Press Releases
SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION WEIGHTS
SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION
WEIGHTS, FINAL THOUGHTS
All Six Fighters Make Weight; Five Newcomers Set For ShoBox Debuts
Heavyweight Rob Brant Puts Unbeaten Record on Line
Against Louis Rose in Main Event of Tripleheader
Tomorrow/Friday, Oct. 23, Live on SHOWTIME at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT
From Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona
Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME
PHOENIX (Oct. 22, 2015) ā The six fighters whoāll be fighting on ShoBox: The New Generationtomorrow/Friday, Oct. 23,live on SHOWTIMEĀ® (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., made weight Thursday on their first attempts inside The LuckySaloon at Fort McDowell Casino in Fort McDowell, Ariz.
Undefeated Rob āBravoā Brant (17-0, 11 KOs), of St. Paul, Minn., faces Louis āThe Unknownā Rose (13-2-1, 5 KOs), of Los Angeles, in a 10-round bout for the vacant WBC Continental Americas middleweight title in the main event. In eight-round co-features, unbeaten Jarrell āBig Babyā Miller (14-0-1, 12 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., will face Ahror āAhaā Muralimov (14-1, 11 KOs), of Houston, Texas via Uzbekistan, in a heavyweight match and Lavarn āBaby Boweā Harvell (15-1, 8 KOs) of Atlantic City will face Samuel āThe Main Eventā Clarkson (16-3, 10 KOs), of Cedar Hills, Texas, in a light heavyweight scrap.
A scheduled fight between unbeaten Filipino prospect Harmonito Dela Torre (16-0, 11 KOs) and Angel āEl Gatoā Luna (11-1-1, 6 KOs) was cancelled Wednesday due to problems with travel.
On Friday, all but Clarkson will be making their ShoBox debuts.
The Weights: Brant weighed 158Ā½ pounds, Rose 159; Miller tipped scale at 280Ā½ pounds, Muralimov 238; and Harvell and Clarkson both weighed 177 pounds.
Tickets for the event, presented by Greg Cohen Promotions and Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions in association with Iron Boy Promotions, GH3 Promotions, Fight Card Promotions, Salita Promotions and Winner Take All Productions, are priced at $65 Ringside, $50 reserved and $30 general admission and are available online at www.celebritytheatre.ticketforce.com.
Hereās what the fighters had to say prior to the weigh-in:
ROB BRANT
āIām really excited about this fight. This is definitely the biggest step-up for me in my career, fighting on a premium network and headlining for the first time. At one point, I probably didnāt think it was possible. But itās what you work for. When you make that step from amateur to pros this is what you work for and where you want to get.
āRose is a really tough guy, very determined, and you know he wants to win very badly. There are different circumstances and we are on opposite sides of the spectrum; heās been homeless and knows what can happen if he doesnāt have success. He knows he has to win. He has his defensive flaws and may not have huge power but he is very athletic and must be respected.
āThere is no way I take him lightly. Rose knows what heās fighting for and what another loss could mean. I know what heās fighting for. I fight for all my reasons, too.
āIām not going out thinking I need to knock him out or impress anyone. I think, in victory, it will be impressive enough because of the opponent he is. Thatās basically my mindset before every fight. I want the win, I know Iāll have to work to beat him but Iām not going to force it. Iāll take the āWā anyway I can.
āI like where Iām at in my career. I feel Iāve been groomed properly and that Iām improving and taking away positives from each guy I fight. I feel Iām becoming more of a puncher-boxer. In the amateurs, I relied on speed and boxing. But in the proās you fight differently. Iāve been staying in the pocket more.
āThis is going to be a great fight on Friday night.āā
LOUIS ROSE
āI keep beating guys Iām not supposed to. I guess I love being the underdog. I love it when people say this and that and that I have no chance.
āThis is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thereās really nothing he can do to beat me. I donāt want to go back to where I was before. This is my opportunity and I canāt let it slip away.
