Press Releases
NOTES ON: Saturday Afternoon Boxing on NBC, Iron Mike Card, Travis Scott Fight
Special Afternoon Edition of Fight Night Returns to NBC With Two NABF Title Fights Saturday, September 20 at 3 p.m. ET
Thabiso Mchunu vs. Garrett Wilson for NABF Cruiserweight Title
Karl Dargan vs. Angino Perez for Junior NABF Lightweight Title
NBC Sports Live Extra to Stream Bouts
Mashantucket, CT: NBC Sports Group’s Fight Night presents its first afternoon broadcast of the year on NBC this Saturday, September 20th, at 3 p.m. ET. The fourth afternoon network boxing broadcast since the Fight Night series premiered in 2012, the show will feature a pair of spectacular bouts with four of the sport’s hottest prospects.
In the main event, South African heavy-hitter Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu (16-1, 11 KOs) will battle unorthodox Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson (13-7-1, 7 KOs) for the NABF Cruiserweight Title and, in the co-feature, undefeated Karl “Dynamite” Dargan (16-0, 8 KOs) will take on Angino “The Nightmare” Perez (16-5, 14 KOs) for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title.
“The Rock”
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events
NBC Sports Group’s Fight Night broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Kenny Rice, analyst B.J. Flores and ringside reporter Chris Mannix will call the action.
After scoring an upset over former heavyweight contender “Fast” Eddie Chambers in his Fight Night debut, Mchunu won by decision to capture the NABF Cruiserweight Title against highly-ranked Olanrewaju Durodola in his second Fight Night appearance. Mchunu is anxious to make the first defense of his title on NBC.
“Obviously, for any elite athlete it’s a huge privilege and honor to fight, and especially head up a fight card,” Mchunu said. “It’s really a dream come true. But such privileges come with the responsibility for myself as an athlete and fighter to deliver my best possible performance to all viewers and fight fans. I’ve done everything in my power to be ready to execute a masterful performance on the 20th of September.”
“The Ultimate Warrior”
Photo Credits: Dave Torres/Main Events
Mchunu’s powerful southpaw style will make for an explosive match against the unorthodox style of Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson, who earned many fans in his crowd-pleasing Fight Night debut as a last-minute replacement for Tomasz Adamek against Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov nearly a year ago during the last afternoon edition of Fight Night on NBC. Excited to be back, the 32-year old Wilson said, “I love having a chance to perform in front of a national audience. This is a great opportunity to show my skills and my strength and give the fans a skillful and entertaining show.”
Kicking off the broadcast will be Fight Night veteran Karl “Dynamite” Dargan against Angino “The Nightmare” Perez in a ten-round battle for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title.
“Dynamite”
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events
The undefeated Dargan, 29, made his Fight Night debut last November with a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Michael Brooks to capture the USBA Atlantic Coast Region Lightweight Title. After a thrilling knockout win on NBCSN in June, “Dynamite” looks to add a second regional belt to his collection on Saturday. Trained by his uncle, Naazim Richardson, the legendary trainer of Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosely and Fight Night favorite Steve “USS” Cunningham, Dargan is a hot lightweight prospect on the rise. “I won my last belt on an NBC broadcast and I appreciate the exposure I get fighting on NBC,” Dargan said.
“The Nightmare”
Photo Courtesy of: Sweatbox Boxing & Fitness
In order to achieve his goal, Dargan will face a formidable opponent in Angino “The Nightmare” Perez. A 31-year old native of Miami, FL Perez has a stellar 88% knockout-to-win ratio. Focused on scoring a major upset on a major platform, when asked about making his Fight Night debut Perez simply said, “This is the first appearance of many to come!”
“We are excited to present this card with two title bouts on a special afternoon edition of Fight Night on NBC,” said Gary Quinn, Vice President of Programming & Planning for NBC Sports Group.
Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, said, “These special afternoon editions of Fight Night on NBC are so important. It’s a chance for the fighters to make an impact on a huge audience that is not completely familiar with boxing. Both of these bouts will be very entertaining in the ring and that’s exactly what we need to keep turning casual viewers into big fans.”
About September 20:
The Sep. 20th special afternoon edition of NBC Fight Night will take place at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT and will feature a ten-round cruiserweight match-up between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson for the NABF Cruiserweight Title and a ten-round lightweight match-up between Karl “Dynamite” Dargan and Angino “The Nightmare” Perez for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title. The undercard bouts are subject to change. Tickets are $100, $75 and $40 and are available through Foxwoods.com and Ticketmaster.com. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing and Showpony Promotions. The special NBC Fight Night broadcast will begin live at 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT.
IRON MIKE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
“The Pride of Pittsburgh II”
SAMMY VASQUEZ JR. AND MONTY MEZA CLAY
RETURN IN FEATURED BOUTS
Pittsburgh, PA. (September 18, 2014) Boxing legend MIKE TYSON and Iron Mike Productions will make their triumphant return to Pittsburgh, PA on Friday, November 14th with “The Pride of Pittsburgh II” at CONSOL Energy Center featuring popular fan favorites SAMMY “The Who Can Mexican” VASQUEZ JR. and MONTY MEZA CLAY in separate title bouts.
Pre-Sale Tickets for “The Pride of Pittsburgh II”, starting at $42 are now available with a Public On-Sale of Saturday, September 20th at 10:00 AM. through the Dick’s Sporting Goods Box Office at CONSOL Energy Center, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.
“The response from fans and media of our last event at CONSOL Energy Center in August was outstanding and we promised we’d be back with an even better show in November” said Tyson.
