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Facebook Grudge Match to be Settled at Chumash This Friday

Published

13 years ago

August 3, 2011

The Sweet Science

Technology Brings Another Boxing First:

Facebook Grudge Match to be Settled at Chumash This Friday

“Vernon Paris is soft and lacks determination, heart and integrity: All the things necessary to become a champion. I have every one of them.”

Tim “Pitbull” Coleman

The first consumer computers were built in 1976.

Facebook was invented in 2004.

The first Facebook Grudge Match in a boxing ring will take place this Friday, live at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California, and broadcast nationally on ESPN Friday Night Fights (ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com 9PM Eastern LIVE).

“To be honest, he’s a jerk,” says Baltimore’s IBF #5-rated super lightweight contender Tim “Pitbull” Coleman (19-1-1, 5 KOs) of his next opponent, Detroit’s Vernon “Iceman” Paris (24-0, 14 KOs). “He wrote some vulgar comments on my Facebook page, talking about what he’s going to do to me, and I have a lot of kids who read my page.”

The two will settle their Facebook-borne grudge match in the 10-round main event of this Friday’s (August 5) “Clash at the Chumash” event in a battle that is also for the USBA Light Welterweight championship.

In the televised supporting bout, Glendale, California’s undefeated Art Hovhannesyan (14-0-1, 8 KO’s) will be looking to continue his winning ways against a very tough foe in former world title champion Cristobal Cruz (39-12-2, 23 KO’s) in a 10-round lightweight bout.

“Most fighters don’t come from great places and you have to inspire kids and lead by example,” continued Coleman, “all his cursing and the crap he called me on my Facebook page, he doesn’t set a good example at all.”

Growing more agitated, the never-shy Coleman finally let loose.

“What kind of person are you to go on a public page and do that? I have 3000 people on my Facebook page. People kept saying what an asshole. (Former world champion) Kendall Holt wrote to me and said ‘beat that guy. He’s a jerk.’ He’s (Paris) a really arrogant kid and he feels like the world owes him something. It was to the point I wanted to go to the place where he was staying and my manager talked me out of it. I have to keep my eye on the prize. His manger is a jerk and he’s a jerk. With everything in my body, I want to destroy him. Hurt his ass. I won’t be content until I put some serious pain on him. I hate him. My mouth just got dry because I want to hit him so bad.”

Settling down momentarily, Coleman managed a realistic evaluation of Paris’s style.

“Vernon is a solid fighter. He has a good jab and good reflexes, but he lacks heart. I’ve seen him gas after three or four rounds because he throws too many punches. Even though he has more fights than me, he doesn’t seem like a mature fighter. He has good beginner skills, but he doesn’t have that Mayweather style down pat yet. I will come out the first couple rounds and find him with my jab. I won’t be as successful in the first few rounds, but I’ll keep tapping that body and the tree will fall. All I have to do is wear him down. He doesn’t like pressure. I will bring my physicality to the ring and he won’t be able to deal with it. He will have success in spots because he’s faster, but they won’t be devastating blows.”

Despite seeing red, Coleman says he can clearly envision what will become of his online enemy turned real opponent.

“I got reports from all over that he’s getting stopped in the gym by an amateur fighter. I’m hitting harder than ever. I’m going to be a freight train for this fight. I’ve seen a lot of his fights, and when he gets hit, he tries to walk forward and hit back and that will be his dire mistake with me. As soon as he gets off his angle and tries to walk forward, I will hit him in his chin and he’ll go to sleep. All his shoulder rolling shit won’t work anymore.”

Clash at the Chumash is proudly promoted by Gary Shaw Productions.

On the outstanding undercard, Miami’s undefeated featherweight prospect Luis Franco (9-0, 5 KOs) will take on tough veteran Adolfo Landeros (21-20-2, 10 KOs) in an eight-round test; Guilderland, New York’s undefeated Michael “Baby Face Assassin” Faragon (15-0, 6 KOs) will face Memphis, Tennessee’s tough Ira Terry (24-5, 14 KOs) over six lightweight rounds; in an eight-round welterweight bout, New York City’s undefeated Michael Anderson will face a good test in El Paso, Texas, veteran Bernardo Guereca (16-11-1 3 KOs); and San Ardo, California’s Roman Morales (5-0, 4 KOs) will look to remain unbeaten in a four-round featherweight contest against Tabasco, Mexico’s Rodrigo Arranda (8-14-2, 2 KOs).

On fight night, the first fight will begin at 5:30 pm Pacific time. Tickets are priced at $35, $45, $55, $70, and $85. The Chumash Casino Resort is located at 3400 East Highway 246 in Santa Ynez. For more information, visit www.garyshawproductions.com. For more information about the Chumash, call (800) 248-6274 or visit www.chumashcasino.com.

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2015 Fight of the Year – Francisco Vargas vs Takashi Miura

Published

9 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

The WBC World Super Featherweight title bout between Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura came on one of the biggest boxing stages of 2015, as the bout served as the HBO pay-per-view’s co-main event on November 21st, in support of Miguel Cotto vs Saul Alvarez.

Miura entered the fight with a (29-2-2) record and he was making the fifth defense of his world title, while Vargas entered the fight with an undefeated mark of (22-0-1) in what was his first world title fight. Both men had a reputation for all-out fighting, with Miura especially earning high praise for his title defense in Mexico where he defeated Sergio Thompson in a fiercely contested battle.