āThis fight certainly is another step up, but I feel I am continuing to improve in all areas. I still have my looks, so I havenāt been hit in the face that much. I think my power has been the biggest difference for me. Iām hitting harder than I was before.
āI always work hard. I stay in the gym. Iām very hungry. I think this is my time. Some describe my style as awkward but I consider it more one-of-a-kind. I can box or pressure you. I think tomorrow I will be the pressure guy.
āI feel Iāve fought the better opposition. Give me his opponents and give him my opponents and see how I compare.
āI spar with tough guys. I donāt think he is better than some of the unbeaten guys Iāve fought. Brant can be totally ready but thereās nothing heās going to be able to do that I wonāt be able to do.
āThis is my opportunity of a lifetime. I am going to win this fight. Iām not taking anything away from Brant ā heās still a lot better than other guys at this point. Itās going be a very rough fight. My game is to make you mad, get you off your game and then take advantage.
āIām going to stick with nickname forever ā even when Iām known.
āIām beyond excited about fighting in the main event on ShoBox. This is a tremendous accomplishment for me. Iāve come a long way but I couldnāt have done it without discipline and a ton of hard work.ā
JARRELL MILLER
āI was born to do this. I was born to kick ass. Some guys play football, some play basketball, but Iām here to hurt you.
āI started to box two years after my kickboxing career. Actually, I made more money kickboxing, but Iām still young so I decided to focus 100 percent on boxing. Itās not that big a transition although some of the basics were different, of course.
At 27, I feel Iāve really honed into what Iām supposed to do. Iām ready to put on a show. I am what the heavyweight division is missing. No one has bought into my story yet, my martial arts background, etc., but once they see me knocking out all these guys, theyāll remember.
āI weigh 280 pounds, but Iām not an out-of-shape 280. Iām strong and mean, solid. I swing for the fences.
āThis is a big step for me, my first eight-rounder, my first time on SHOWTIME. I really want to hurt and impress people. Maybe in a couple more fights Iāll start looking to get in some rounds. But not tomorrow. I want to not just hurt you but destroy you.
āIām used to fighting shorter guys, Iāve sparred with them for this fight. Iāve done my homework, Iāll be fine and Iām really excited about this fight.
āI have a team thatās been there, Iām the only one who hasnāt. I want this bad, I want to hurt guys every fight, Iām looking for KOās. Iām not one of those who say āif the knockout come, it comes.ā Thatās not me at all. Iām not about āifs.ā Iām going to bring it.ā
AHROR MURALIMOV
āI know itās important for me to be aggressive, get inside, give him lots of head movement, stay busy and stay behind the jab. The jab may be the key.
āI lost to Rossy in my last fight but he had a lot of experience and he knows how to survive. So I feel I have a lot to prove in this fight. I canāt afford to make another mistake.
āThis is a good fight for me on Friday. Iām confident and ready.
āIām honored and very excited to be fighting on my first ShoBox. This is such a major opportunity for me. Youāre going to see a side of me youāve never seen.
LAVARN HARVELL
āThis is my biggest opportunity and my toughest fight to date, fighting on ShoBox against Clarkson. It is my introduction to American boxing fans on television so it doesnāt get more exciting than that. Iāve fought two southpaws before and Iāve seen Clarkson, who I know is a good fighter.
āIāve had management and promotional issues but they are all in the past. Iām ready to fight and want to make a good impression
āThis is also my first eight-rounder, but it is a step-up fight for both of us. I like to box and use movement but I am totally prepared to fight and win.ā
SAMUEL CLARKSON
āI had great sparring and a lot of positive people around me for this camp. I am in a great place; everything has been great.
āWe want and are always looking for the bigger fights, but this is another step, and weāre ready.
āIāve won six straight fights. After I lost to Jesse Hart, I was listening too much to what others had to say. But now I believe in myself. I feel like my timing, skills, reflexes, everything basically, is better than ever.
