News Wrap: On Lundy-Broner, Campillo-Kovalev and Studio City Cards

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (July 26, 2012) – With his thinly-veiled threat to Adrien Broner having gone viral in less than 24 hours, No. 1-ranked lightweight “Hammerin’” Hank Lundy of Philadelphia is making sure he doesn’t lose sight of the task at hand.

“‘Hammerin’’ Hank will go out there being ‘Hammerin’’ Hank – no pressure,” Lundy said Thursday at the pre-fight weigh-in for his upcoming showdown against Mexican challenger Raymundo Beltran, scheduled for Friday, July 27th, 2012 on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights from Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.

Friday’s show, promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, will air live beginning at 10 p.m. (EST) and also feature a 10-round super middleweight co-feature between Philadelphia’s Farah Ennis (19-1, 12 KOs) and Richard Pierson (11-2, 8 KOs) of Paterson, N.J. Tickets are still available at $40, $65, $75 and $125 and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Resorts Casino Hotel Box Office.

“I’m just going to go out there and perform and use my God-given talent. I’m in [Atlantic City] – I’m not in Philly, but I’m still on the road. I’m a road warrior. I like to take that name from Glen Johnson – much respect to you, Glen Johnson – but I’m going there to do what I’ve got to do. Like I always end it, ‘‘Hammerin’’ Hank, coming to a city and town near you. It’s Hammer Time!’”

Even with a formidable challenge from the hard-hitting Beltran (25-6, 17 KOs) looming on the horizon – Lundy’s North American Boxing Federation (NABF) title will be up for grabs in the 10-round main event – most of the focus is on Broner’s jump to the 135-pound division, followed immediately by Lundy’s warning that all challengers in his weight class must go through him first.

Broner, the former World Boxing Organization (WBO) 130-pound champion, was stripped of his title last weekend for weighing in at more than three pounds over the limit. Lundy (21-1-1, 11 KOs), who was forced to sweat off an additional pound himself Thursday – “I’m a professional,” he said. “I worked to lose the weight” – called Broner “unprofessional” and questioned the legitimacy of his 24-0 record.

“I trained hard and left Philadelphia weighing 134 pounds; it happens,” Lundy said, “but you have to be a professional and lose the weight. All I can say is, ‘Hey, I had to do it.’ All it did was kill my morning run because I usually go for a run the morning of, but I can chill now because I already did it.

“I’m in great shape,” he continued. “I’m a throwback fighter. I’m doing 16, 17 rounds a day in the gym. A little run won’t affect anything. I’m ready to go.”

As for Broner, Lundy said, “I kind of like him, but the opposition that he’s fought? Nowhere near my level. [The] 135-pound division is a weight class where if you hit someone they’re going to hit you back. I’m more than welcome to having Adrien Broner move up, but there’s one thing about that – you’ve got to run through ‘‘Hammerin’’ Hank and it won’t be easy. I’m a warrior. When we meet in the ring, you’re going to walk through hell, just like I told Dannie Williams.

“It’s not a game with me.”

Broner is scheduled to fight again Oct. 6 in Atlantic City, according to his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions. In another fight of interest to Lundy’s camp, current WBC lightweight champion Antonio DeMarco will defend his title against John Molina in September.

“If they call me [in October, I’m ready to fight, but at the end of the day I’ve already run through everyone in this division they’ve put in front of me,” Lundy said. ‘I would like to avenge one loss [to Molina]. If this guy [beats DeMarco], let’s get it, but it’s like this – [Broner] is trying to take a shortcut and go straight to the top. You have to work your way up like the old-timers did. When you fight the best, then you can be considered the best. I’ve fought better competition than Broner.

“I’m at the top right now,” he continued. “I’m No. 1 in the [World Boxing Council] and I’ve got Beltran on Friday night. First, I’m going to take care of business and do what I’ve got to do, but let this be a lesson to you, Broner. Sometimes you come in overweight, but you’ve got to bite down and make that weight.”

Friday’s undercard also features a four-round welterweight bout between Anthony Young (4-0, 2 KOs) of Atlantic City and Richie Andrews (3-1-3, 1 KO) of Stuarts Draft, Va., while Josh Mercado (5-1, 2 KOs) of Cape May, N.J., will battle Korey Sloane (2-4-1) of Philadelphia in a four-round bout.

Also, Kenneth Moody (2-3-2, 1 KO) of Virginia Beach, Va., will face Ismael Garcia (3-0) of Millville, N.J., in a four-round middleweight bout and super middleweight Isaiah Seldon of Somers Point, N.J., will face Steven Tyner (3-5-2, 2 KOs) of Akron in a four-round bout. All fights and fighters subject to change. Bantamweight Miguel Cartagena (5-0, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia will put his unbeaten record on the line against Jose Rivera in a six-round bout.

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Bethlehem, PA-Tickets go on sale Friday, July 27, for the world-class boxing card set for Friday evening, Sept. 21, at the Event Center of the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

Featured in the doubleheader main events are: light-heavyweights Gabriel Campillo, of Madrid, Spain, against Sergey Kovalev, of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 10 rounds; welterweights Ronald Cruz, of Bethlehem, PA, against Antwone Smith, of Miami, FL, 12 rounds.

Tickets are priced at $130 (luxury suites), $80 and $55. They go on sale Friday at the Sands Event Center, all Ticketmaster outlets and at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in Philadelphia, PA.

The Sept. 21 card marks the fifth boxing card in the series televised by NBC Sports Network Fight Night in 2012 and the second NBC Sports Network card at the Sands, which hosted the June 1 show. That night, junior middleweight Gabriel Rosado knocked out Sechew Powell and Cruz out-pointed Prenice Brewer in a front of a standing-room-only crowd in the inaugural boxing show at the 2,000-seat Sands Event Center.

