Press Releases

News On: Friday's ShoBox, Ji-Hoon Kim on ESPN

Published

11 years ago

April 11, 2013

LAS VEGAS (April 10, 2013) – Promoter Don King, the four fighters who’ll compete this Friday, April 12, on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), and the other boxers who will fight on a stacked undercard participated in the final press conference Wednesday at Treasure Island Resort & Casino.

In a clash of southpaw lightweight boxers in the ShoBox 12-round main event, unbeaten WBA No. 3-ranked contender Angelo “The Cobra” Santana (14-0, 11 KOs), of Miami, Fla., meets Bahodir “Baha” Mamadjonov (11-1, 7 KOs), of Houston, Texas by way of Uzbekistan.

A solid co-feature will pit super lightweights Amir “Young Master” Imam (8-0, 7 KOs), of Albany, N.Y., against Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan (16-2, 7 KOs) of Paterson, N.J., in an eight-round match.

Tickets, all priced at $100 each plus tax and fees, are on sale at Treasure Island box office or by calling (866) 712-9308 or (702) 894-7723. Doors open at 3 p.m. PT. The first live undercard fight is at 4:30 p.m.
In the top non-televised bout, Ryan “The Irish Outlaw” Coyne (21-0, 9 KOs), of St. Louis, and Marcus Oliveira (24-0-1, 19 KOs), of Lawrence, Kan., collide in a battle of unbeatens in a WBA light heavyweight elimination bout. The winner of the 12-rounder will become the No. 1-ranked 175-pounder by the WBA and mandatory challenger to champion Beibut Shumenov.
Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former World Champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

What the fighters and King said Wednesday:

ANGELO SANTANA

“First I want to thank God and second I want to thank my promoter, Don King, for the opportunity to fight on Friday. I also want to thank my opponent for taking the fight.

“I’m not much of a talker, but I can tell you my camp was great and everything about my preparation has been perfect. This is going to be a great fight.’’

BAHA MAMADJONOV

“I’m happy to be here and I want to thank everybody, including Team Santana, for giving me this opportunity. This is going to be an amazing fight.

“I think we’re both taking a chance, but this is the kind of fight that fans love – two young, evenly matched fighters fighting each other. I think experience-wise we are just about the same.

“The timing for me for this fight is perfect, and I am absolutely ready. I’m treating it like a world title fight; that’s how important this fight is.

“Obviously, Santana is a power puncher who believes in his punching power, which he has the right to do. The key for me is to not let him get set.’’

AMIR IMAM

“I want to thank Don King, SHOWTIME and Treasure Island for giving me the opportunity to showcase my talents. I hope this is the beginning of a long marriage with SHOWTIME.

“On Friday, I’m going to put on a show. It’s show time, but it’s the Young Master time, too.’’

JEREMY BRYAN

“First and foremost, I want to thank God. I’m as prepared as I can be. I trained for a month and a half in North Carolina so I am fit.

“I don’t watch tapes of my opponents, but I know this guy is a lot like me. We were both good amateurs who are trying to step it up as professionals. I’m just going to go in and do what I do.

“There’s no pressure. It’s all on him. This is his first tough fight, but it’s not mine. I hope everyone tunes in to watch, or comes to the fight. I’m really looking forward to this. I’ve been fighting at 140 pounds since 2004, since my amateur days. A win puts me where I need to be in the 140-pound division.’’

RYAN COYNE

“Don (King) talked about frustrations. I've had a lot in the last eight months. It was a battle to get this fight. I know my opponent is a very good athlete and puncher. There is no need to demonize my opponent, but I will win on Friday night. ??“I've said a lot of harsh things over the last eight months but I want to thank everybody, including Don King.”’

MARCUS OLIVEIRA

“I let my hands do the talking in the ring. My opponent will have to back up everything he said about coming to win the fight. If he does bring it, I will answer back with my fists.’’

PROMOTER DON KING

“When Martin Luther King was assassinated, I was in the penitentiary, so when I named this event 'Fight for Freedom …The Dream Lives On' I was thinking of Reverend King's assassination 45 years ago this month. I embody the belief that anything is possible in this great nation known as America. And the dream of victory lives in the hearts of these fighters.
?”Angelo Santana is the living embodiment of the American Dream. He came here on a raft with 27 people from Cuba. This is the only nation on earth where people try to break in rather than break out.’’

NEW YORK (April 9, 2013) – Two of Hall of Fame promoter Don King’s most promising, undefeated young prospects, lightweight Angelo “The Cobra” Santana and super lightweight Amir “Young Master” Imam will compete in featured fights this Friday, April 12, on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Both boxers, highly regarded and packed with potential, are in tough.