āIām not that familiar with Harvell and Iāve prepared for everything, but mostly I concentrate on what I have to do. Iāve had solid sparring so Iām really prepared for this fight.
āIāve been knocked down and got up to win. Iāve been cut and won with blood. No one can take my heart away from me win, lose or draw. Iām a fighter. I know what itās like to deal with adversity and win. Iāll fight anyone.āā
Argentina
Three Punch Combo: Whatās in the Cards for Spence, Kell Brook, and Cotto?
Ā THREE PUNCH COMBO: Errol Spence Jr. scored an impressive knockout victory against Kell Brook on Saturday to take Brookās IBF welterweight title. Both fighters now face interesting possibilities as they move forward in their respective careers.
Spence, who entered the fight with a lot of questions, not only showcased his tremendous skills but proved he has a very good chin as well as the willingness to dig deep when needed. He is without a doubt a future superstar in this sport. With momentum strong right now, he would be wise to be as active as possible even if not landing one of the big names his next time out.
I sense that Spenceās advisor, Al Haymon, will in fact get him back in the ring this summer. One name I would speculate as an opponent is Adrian Granados. Coming off a debatable loss to Adrien Broner, Granados has earned another shot at a top fighter. Granados is not a big puncher, but will put forth a good effort. The translation here is that he is someone that can be sold to the public as an opponent for Spence while bigger names are lined up, and also someone against whom Spence can in all likelihood look impressive once again.
After a summer tilt, I would expect to see Spence back in action towards the end of the year in a more substantial fight. Keith Thurman will still be on the mend at this point, recovering from elbow surgery, so that fight is out until next year. But Haymon has plenty of other welterweights and one that I suspect he steers toward Spence will be Lamont Peterson. Peterson is a name and has a belt. He also has a stated desire to want one of the big names next along with the payday that it would command. With Thurman out, this would seem the likely immediate path for Spence as such a fight would draw plenty of attention and be easy to sell.
As for Brook, he is going to need an extensive rest before restarting his career. He suffered a beating as well as an eye injury in September against Gennady Golovkin and then suffered another beating as well as injuring his other eye against Spence. After a rest, expect to see a tune- up bout followed by a massive fight in the UK against Amir Khan. The Khan fight has always been big and one of the reasons it has not been made is that it could frankly be made anytime with it still being a very significant event. Considering where both fighters are presently in their respective careers, the timing seems right for it to happen sooner rather than later. They both get a big payday and the winner gets well positioned for another big payday in what is a loaded territory at welterweight and junior middleweight.
Errol Spence Jr. and Kell Brook gave us a great fight on Saturday. While their career paths will head in different directions, expect to see both involved in big events once again down the road.
Ā Miguel Cottoās Future
Ā Miguel Cotto announced this week that he would be returning to the ring on August 26th to face Japanese brawler Yoshihiro Kamegai for the vacant WBO junior middleweight championship. Cotto, who split from his promoter Roc Nation last week, will work with Golden Boy Promotions for this fight which will be televised by HBO.
This is an interesting development in the career of Cotto. Reportedly HBO had not been interested in televising the proposed Kamegai fight unless it received assurances from Cotto that it would lead to a bigger fight to be televised by the network. Also, Golden Boyās involvement in the promotion signals that they could be involved in Cottoās future. Obviously, this would mean the opponent for a big fight for Cotto would come from under the Golden Boy banner.
The obvious choice for Cottoās big fight opponent is David Lemieux. Lemieux has been chasing a fight with Canelo Alvarez. However, with Alvarez deciding to go after Gennady Golovkin, Lemieux gets left on the outside looking in. In need of a big fight for Lemieux, Golden Boy saw an opportunity with Cotto having been previously negotiating the Kamegai fight with Roc Nation. A fight between Cotto and Lemieux makes sense for both as Cotto wants a name who isnāt a slick boxer and Lemieux wants a big fight with the payday it commands as well as the opportunity to put a signature win on his resume to bolster his future ambitions.
