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Adrien Broner-Emmanuel Taylor On For Sept. 6, In Cincy

Published

11 years ago

August 1, 2014

CINCINNATI HOMECOMING FOR ADRIEN BRONER
SET FOR SEPT. 6; FORMER THREE-DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION TO MEET EMMANUEL TAYLOR AT U.S. BANK ARENA, LIVE ON SHOWTIME^®

PLUS, LUCAS MATTHYSSE VS. ROBERTO ORTIZ

TICKETS GO SALE TOMORROW, FRIDAY, AUG. 1

LOS ANGELES (July 31, 2014) – Former three-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner will return to his hometown arena following a two-year absence to headline a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® event on Saturday, Sept. 6 at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Broner will face talented young prospect Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor in a 12-round super lightweight bout. In the co-main event, scheduled for 10 rounds in the same weight class, Argentine powerhouse Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse will attempt to continue his road back to the top of the 140-pound division when he meets unbeaten Mexican slugger Roberto Ortiz.

In the opening bout of the live SHOWTIME telecast (9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT) former two-time world welterweight champion Andre Berto (28-3, 22 KO’s) will return to the ring after a one-year layoff and shoulder surgery against an opponent to be determined.

“It’s always good to fight at home,” said Broner, who, in his last bout at U.S. Bank Arena in July 2012 stopped Vicente Escobedo in five rounds. “It’s overdue. I will not disappoint my Cincinnati fans. I’ll make sure to put up a good show for them. Taylor is a young, talented fighter, but he’s not ready to solve this ‘Problem.'”

“This is the biggest fight of my career, and I won’t let it get away from me,” said Taylor, who has raised his profile this year with a marquee win over Karim Mayfield just two weeks ago, and a close decision loss to Chris Algieri in February. “All of those hours in the gym were for a moment like this, and I can’t wait to show the world what I can do in the ring.”

The dynamic punching Matthysse is rebuilding from his stunning decision loss in an incredible fight with Unified 140-pound champion Danny Garcia last September. Matthysse is coming off a thrilling bout against John Molina in April, one that may rank as 2014 Fight of the Year.

“The title is my only goal, and to get there, I have to beat Ortiz,” said Matthysse, who is never in a dull fight. “I’ve heard that he’s a tough fighter, but I’m not worried about him. I just have to make sure I’m ready.”

“I respect Lucas Matthysse and know how dangerous he is, but this is my time to make a statement, and I will on Sept. 6,” said Ortiz, the highly regarded power punching Mexican. “I see holes in his game and I think I’m the better all-around fighter. The world will see that very soon.”

“It’s been a long time and I can’t wait to get back in the ring on September 6,” said Berto. “I feel stronger and better than ever, and I’m ready to make another run at the title. But first I have business to take care of in Cincinnati, and I’ll be looking for the knockout.”

“This doubleheader represents what Golden Boy is all about – scintillating, action-packed fights that will get fans out of their seats and clamoring for more” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Adrien Broner is a top-level talent who always elevates his game on the biggest stages, and there is never a bigger stage than in front of your hometown fans. But with speed, power and a golden opportunity, Emmanuel Taylor is a tough test. This is a life-changing fight for him, which makes him particularly dangerous. . In the co-main event, one of the hardest punchers in the game, Lucas Matthysse, will also have to dig deep to win when he fights Mexico’s Roberto Ortiz. The winner of this fight should be right in line for a title shot in 2015.”

“The September 6 edition of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING delivers big stars and dangerous fights,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports^®. “Adrien Broner and Lucas Matthysse are two of the most exciting and entertaining boxers in the sport today, and each is facing a formidable challenge. Broner’s opponent, Emmanuel Taylor, is a very talented young contender who has put together a string of impressive performances. Matthysse will be taking on Roberto Ortiz, who has steamrolled through his competition, piling up knockout after knockout en route to an undefeated record in 32 fights. Add to that the return of fan favorite Andre Berto, and you have perhaps the most action-packed tripleheader of the year.”

An ultra-talented and charismatic athlete who has captivated the boxing world inside and outside the ring, 25-year-old Adrien “The Problem” Broner (28-1, 22 KOs) has won world titles at 130, 135 and 147 pounds, defeating the likes of Paulie Malignaggi, Daniel “Ponce” de Leon and Gavin Rees along the way. In his most recent bout on May 3, the Cincinnati native rebounded from the lone loss of his career to Marcos Maidana six months earlier with a clear-cut 10-round decision win over Carlos Molina.

Fighting out of Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, 23-year-old Emmanuel “Tranzfomer” Taylor (18-2, 12 KOs) has been on boxing insiders’ top prospect lists for several years, and now he’s prepared to show the world just how good he really is on Sept. 6. Owner of wins over Raymond Serrano, Victor Manuel Cayo and most recently Karim Mayfield, this East Coast warrior is ready for the bright lights against Broner.

Considered by many to be the hardest puncher in boxing today, Chubut, Argentina’s bomber Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (35-3, 33 KOs) never disappoints on fight night. An exciting two-fisted banger, the 31-year-old is a former WBC Super Lightweight Champion who has sent Humberto Soto, Lamont Peterson and Olusegun Ajose crashing to knockout defeats. In April, Matthysse knocked out John Molina in the 11^th round, and he has similar plans for Ortiz this September.

Ranked fifth in the world by the WBC, Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico’s highly touted Roberto “Massa” Ortiz (31-0-1, 24 KOs) has earned his spot in the rankings with his heavy hands and a willingness to fight anyone. A professional since 2007, the 28-year-old Mexican battler has delivered big wins over Fidel Muñoz and Jorge Romero, and with the ability to knock opponents out or take them into the late rounds, he is a versatile puzzle that no one has been able to figure out yet. Ortiz will be making his first start in the U.S., after campaigning exclusively in Mexico as a professional.

A former two-time world welterweight champion, former Haitian Olympian Andre Berto (28-3, 22 KOs) is consistently one of boxing’s most exciting fighters, a fact he plans on reminding people of on September 6. Fully healed from a shoulder injury suffered during his thrilling 2013 bout with Jesus Soto Karass the Winter Haven, Florida native will celebrate his 31^st birthday a day early when he performs for fight fans in Cincinnati against an opponent to be named.

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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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