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DiBella Signs Junior “Sugar Boy” Younan

Published

11 years ago

September 5, 2013

The Sweet Science

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17-YEAR-OLD BOXING ‘PRODIGY’ JUNIOR “SUGAR BOY” YOUNAN READY FOR PRO RANKS

SIGNS LONG-TERM PROMOTIONAL AGREEMENT WITH DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT

Younan9-5-2013

New York, NY (9/5/13) – Having been sought out by every major promotional company in the US, highly regarded amateur prospect Junior “Sugar Boy” Younan has officially decided to make his world championship run under the DiBella Entertainment (DBE) banner. Younan, who will be co-managed by James Prince and Josh Dubin, officially signed a long-term exclusive promotional agreement with DBE earlier this week. Younan, who doesn’t turn 18 until October 14, is looking to make his much-anticipated pro debut in late October/early November.

“It’s a real honor being signed by DiBella Entertainment,” said Younan. “Growing up in New York and being at all the shows, it’s really humbling to know that I’m being recognized as
one of the best prospects right now by Lou. I plan on showing everyone what I have in me and bringing that spark back to boxing. I feel like I have a great, strong team with DBE, my manager James Prince, my lawyer Josh Dubin and, of course, my father. We’re going to make it to the top and that’s a promise.”

“Anytime that you are able to add the type of caliber fighter that ‘Sugar Boy’ is to your stable, it’s special,” said DiBella. “I have been following him since he has been a child and he Younan9-5-2013b has been viewed as a New York gym prodigy. Still a teenager, I expect huge things from ‘Sugar Boy’ Younan.”

“I’m excited to be in business with my first New York fighter, which happens to be one of the most decorated amateurs in recent memory. He’s so sweet in the ring that his name is fitting – ‘Sugar Boy’. I’m also hyped to be working with my close friend and colleague Josh Dubin, who will be my co-manager with respect to ‘Sugar Boy’. It’s an honor and a privilege to be working with Lou DiBella and DiBella Entertainment. We all expect real big things from ‘Sugar Boy’,” stated Prince, who also manages super middleweight champion and top pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward.

The “boxing prodigy”, as Younan was referred to in a lengthy New York Timesarticle written on him and his father/trainer Sherif Younan when Younan was just 10 years old, has long been in the spotlight throughout his amateur career. The blue-chip prospect first picked up a pair of gloves at just two years old and by the time he was eight, he was fighting competitively. Compiling an outstanding 90-5 record, Younan won nearly every major tournament both on the regional and national level that he competed in. In addition to winning the National Junior Olympic championship in 2011 (he lost a debated decision in the 2012 finals), the #1-rated amateur Younan was a nine-time Junior Olympic champion, nine-time Junior Metro champion, eight-time NY State Silver Gloves champion, five-time Regional Silver Gloves champion, four-time National Silver Gloves champion, three-time Ringside World champion, three-time National PAL champion and a two-time National Junior Golden Gloves champion.

The signing of Younan is the fourth recent signing of a high-profile New York-based amateur prospect by DBE this year. Younan joins fellow New Yorkers and former #1-rated US amateurs Patrick Day, Shemuel Pagan and Christopher Galeano, as well as former NY Golden Gloves champions Louis Cruz and Travis Peterkin, to be signed to the growing DBE roster in 2013. Pagan (2-0, 1KO) and Galeano (pro debut), co-promoted with Curtis “50 Cent” Jacksons’s SMS Promotions, are set to make their promotional debuts on the upcoming “Big Apple Boxing” card on Monday, September 16, at Resorts World Casino NYC, in Jamaica, Queens. Day has already moved his record to a perfect 5-0, after making his pro debut this past January. Peterkin, who will also be in action on September 16, has upped his record thus far to at 8-0, and Cruz is now 4-0. With such promising young talent continuing to be added to the DBE roster, the future looks very bright for New York-based promotional company.

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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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