“Both Sammy and Monty were involved in true “Fight of the Year” battles and each are prepared for similar wars on November 14th.
I can’t wait to come back to Pittsburgh.”
Having stamped his presence amongst the top echelon of the welterweight division, the sports’ hottest, with a ninth round stoppage of James Stevenson in August, undefeated southpaw Vasquez Jr., 16-0-0 (12KO’s), will defend his newly attained IBF/USBA Welterweight Title against tough Panamanian veteran ALBERTO “Matralleta” MOSQUERA in the ten round main event.
The 27-year-old Mosquera, 21-1-2 (14KO’s), will look to get back in the win column having suffered the only loss in his nine year professional career this past June against Charlie Navarro.
A previous holder of the WBC Fecarbox Welterweight Title, WBC Latino Junior Welterweight Title and the WBA Fedelatin Junior Welterweight Title, Mosquera has his eyes squarely on lifting Vasquez Jr.’s newly acquired hardware.
Meza Clay, 36-3-2 (22KO’s) returns to the local ring following his career’s finest moment, an epic tenth round stoppage of Mexican veteran Alan Herrera on August 8th at CONSOL Energy Center.
In a style reminiscent of boxing legend Roberto Duran, Meza Clay thrilled the huge crowd from start to finish, demonstrating the skills and heart which have made him one of the sports most respected warriors in the nationally televised clash which featuring outstanding two-way action throughout.
At “The Pride of Pittsburgh II”, Meza Clay will challenge crosstown rival “Lightning” ROD SALKA for the Bunola, PA veteran’s WBC Fecarbox Lightweight Title in the scheduled ten round co-featured bout.
Sporting a record of 19-4-0 (3KO’s), Salka will look to march back into the win column in front of the hometown crowd following his loss to junior welterweight king, Danny Garcia on August 9th in Brooklyn, PA.
Also included among the contenders on Salka’ ledger over his seven year career are Alexei Collado, Ricardo Alverez, Emmanuel Lucero and Dorin Spivey.
As has become custom at all Iron Mike Productions events around the country, a sensational undercard of world-class bouts will be announced shortly.
CONSOL Energy Center is located at 1001 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219. Further information can be located at their website, www.consolenerycenter.com
TRAVIS SCOTT HEADLINES WFC 30, PROFESSIONAL BOXING IN BATON ROUGE
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA — September 18, 2014 — World Fighting Championships returns to the Belle of Baton Rouge for another explosive night of professional boxing, featuring the best local talent that The Capital City has to offer. WFC 30 raises the stakes on October 17th, when Travis Scott (17-0, 4KO) will fight for the WFC Middleweight Championship Title.
Scott, a former US Marine, is best described as a “pure boxer.” “I don’t go for the knock-out,” said Scott of his fighting style. “I possess a gift. That gift is to beat my opponent mentally. I use his strength against him. When he burns out, that’s when I go to work.” Scott will go to work in an eight round bout on October 17th in pursuit of the WFC Middleweight title. “It’s always good to have an opportunity to add another title to my professional resume. Anytime there’s something new to gain, something meaningful, I guess I gotta work hard to get it,” said Scott.
In the six-round, co-main event bout, Baton Rouge’s Justin Thomas (9-0, 5KO) faces the tough Daniel Henry (2-1-3, 0KO) of Austin, Texas. Thomas is coming off a unanimous decision win over super middleweight Martin Verdin (20-18-2, 11KO) at WFC 26 in August. Thomas described Verdin as his toughest opponent to date. “I was going for the stoppage, but Verdin is a veteran. He knew what to do to survive the round,” said Thomas of the contest. Thomas is excited to once again be able to showcase his talents in his hometown. “It’s the best feeling in the world to fight in front of my hometown fans. Getting to show the results of all my hard work and everything I put into boxing in front of the people who saw me come up is just the best feeling,” said Thomas.
Also featured on the card, local sensation Chris Singleton (12-1, 5KO) will face the experienced Steve Trumble (13-31, 8KO). Singleton will be fighting in his hometown for the first time in over two years. “It means everything to me to fight at home,” said Singleton. “I have sparred with Trumble before. He’s a strong, tough veteran, and it’s going to be a competitive fight. I’m ready to put on a great show for everyone.”
Rounding out the card, Arthur Thomas (1-0, 1KO) will face Todd Manuel (8-4-1, 1KO), and Larry Stampley (Debut) will face Jay Orta (7-17-2, 4KO).
Up-and-coming promoter, and President of WFC, Matt McGovern, is excited about the direction that boxing is taking in the South. Said the young promoter, “Our last seven events in Baton Rouge have sold out, and been packed with enthusiastic boxing fans. I think the South is a great place for boxing, and we’re lucky to be working with talented fighters and a great venue here in Baton Rouge.”
The official WFC 30 weigh-in will take place on Thursday, October 16th at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium at 5:30 CST. The weigh-in is open to the public.
Tickets are priced at $60 for VIP, and $30 for general admission, and are available via the WFC website at www.worldfightingchampionships.com. Fans are encouraged to buy tickets early, as the last seven events at the Belle have sold out.
Doors to the Atrium at the Belle of Baton Rouge open at 7:00 p.m. on fight night. First bell is at 8:00 p.m.
Argentina
Three Punch Combo: What’s in the Cards for Spence, Kell Brook, and Cotto?
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 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 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 17th, 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.
Canada and USA
George Foreman Youth Center in Houston Hosts Amateur Event
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.
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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