harada and Jose Medel. He also split a pair of bouts with
Raul Cruz. On April 18, 1970 Castillo would meet the new champion, Ruben
Olivares. ” Rockabye ” Ruben had stopped Rose in impressive fashion to win
the crown. Although Castillo knocked Ruben down, Olivares did enough to
earn the decision and retain his title. Still Chucho’s game effort warranted a
rematch. They met again on October 16th and Castillo finally became world
champion as a severe cut forced Olivares out in the fourteenth round.

Chucho’s tenure as champion did not last long. On April 2, 1971 Ruben
regained his crown with a decisive decision. Once again though Chuchu put
Ruben on the canvas.In his next bout Castillo lost a rematch to Rafael
Herrera with the NABF title at stake. Herrera would go on to dethrone
Olivares but then lost the title to Enrique Pinder. Castillo would then
meet Pinder in a non-title bout losing a decision.

In 1973 Chucho would lose to Jose Luis Soto and then be stopped by
Bobby Chacon. In his last attempt to remain in the limelight he was
stopped in two rounds by Danny ” Little Red ” Lopez in 1975. Chucho would lose one
more fight and then call it quits.

Castillo had 66 fights in his illustrious career, winning 46 of them.
Many of his 18 losses came early and late in his career. Castillo’s record
from 1967 through his second loss to Olivares was 17-5-2 and that was
against top level opposition. He was a warrior and a true champion.

Friday, Aug 8, Coliseo Antonio R Barcelo, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico - Telefutura
12 Rds., WBO Latino Light Welterweight Championship
ALEX ‘EL POLLO’ DE JESUS, 17-0, 11 KOs, San Juan
vs. ADRIAN NAVARETTE, 17-5, 13 KOs, Durango, Mexico

Friday, Aug 22, The Hilton Hotel, Ponce, Puerto Rico - Telefutura
10 Rds., Lightweights
DANIEL JIMENEZ, 17-3, 10 KOs, Dominican Republic
vs. FERNANDO TREJO, 30-14, 18 KOs, Mexico City

Saturday, August 30, Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum, Bayamon, Puerto Rico - PPV
Latin Fury 6
12 Rds., WBO Jr Flyweight Championship
Champion IVAN ‘IRON BOY’ CALDERON, 31-0, 6 KOs, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
vs. HUGO CAZARES, 26-4-1, 19 KOs, Los Mochis, Mexico

12 Rds., NABO Jr Featherweight Championship
ROMAN MARTINEZ, 19-0-1, 11 KOs, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
vs. SANTOS BENAVIDES, 14-1-1, 12 KOs, Chontales, Nicaragua

12 Rds., NABO Bantamweight Championship
ERIC MOREL, 38-2, 20 KOs, San Juan, Puerto Rico
vs. HERIBERTO RUIZ, 39-6-2, 23 KOs, Los Mochis, Mexico

12 Rds., WBO Latino Welterweight Championship
EURI GONZALEZ, 16-0-1, 11 KOs, Santo Domingo, D.R.
vs. EDWIN VAZQUEZ, 22-12-2, 8 KOs, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Friday, Sept. 5, Isleta Hotel-Casino, Albuquerque, N.M. - Telefutura
10 Rds., Jr. Middleweights
RAY SANCHEZ, 21-2, 15 KOs, Albuquerque, N.M.
vs. JOAQUIN ZAMORA, 15-2, 10 KOs, Pecos, New Mexico

Friday, Oct 3, Site TBA - Telefutura
Main Event to be Announced

Saturday, Oct. 18, Atlantic City Convention Hall, Atlantic City, NJ - HBO PPV
Caesars Atlantic City
12 Rounds, Light-Heavyweights
World Middleweight Champion KELLY PAVLIK, 34-0, 30 KOs, Youngstown, Ohio
vs. BERNARD HOPKINS, 48-5-1, 32 KOs, Philadelphia

http://www.toprank.com

By David R. Ruff

I was introduced to George Chuvalo by Joe Frazier’s publicist Les Wolfe. Here’s the story that I got from George:

George was never knocked off his feet in 93 pro bouts. He’s fought virtually a who’s who in professional boxing in the ’60s and ’70s, from Jerry Quarry to George Forman. One must give him a lot of credit for the things he’s done in boxing: among his achievements; having only 19 amateur bouts, being the Canadian amateur heavyweight champion, and being the Canadian professional heavyweight champ, and twice going the distance with Mohammad Ali. Ali called George the toughest fighter he ever faced. George has starred in various movies–from “The Fly” to “The Untouchables”…the list is too numerous to name. Also he has been on both Canadian and American TV with a stint on the ‘Avengers’,

George also does extensive work with an ongoing campaign against drugs, working with his organization called The Fight Against Drugs, this after having some personal tragedies with his family involving misuse of drugs. He goes where needed and does inspirational talks to youth groups, about the dangers of drugs.You can see George doing his work on August 24 on ESPN’s Sports Center; where they’ll be doing a feature piece on George’s drug program.

In my brief talking to George, it is obvious that he is one tough customer, all the way around. Here are a couple of questions I posed to him during our all-to-brief talk:

Q: What was your amateur record?
A. Nineteen and one.

Q: What is your favorite book?
A: The Fight of the Century.