A former amateur standout and the current WBA No. 3-ranked 135-pound contender, southpaw Santana (14-0, 11 KOs), of Miami, Fla., faces fellow lefthander Bahodir “Baha” Mamadjonov (11-1, 7 KOs), of Houston, Texas by way of Uzbekistan, in the 10-round the main event at Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Mamadjonov is a substitute for the injured Carlos Cardenas, who withdrew with a shoulder injury last week.

In his toughest fight to date, Imam (8-0, 7 KOs), of Albany, N.Y., will be opposed by Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan (16-2, 7 KOs) of Paterson, N.J., in the eight-round co-feature. Imam has won his last seven fights by knockout, all inside four rounds.

The 5-foot-8 Santana, who turns 25 on April 19, will be making his second consecutive start on ShoBox. In a career-best performance last Nov. 16, he registered one of the most devastating knockouts in 2012 – a brutal fifth-round stoppage over previously unbeaten Johnny Garcia (13-0) in Hallandale, Fla.

Taking his first significant step up in class, the aggressive-minded, heavy-handed Santana scored three knockdowns, one from a left hand in the second and two more from massive left hands in the fifth. The last left rendered Garcia unconscious, and the referee halted the proceedings without a count at 1:41.

“He was very tough but I was able to knock him out and that was my intention,’’ Santana said. “That performance said it all. It proved I’m ready. I was nervous at the beginning; this was my first national TV appearance and I needed a round to gain my composure. (But) I was waiting for him to gain confidence and attack. Once he did that I was able to unload my left hand.’’

Said ShoBox expert analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood regarding the vicious KO win: “Santana gave us the impression that he’s special by the power he showed in his ShoBox debut. The knockout he scored over Garcia was undeniably one of the most spectacular knockouts of the year, and at first glance Santana gives the impression of being able to steamroll anybody he hits with that left hand.’’

This will be the third scheduled 10-round bout for the Cuban-born Santana, a two-time national amateur champion and pro since 2008. He’s only been six full rounds one time, however, and that was over three years ago. The majority of his fights have been wipeouts – four of his knockouts came in the first round, three in the second and two in the third. He’s flattened his last seven opponents in five rounds or less.

Mamadjonov, a skilled and determined boxer, doesn’t figure to go as swiftly.

“Baha presents a difficult challenge for Santana for a couple of reasons,’’ Farhood said. “First, he’s a late substitute and Santana had been preparing for other fighters. Secondly, he’s a southpaw and Santana’s prior opponents for this show were all right-handed. Baha was in a very close fight with Darley Perez and Perez is one of the best lightweight prospects in the world. So this should be a real test for Santana.’’

Armando Alvarez, a longtime sports producer at Telemundo, has seen several of Santana’s scraps in and around Miami and has high praise for the crowd-pleasing slugger.

“In my opinion Santana is as good as any active Cuban fighter and that's including Yuriorkis Gamboa, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Erislandy Lara,’’ Alvarez said. “He's extremely disciplined, has fast hands, and superb power. He's a treat to watch, and I believe this bout will catapult him to a world title shot.’’

Santana, who’s appearing before a Las Vegas crowd for a third time, is looking forward to another eye-opening performance. “I've been preparing for this for over three months in Hialeah, Fla., and I've been sparring three times a week although it’s difficult to find guys who want to spar with me,’’ he said.

“I don't know anything about my opponent. I just make sure that I prepare myself the best I can.’’

In the summer of 2007, Santana defected from Cuba on a makeshift boat to re-unite with his childhood sweetheart, Anay, in the United States. Ten days after his arrival on Sept. 1, 2007, he signed with Don King Productions.

Mamadjonov (pronounced Mama-John-ov) is a 5-foot-6, 25-year-old who’d won all 11 of his fights until losing his 10-round debut on a split decision to Perez in a competitive contest on Aug. 10, 2012.

Manadjonov wobbled Perez and had him in big trouble in the fourth but was the victim of an unintentional headbutt in the middle rounds that left him “seeing stars.’’ Still, going into the eighth round it was either guy’s fight to win. But Baha went down from a short right uppercut and Perez, a 2008 Colombian Olympian, went on to triumph in a give-and-take scrap by the scores of 95-94, 96-94 and 94-95.

Baha disagreed with the judges. “I felt I won the fight,’’ he said. “The knockdown was a slip. I’m very disappointed with the decision.’’

After nearly 200 amateur fights, the two-time World Military champion and Asian champion in 2005 turned pro in May 2011. He fought seven times that year and five times in 2012. A gym rat, he’s been in training for almost two months in Houston.

“My whole life is boxing,’’ said Baha, who possesses good speed and movement. “I moved to the United States in September 2010 to catch my dreams. I want to be a world champion. Everybody says when they watch my fights, 'Oh, you’re a classic fighter.' I just try to make a good, clean fight in the ring.’’