But I also think Golden Boy has another potential plan for Cotto. Golden Boyās main cash cow, Canelo Alvarez, is in a high risk, high reward fight with Golovkin in September. There is no rematch clause if Alvarez wins and, of course, a win by Alvarez cements him as a mega star in the sport. He will be eyeing a return in May 2018 during Cinco de Mayo weekend. With momentum behind him, Alvarez would be wise to seek a name opponent to further boost the event. A rematch with Cotto would not only do huge business but keep the momentum going. For Cotto, it would be a chance to avenge the loss from 2015 to Alvarez and give him one massive payday as his career nears a conclusion.
Miguel Cotto is determined to close his career out with something big and it appears likely he will get his wish.
Kudos to Golden Boy
Ā When Golden Boy announced its new series on ESPN this winter, I was cautiously optimistic in the fights they would produce. I must say that the matchmaking thus far on this series has been superb and is getting even better with some recently announced cards. These are the types of televised shows the sport needs to generate some badly needed positive buzz.
On June 17th, Pablo Cesar Cano takes on Fidel Maldonado in a junior welterweight contest. This fight is not only very evenly matched but canāt be anything except a slugfest given the styles of the two fighters. Cano is a high pressure fighter who is willing to exchange to get his own punches home. Maldonado has the ability to box, but often gets drawn willingly into wars. In 2015, he had a back and forth shootout with Amir Iman in a fight that got some talk in fight of the year chatter. As a matter of fact, round three was probably round of the year that year. Maldonado has a tendency to fire back when he gets hit and with Canoās style Maldonado is going to get hit a lot. This one is guaranteed action and a perfect fight for television.
About two weeks later, Golden Boy returns with another ESPN card featuring a high stakes junior featherweight contest between Randy Caballero and Oscar Negrete. Caballero is an undefeated former bantamweight belt holder and is a very skilled boxer puncher. Negrete, also undefeated, has shown much improvement inside the ring in his last few contests. The styles of these two should mix well to provide an entertaining fight. It is also evenly matched, and with so much at stake we should see the best of both men inside the ring.
One point I harp on a lot is the importance of good matchmaking, especially in televised fights. Golden Boy is doing an excellent job so far with their new ESPN series providing high quality, well-matched fights. The boxing public is taking notice and Golden Boy deserves much praise in delivering excellent events for the fans.
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel.
Canada and USA
George Foreman Youth Center in Houston Hosts Amateur Event
George Foreman Youth Center – Ā -Starting with the ring of the bell on October 22nd, local area boxers will be fighting for a spot to represent the Gulf Coast Region at the USA Boxing National Championships & in International Travel.
Weight categories will include: Pee Wee 8-9, Bantam 10-11, Intermediate 12-13, Juniors 14-15, Youth 15-16, & Elite 18-40 in both Open and Novice divisions. Winners will represent the Gulf area at the 2016 USA Boxing Elite, Youth and Junior National Championships to be held in Kansas City Missouri December 4-10, 2016. This tournament is a sanctioned event through USA Boxing the National Governing Body of Amateur Boxing and is a feeder to National and Olympic recognition.
The George Foreman Youth and Community Center was founded 32 years ago in 1984 by Olympic Gold Medalist and 2-time heavy weight champion George Foreman. The GFYCC is dedicated to providing a safe and secure location for youth to participate in sports and after school activities.
“This year for the first time in Houston boxing history, we are developing an elite international youth boxing team,” said George Foreman, IV. “The team will be selected for the sole purpose of training and traveling to other countries to gain experience on an international platform and promote cultural diplomacy! Utilizing grant and donor funding this team will be representing the George Foreman Youth and Community Center and will be announced Saturday October 22, at the Gulf Region’s Boxing Championship. The team will be reviewed by my father, 1968 Olympic Gold Medalist and 2-Time Heavyweight Champion, George Foreman Sr. The first international trip for this new Houston team is scheduled for Jan. 2017.”