George also sparred at one time with Burt Young of Rocky fame, who was in his camp for a couple of days as a sparring partner. George has trained some fighters; one notable Canadian fighter was Donovan “Razor” Rudduck. He still does extensive work with his youth program, which takes up a lot of his life. He still does some TV and movie work.

And he still moves around North America a lot–wherever they need him to make inspirational, anti-drug talks; and he always seems to make himself available.

I must say in closing that, yes George, you’ve never been knocked off your feet. You’re a true champion and a roll model and an inspiration in life.

Opinion by Jim Amato

When I first heard this fight (De La Hoya vs Pacquaio) might be made, I couldn’t believe it. Yes Manny looked great against David Diaz who is a tough guy. With all due respect to David Diaz, I can come up with at least five lightweights right off the top of my head who I think are better then David. Joel Casamayor, Nate Campbell, Julio Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz. So to me, although Manny won a piece of the crown he didn’t even beat the best guy in the division. Now he’s going to fight a full fledged welterweight and a strong one at that…

This fight makes sense only to Bob Arum, Oscar and Manny but not the fans. I feel Oscar is cheating the fans. In the past he took on all comers. He had supposedly stated before the Cotto - Margarito fight that he would like to meet the winner. I don’t think Oscar liked what he saw the night Margarito stopped Cotto. Oscar matches up well with Cotto who I believe Oscar thought was going to win. Now a possible fight with Margarito is not something Oscar may be looking forward to. I really don’t think Oscar has it in him anymore to go twelve hard gruelling rounds and that’s exactly what he would have to do if he faced Margarito. I want to see Margarito rough up Oscar. I want to see someone wipe that phony smile off of Oscar’s smug face. I want to see Oscar take the ten count and not from a body shot. Margarito is the man to do it and Oscar knows it.

De La Hoya has every possible advantage against Pacquaio other then hand speed and the fact that Manny’s a southpaw. Manny can hit but it took him nine rounds to get the game David Diaz out of there. Oscar can take a pretty good shot. Manny may land some power punches but I don’t think he’ll really be able to hurt Oscar. I believe De La Hoya’s best weapon in this fight will be his jab. He has a good one and this will keep Manny from getting off so quickly. If Oscar doesn’t win inside of ten rounds I’ll be shocked. What would really shock me but I would love to see is Manny just flatten De La Hoya. What about your legacy then Oscar?

Opinion by Jim Amato

This is a fight that would have made sense if it was put together. Each boxer has ties to the state of Michigan. It probably didn’t happen because by the time Toney became a heavyweight, Moorer’s star had diminished due to his one round kayo loss to David Tua. A loss two years later to Eliseo Castillo pretty much took Moorer out of the elite class. Toney’s knockout of Evander Holyfield made him a major player in the division. He still remains so.

What if Moorer and Toney would have met at their heavyweight peaks ? Who would have come out on top. This could have been a very interesting battle. How would Toney have handled Moorer’s southpaw stance ? What about Moorer’s quick, hard and accurate right jab ? How would Moorer have dealt with Toney’s defensive wizardry and his pinpoint counter punching ability ?

I see Michael starting fast and doing well with his jab early on. Toney is being patient occasionally landing some good body shots. Moorer is having trouble landing effective lefts as Toney is blocking most of then. By the third round Toney is beginning to step up the pace. Moorer though lands some hard counters that get Toney’s attention. Moorer is showing good hand speed and is now putting his combinations together well. At the half way point of this twelve rounder, Moorer has a comfortable lead.

As the second half of the fight begins Toney is trying to lure Moorer away from the middle of the ring and to the ropes. James is a master at fighting off the ropes. Moorer occasionally obliges him and there are some good exchanges. Toney rattles Moorer a few times with strong overhand rights but Michael stays busy. There are too many lulls on Toney’s part and while these are taking place, Moorer controls the action with his jab.After ten rounds Moorer is ahead on all cards. Michael is just out working James. Toney looks a bit desperate as the eleventh begins. Toney got in some solid shots and Moorer appears to be in some difficulty. Try as he might, James just can’t get Moorer out of there. Toney’s tank is running low as the final round begins. Nevertheless he continues to force the action. Moorer is boxing neatly and he is just trying to get to the final bell. Toney lands a booming right that makes Moorer’s knees dip, Michael is again in trouble and Toney tries to press his advantage. James just doesn’t have enough steam left and Moorer is just jabbing and holding. He is trying to stall until the final and this he accomplishes this. It’s over.

Toney closed the gap in the last two rounds but Michael controlled most of the action throughout the bout. It’s close but Michael scores a unanimous decision.

LIVE ON HBO PAY-PER-VIEW

LOS ANGELES, August 6 – While some naysayers doubt the second fight between Sergio Mora and Vernon Forrest which is slated for September 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas has the makings of the rematch of the year, anyone who has heard the verbal barbs already being exchanged by the combatants has a good idea that the fight will likely prove the doubters wrong.

Emotions reached an early peak last week in downtown Los Angeles when the two fighters met at the press conference to officially announce the bout. After some pointed comments towards each other and an intense stare-down, there is no question that this matter will need to be settled in the MGM Grand Garden Arena ring this September.

Forrest started the banter with some choice words for the champion.
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