Imam (pronounced E-Mom) is a 5-foot-11, 22-year-old up-and-comer who is making his ShoBox debut and third start in 2013. Like the main event, this fight also doesn’t figure to be a blowout.

“Amir Imam was a top amateur and he’s making a gigantic jump in class by taking on a proven warrior in Jeremy Bryan,” Farhood said. “This will be Imam’s national television debut and I think viewers will be surprised at the poise and skill fight this very young fighter will show.

“In the tradition of ShoBox, both fighters are facing their toughest opponents to date.’’

Imam was an accomplished amateur before turning pro on Nov. 5, 2011 with a four-round decision over Christian Steele in Hollywood, Fla. Imam’s initial five fights took place in Florida; his last two, both this year, were in the Dominican Republic. He’s won by third-round TKO in his last three outings. He defeated Alejandro Lebron in his most recent effort last March 9.

“I was right back in the gym in Deerfield Beach, Fla., after my last fight,’’ Imam said. “We don't take any days off here. I've been sparring with a lot of fighters so I get a lot of work. I've worked with people like Richar Abril, Yuriorkis Gamboa, people like that.

Imam was born in Albany, N.Y. He started to box at the age of 12. He went pro shortly after losing in the finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2011. The confident youngster views himself as an entertainer, a puncher-boxer fans should keep a close eye on now and in the future.

“I come to fight and I put on a show,’’ he said. “I take care of business. You don't get paid for overtime. I can do it all. I can be a pressure fighter, a boxer, I can push it up. You've got to adapt to what's in front of you. I don't really know anything about Bryan except he's got a good record under his name.

“The Young Master's on stage now. I'll be shining in boxing for a long time, performing to my best. The new kid's on the block.”

Bryan, a 5-foot-9, 27-year-old, turned pro in November 2007 after a stellar amateur career. A two-time National Golden Gloves Champion (2004-2005), he had impressive amateur victories against current Unified Super Lightweight Champion Danny Garcia and contender Hank Lundy.

A resident of Sumter, S.C., Bryan has won two in a row since returning to the ring in October 2012 after two years off. The layoff came shortly after he’d suffered two knockout losses over a six-month span in 2010. Bryan is coming off the biggest victory of his career, an eight-round majority decision over Yuri Ramanau (aka Romanov) last Jan. 4 in Miami.

An excellent boxer with good speed and movement, Bryan isn’t exactly in awe of Imam.

“There's one thing about me,’’ Bryan said. “I don't call out any fighters. I don't pick fights. I just go in the ring and do what I’ve got to do. I just listen to my coaches. I don't know a thing about this kid I'm fighting except he was a good amateur. I don't care about his (pro) record. The record doesn’t mean a thing. You can have three wins and 30 losses and still win a big fight.

“I do what I do in the ring. I adapt to anything. I transform easy in the ring. On Friday, he'll bring his ‘A’ game, I'll bring my ‘A’ game, and the best man will win that night.’’

In the top non-televised undercard bout, Ryan “The Irish Outlaw” Coyne (21-0, 9 KOs), of St. Louis, and Marcus Oliveira (24-0-1, 19 KOs), of Lawrence, Kan., collide in a battle of unbeatens in a WBA light heavyweight elimination bout. The winner of the 12-rounder will become the No. 1-ranked 175-pounder by the WBA and mandatory challenger to champion Beibut Shumenov.

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Farhood and former World Champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

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

PHILADELPHIA, PA (APRIL 10, 2013)—On Thursday night May 2nd, Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions will present a special night of boxing that will originate from The Omega Products International, located at 1681 California Avenue in Corona, California and will be televised as a special edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.

In the ten round main event, Mauricio Herrera will take on the exciting Ji-Hoon Kim in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Herrera of Riverside, California has a record of 18-3 with 7 knockouts and has some solid wins on his resume. The thirty-two year old won his first eleven bouts which included wins over Alan Velasco (8-1-2); Daniel Cervantes (10-0-1); Santiago Perez (10-1-2); Pavel Miranda (16-2) before winning the WBC USNBC Jr. Welterweight title with a 10 round unanimous decision over Luis Alfredo Lugo. He made one defense of that crown, as well as a win over current world ranked Cleotis Pendarvis before suffering his first loss to former world champion Mike Anchondo. Herrera went on to win five in a row which included a split decision over previously undefeated and world ranked Ruslan Provodnikov. Herrera is looking to get back in the win column after losing a ten round unanimous decision to undefeated Karim Mayfield on October 27th, 2012 on HBO Boxing After Dark.