The fight started out hotly contested, and the intensity never let up. Vargas seemed to win the first two rounds, but by the fourth round, Miura seemed to pull ahead, scoring a knock-down and fighting with a lot of confidence. After brawling the first four rounds, Miura appeared to settle into a more technical approach. Rounds 5 and 6 saw the pendulum swing back towards Vargas, as he withstood Miura’s rush to open the fifth round and the sixth round saw both men exchanging hard punches.

The big swinging continued, and though Vargas likely edged Miura in rounds 5 and 6, Vargas’ face was cut in at least two spots and Miura started to assert himself again in rounds 7 and 8. Miura was beginning to grow in confidence while it appeared that Vargas was beginning to slow down, and Miura appeared to hurt Vargas at the end of the 8th round.

Vargas turned the tide again at the start of the ninth round, scoring a knock down with an uppercut and a straight right hand that took Miura’s legs and sent him to the canvas. Purely on instinct, Miura got back up and continued to fight, but Vargas was landing frequently and with force. Referee Tony Weeks stepped in to stop the fight at the halfway point of round 9 as Miura was sustaining a barrage of punches.

Miura still had a minute and a half to survive if he was going to get out of the round, and it was clear that he was not going to stop fighting.

A back and forth battle of wills between two world championship level fighters, Takashi Miura versus “El Bandido” Vargas wins the 2015 Fight of the Year.

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Jan 9 in Germany – Feigenbutz and De Carolis To Settle Score

Published

9 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

This coming Saturday, January 9th, the stage is set at the Baden Arena in Offenburg, Germany for a re-match between Vincent Feigenbutz and Giovanni De Carolis. The highly anticipated re-match is set to air on SAT.1 in Germany, and Feigenbutz will once again be defending his GBU and interim WBA World titles at Super Middleweight.

The first meeting between the two was less than three months ago, on October 17th and that meeting saw Feigenbutz controversially edge De Carolis on the judge’s cards by scores of (115-113, 114-113 and 115-113). De Carolis scored a flash knock down in the opening round, and he appeared to outbox Feigenbutz in the early going, but the 20 year old German champion came on in the later rounds.

The first bout is described as one of the most crowd-pleasing bouts of the year in Germany, and De Carolis and many observers felt that the Italian had done enough to win.

De Carolis told German language website RAN.DE that he was more prepared for the re-match, and that due to the arrogance Feigenbutz displayed in the aftermath of the first fight, he was confident that he had won over some of the audience. Though De Carolis fell short of predicting victory, he promised a re-vamped strategy tailored to what he has learned about Feigenbutz, whom he termed immature and inexperienced.

The stage is set for Feigenbutz vs De Carolis 2, this Saturday January 9th in Offenburg, Germany. If you can get to the live event do it, if not you have SAT.1 in Germany airing the fights, and The Boxing Channel right back here for full results.

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2015 Knock Out of the Year – Saul Alvarez KO’s James Kirkland

Published

9 years ago

December 29, 2015

The Sweet Science

On May 9th of 2015, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez delivered a resonant knock-out of James Kirkland on HBO that wins the 2015 KO of the Year.

The knock-out itself came in the third round, after slightly more than two minutes of action. The end came when Alvarez delivered a single, big right hand that caught Kirkland on the jaw and left him flat on his back after spinning to the canvas.Alvarez was clearly the big star heading into the fight. The fight was telecast by HBO for free just one week after the controversial and disappointing Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight, and Alvarez was under pressure to deliver the type of finish that people were going to talk about. Kirkland was happy to oblige Alvarez, taking it right to Alvarez from the start. Kirkland’s aggression saw him appear to land blows that troubled the young Mexican in the early going. Alvarez played good defense, and he floored Kirkland in the first round, displaying his power and his technique in knocking down an aggressive opponent.

However, Kirkland kept coming at Alvarez and the fight entered the third round with both men working hard and the feeling that the fight would not go the distance. Kirkland continued to move forward, keeping “Canelo” against the ropes and scoring points with a barrage of punches while looking for an opening.

At around the two minute mark, Alvarez landed an uppercut that sent Kirkland to the canvas again. Kirkland got up, but it was clear that he did not have his legs under him. Kirkland was going to try to survive the round, but Alvarez had an opportunity to close out the fight. The question was would he take it?

Alvarez closed in on Kirkland, putting his opponent’s back to the ropes. Kirkland was hurt, but he was still dangerous, pawing with punches and loading up for one big shot.

But it was the big shot “Canelo” threw that ended the night. Kirkland never saw it coming, as he was loading up with a huge right hand of his own. The right Alvarez threw cracked Kirkland in the jaw, and his eyes went blank. His big right hand whizzed harmlessly over the head of a ducking Alvarez, providing the momentum for the spin that left Kirkland prone on the canvas.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez went on to defeat Miguel Cotto in his second fight of 2015 and he is clearly one of boxing’s biggest stars heading into 2016. On May 9th Alvarez added another reel to his highlight film when he knocked out James Kirkland with the 2015 “Knock Out of the Year”.

Photo by naoki fukuda

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