Former world Light Heavyweight Champion, Campillo is ranked No. 3 in the world by the IBF. He last boxed Feb. 18 when he lost a controversial 12-round split decision to champion Tavoris Cloud in Corpus Christi, TX. Two years earlier, Campillo lost another 12-round split decision for the WBA belt against Beibut Shumenov in Las Vegas, NV.
Campillo
A pro since 2002, the 33-year-old Campillo is 21-4-1, 8 K0s. This will mark his third fight in the United States.

Kovalev, originally from Chelyabinsk, Russia, boxed on the June 1 card at the Sands, knocking out Darnell Boone, of Atlanta, GA, in two rounds. A pro since 2009, the 29-year-old Kovalev is 18-0-1, 16 K0s. He is ranked No. 13 by the WBC.
Kovalev

Cruz will be making the first defense of his WBC Continental Americas title against Smith. A pro since 2009, the 25-year-old Cruz is a big attraction in Bethlehem and this will be his third hometown appearance. In addition to his 12-round decision on June 1 against Brewer, he also K0d Doel Carrasquillo, of Lancaster, PA, in six rounds on July 1, 2011, in a temporary tent set up outside the Sands and he also drew a packed house that night of 1,300.
Cruz

Smith is an aggressive battler from Miami, FL. He has been in with some of the best at 147 and 154 pounds. His 21-4-1 record includes 12 K0s and he has scored wins over Jerome Ellis, Richard Gutierrez and Henry Crawford.
Smith

Five additional fights complete the card.

ABOUT SEPTEMBER 21

The Campillo-Kovalev and Cruz-Smith fights top a seven-bout card at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. First fight is 7.15 pm. Tickets priced at $130 (luxury suites), $80 and $55 can be purchased through the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922), all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) or at the box office at the Sands Event Center (610-297-7414). Tickets also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com, www.SandsEventCenter.com and www.Ticketmaster.com. In Bethlehem, tickets are available at Deja Brew, Inc., 101 West 4th Street (610-865-2739) and at Pronto Insurance Notary, 232 East 3rd Street (610-419-6790). NBC Sports Network will televise the Campillo-Kovalev and Cruz-Smith fights, beginning at 9 pm. The card is being promoted by Main Events and Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with Sampson Boxing and the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

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FAMILY MATTERS ON TAP IN STUDIO CITY

JESSIE VILLANUEVA AND LEON SPINKS III LOOKING TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES AMID THEIR BOXING KIN

Studio City, CA (July 26) – One boxer is trying to carry on the tradition of one of the sport's royal families; the other is trying to establish a reputation for himself and his brother to be eventually synonymous with some of the greatest sibling tandems to lace on the gloves. Both will be featured on the undercard of Goossen Tutor's “LIVE AT THE LODGE” event on Saturday night, August 11.

In the eyes of 22-year old junior featherweight Jessie Villanueva (3-0, 3 KOs), his scheduled four-round contest against Sytel Wilbarn (2-1) from Los Angeles, CA is the next step in his development towards an eventual world championship – a goal his older brother Matt, an undefeated super flyweight — shares with him.

In the main event, 2008 U.S. Olympian Shawn Estrada (14-0, 12 KOs) will square off with undefeated Felix Piedra (8-0-1, 5 KOs) in a scheduled 8-round light heavyweight contest — with both fighters taking on their toughest challenge to date. Three other bouts are slated for the card including the pro debut of Armenian heavyweight Sergo Pogosyan.

Tickets priced at $100.00 VIP, $50.00 Ringside & $30.00 (plus fees) are still available by email irma@goossentutor.com or by calling the Goossen Tutor office at (818) 817-8001. Tickets will be available the day of the event only at the Sportsmen's Lodge starting at Noon.

“Matt and I are working hard to improve with each and every fight,” the Palmdale, CA native said. “Not only do we want to win world titles, but we hope someday to be compared to some of the greatest boxing brother combinations ever – a number of them Mexican-American like us. Most notably Gaby and Orlando Canizales, Michael and Cruz Carbajal and our predecessors with the Goossens: Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas.”

“Spinks” is a household name in boxing circles, and Leon Spinks III is looking to cement his own place in the sport in which his grandfather Leon, great uncle Michael and brother Cory all achieved world champion status. Currently 2-0 with 1 KO, the 24-year old junior welterweight will take on Eduardo Melendez (0-2), Pasco, WA at the intimate and star-studded Studio City, CA venue. This will mark the first experience fighting outside of his home state of Missouri for the up-and coming self-described “entertainer” known as “The Third Generation.”

“I come from a long line of champions,” Spinks observed. “But I don't feel the pressure that comes with that. I really enjoy what I do for a living and want to not only win my bouts, but do it in a fashion that entertains the crowd because that is what I am: an entertainer. Hopefully, I will win a world title someday, but if not, my family will love me no less.”

Promoter Dan Goossen is all too familiar with what it means to be a member of a boxing family as the one-time head of Ten Goose Boxing in nearby Van Nuys, CA.

“Boxing is in our blood, and when our blood relatives share the same passion and commitment be it in the ring or on the sidelines as promoters, managers, trainers, etc., it can be mutually rewarding or devastating depending on the level of success or failure. There is definitely pressure to perform and standards upon which to live up. We feel that Jessie and Leon III need to show the qualities it takes to be successful and earn their place within their respective boxing families and in the sport. Their next tests come on August 11 at The Lodge.”

The recently-renovated Events Center at “The Lodge,” boasts room for 1,000 boxing fans.