Kim, of Goyang City, South Korea, has a record of 24-8 with 18 knockouts and is currently ranked 14th by the IBF at Lightweight. He began his career at the age of 17 in 2004 and had his first eighteen fights staged in South Korea. While in South Korea, Kim captured The South Korean and PABA Featherweight titles. Kim made a huge splash in his American debut as he stopped former world title challenger Kobo Gogaladze in one round on May 16th, 2008. Kim then split his time between South Korea and the United States before winning an IBF Lightweight elimination bout against Ameth Diaz. The win set up a world title opportunity, as he fought a terrific fight before dropping a unanimous decision to Miguel Vazquez for the vacant IBF Lightweight world title.

Kim has seen his popularity grow due to his all action style, has been featured on ESPN’s Friday Night Fight’s and has appeared in many “Fight of the Year” candidates. Kim has picked quality wins over Yakubu Amidu (20-2-1) and previously undefeated Alisher Rahimov (23-0). Kim is coming off a ten round unanimous decision defeat to world ranked Ray Beltran on December 6th, 2012 in a bout where Kim knocked Beltran down in round one.

In the co-feature, former world Lightweight champion Miguel Acosta will take on Miguel Gonzalez in a bout scheduled for ten rounds.

Acosta of Caracas, Venezuela has a record of 29-6-2 with 23 knockouts. Acosta won the WBA Interim Lightweight title with a 9th round stoppage over previously undefeated Urbano Antillon (26-0) on July 25th, 2009. He won the full title when he stopped Paulus Moses (25-0) in Moses’ home country of Namibia on May 29, 2010. Acosta performed well before being stopped in 10 rounds to eventual world champion Brandon Rios. Acosta got another crack at the WBA interim title but lost a twelve round unanimous decision to Richar Abril. Acosta is coming off a ten round split decision defeat to then undefeated Art Hovhannisyan (14-0-2) on July 20, 2012.

Gonzalez of Cleveland, Ohio has a record of 20-3 with 15 knockouts. The twenty-seven year old Gonzalez is a rising prospect as he continues to step up the competition and has quality wins over the likes of Tyrone Harris (24-7) and Humberto Toledo (39-6). He is coming off a ten round unanimous decision defeat to highly regarded Mike Dallas Jr. on February 17th, 2012.

“This will be an exciting doubleheader on May 2nd”, said Banner Promotions CEO Arthur Pelullo.
“Herrera and Kim can get right back in the title mix with a win and the opening bout features Acosta who is a former world champion taking on Gonzalez, who with a win can throw his name in the middle of the Lightweight title picture”.

“We're excited to host this special edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights Boxing on a Thursday night. We're especially enthused to feature our very own, Riverside's junior welterweight slugger Mauricio Herrera in a tough competition against South Korea's Ji-Hoon Kim. I have no doubt that these two warriors will leave it all in the ring and give the viewing fights fans everything they expect to see and even more! The entire fight card will be an exciting one so the local boxing aficionados that will be in attendance are in for a turbulent treat!” said Ken Thompson of Thompson Boxing.

Other exciting fights featuring fighters from the local area and will complete the card, including Hector Serrano of Perris, California Xavier Montelongo Jr., Christian Navarro, Richard Contreras and Joshua Conley.

All bouts are subject to change without notice.

Doors open at 5:00 P.M. (Pacific Time)
First fight at 5:45 P.M.
First Bout on ESPN2 at 7:00 P.M.
Ticket prices: $100, $60, $40.
Tickets are available by calling 714-935-0900 or by visiting the website: www.thompsonboxing.com

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The Sweet Science

Argentina

Three Punch Combo: What’s in the Cards for Spence, Kell Brook, and Cotto?

Published

7 years ago

May 28, 2017

Matt Andrzejewski

THREE PUNCH COMBO: Errol Spence Jr. scored an impressive knockout victory against Kell Brook on Saturday to take Brook’s 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 Spence’s 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.

Miguel Cotto’s Future

Miguel Cotto announced this week that he would be returning to the ring on August 26^th 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 Boy’s involvement in the promotion signals that they could be involved in Cotto’s 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 Cotto’s 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 isn’t 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 Boy’s 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

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 17^th, Pablo Cesar Cano takes on Fidel Maldonado in a junior welterweight contest. This fight is not only very evenly matched but can’t 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 Cano’s 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.

IBF welterweight title

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Canada and USA

George Foreman Youth Center in Houston Hosts Amateur Event

Published

8 years ago

October 10, 2016

The Sweet Science

George Foreman Youth Center – -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.

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Press Releases

Michelle Corrales-Lewis Named New CEO of NV Boxing Hall of Fame

Published

8 years ago

October 5, 2016

Miguel Iturrate

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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