Doors open for the Gulf Gloves Championships on Saturday October 22nd at 11:00 am with announcements and the presentation of the colors by the United States Army Houston Recruiting Command Baytown Beaumont Company at 12:45 pm. The national anthem will be performed by the internationally acclaimed Houston Brass Quintet! Boxing will begin at 1:00 pm. Championship finals will begin at 1:00 pm on Sunday October 23rd.
Media open workouts for Houston amateur standout boxers will be held Wednesday October 19th at the George Foreman Youth and Community Center at 2202 Lone Oak Road Houston, Texas 77093 at 4:00 pm.
Confirmed attendees for interviews will be:
George Edward Foreman IV: Son of 2 Time Heavy Weight Champion, President of Foreman Public Relations
Marlen Esparza: 2012 Olympic Games Bronze Medalist, 2014 Amateur World Champion, 2006 & 2016 Amateur World Championships Bronze Medalist, Nine-Time USA Boxing National Champion.
Rocky Juarez: 2000 Olympic Games Silver Medalist, 1999 Amateur World Champion, WBC Silver Featherweight World Champion.
Raul Marquez: 1988 Amateur World Championships Bronze Medalist, 1992 Olympic Games Quarter-finalist, IBF Light Middleweight World Champion.
Frank Tate: 1984 Olympic Games Gold Medalist, IBF Middleweight World Champion, NABF Light Heavyweight Champion.
Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz: WBA Lightweight World Champion, WBO Lightweight World Champion, WBA Super-Lightweight World Champion, IBF Lightweight World Champion.
“Sweet” Reggie Johnson: WBA Middleweight World Champion, IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion.
In addition to many Houston area professional boxers and Gulf Boxing Association alumni. Event is sanctioned by USA Boxing – Gulf LBC: 16-25-14268
George Foreman Youth Center / Check out more boxing news and videos at The Boxing Channel.
Press Releases
Michelle Corrales-Lewis Named New CEO of NV Boxing Hall of Fame
LAS VEGAS, NV (October 5, 2016) – The Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame (NVBHOF) a non-profit charitable organization which donates to boxing-related causes, is happy to announce Michelle Corrales-Lewis as its new CEO/President. Respected boxing announcer, Rich Marotta, who founded the NVBHOF in 2012, steps down after devoting years of his life to get the organization off the ground.
With a number of boxing greats already inducted, which include world champion fighters, judges, coaches and promoters, the NVBHOF has rapidly established itself as prestigious group not only here in Las Vegas, but around the world. The NVBHOF has multiple fundraising events throughout the year, helping local boxing organizations fulfill their goals to keep boxing alive within the community.
“I took this organization as far as I could and I’m very comfortable where it is at today,” said Rich Marotta. “Michelle is on the scene in Las Vegas, has a myriad of contacts, both in business and with the boxing community, especially the fighters, and is more than ready to completely run the company. She is incredibly capable and has been an indefatigable agent for growth of the NVBHOF the past three years, taking on additional responsibilities each and every year. It brings me great pleasure to announce her as the new CEO of the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.”
After serving as the NVBHOF Chief Operating Officer for many years, Michelle Corrales-Lewis, is thrilled at her new position within the organization.
“It’s an honor to be chosen as the new CEO of the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame,” said Michelle Corrales-Lewis, widow of former multiple world champion and 2013 NVBHOF inductee, Diego Corrales. “Rich Marotta did a fantastic job building the organization from ground up. His immense work ethic is a great example of how I plan to continue the vision he set forth. My goal is to find a home for the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, one where fans from all around the world can visit on regular basis. The boxing community is filled with wonderful people that we will honor as inductees each year. I’m truly grateful for the wonderful opportunity that has been presented to me by my dear friend Rich Marotta.”
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