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Broner Dishes Out Disses, Near-Classic Comedy, At Thursday Presser
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Crying shame it was, them not streaming the Thursday presser which saw Adrien Broner acting out, talking trash galore, getting into it with a father and a son, for good measure, two days out from his PBC tangle on NBC.
A-side AB took it to Saturday foe Shawn Porter, and his pop, Kenny, showed off his abs and yes, that mouth, which was motorted up, revving hard and spewing amusing and confrontational talk.
Oh yes, it was humorous but threatened to tilt over the edge into real-deal heated; dad Kenny yapped at Broner, when Broner told him to get out front, stand in front of him, instead of son Shawn, during the stare-down. Sam Watson told Kenny to stand down, as he was commanding the Cinci boxer to “look him in the eyes.”
Broner was in gym gear while Porter was in neo-Haymon attire, a most sharp suit with a crisp hanky poking out of his chest pocket. Promoter Floyd Mayweather, sporting a “Brooklyn” ballcap, watched, mildly interested, while AB kept yapping. “He can get it too,” said the bratty boxer, referencing the pop, “This is easy work.”
Porter was silent, but his nostrils flared, and then he broke into a grin as AB whispered trash talk to him. Then, AB showed off his abs, and said, “We made weight fine…Make sure you make weight,” he said, at Porter. It was the AB show, fully…
Broner said that he’d whip Kenny after whupping Shawn, as he left the stage and Kenny accepted the invite. “AB, absolutely broke,” said Kenny, responding to the needling AB dispensed during the presser. That had AB teasing that the father was spending all the son’s money.
“I’m fighting Shawn Porter, and I’m fighting his dad,” the quipster said, going on to describe how he thinks the purse money from Porter fights is chopped up. Shawn has to get an Uber or take a bummy ride while dad takes rides in a luxe ride, he joked. “He got the girl that Shawn is supposed to have…even today he got on a better suit…they live together, let him live, have some fun,” AB said, in a mildly classic standup set. Kenny then made a crack about child-support, and how AB should be kicking funds there. “He high,” Broner responded, off wearing patent leather.
Broner did well to try and get into Shawn’s head, telling him he liked him, but that he got negative energy from dad. He offered to sign Porter to his promotional outfit, and yes, the look on Porters’ face said that the goat-getting was working. “Saturday night I’m gonna put on a show, this boys not gonna beat me,” he said…indeed, he put on a show then and there.
This was old school drama and humor and comedy, the variety of which the PBC have tried to steer away from, while trying to dust off the rep of the sport a bit. I’d recommend they continue to loosen the reins, let the yappers yap, let their personalities flap in the wind. This is an adult sport, Broner has an adult personality, might as well run with it, not from it.
Here is the release sent out by the PBC peeps re: the presser–
FIREWORKS BETWEEN ADRIEN BRONER & SHAWN PORTER AT PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON NBC FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE
Photos – Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions
Antonio DeMarco Vows To Defeat Rances Barthelemy For Cancer-Stricken Sister on Premier Boxing Champions on CBS
Promoter Floyd Mayweather & Premier Boxing Champions Fighters
Final Press Conference Quotes
LAS VEGAS (June 18, 2015) – An animated Adrien “The Problem” Broner held court for several minutes Thursday, as a calm “Showtime” Shawn Porter delivered his own strong message in advance of the exciting weekend of Premier Boxing Champions action at MGM Grand.
In a different role than his usual one as boxing’s pound-for-pound king, President of Mayweather Promotions Floyd “Money” Mayweather helped run the press conferences alongside Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe.
On the Saturday, June 20 PBC on NBC show, Broner (30-1, 22 KOs) will take on Porter (25-1-1, 16 KOs) after Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. (16-0, 13 KOs) battles Phil “The Italian Sensation” Lo Greco (26-1, 14 KOs). Televised coverage on NBC begins at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT.
Also at Thursday’s press conference, main event participant on the Sunday, June 21 PBC on CBS card Antonio DeMarco (22-0, 13 KOs) vowed to bring home a victory for his cancer-stricken sister in Sunday’s PBC on CBS main event showdown against former world champion Rances Barthelemy (31-4-1, 23 KOs). Sunday’s co-feature showcases a welterweight matchup between Sammy Vasquez (18-0, 13 KOs) and Wale Omotoso (25-1, 21 KOs). Televised coverage begins on CBS Sports at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
Also in attendance on Thursday were rising stars from Mayweather Promotions who will be competing on both Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets for Saturday’s event are priced at $400, $300, $100 and $50 and tickets for Sunday’s event are priced at $100, $75, $50, and $25 not including applicable service charges and taxes are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card for tickets to both events, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets for both events are also available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. The weekend of action is promoted by Mayweather Promotions in association with TGB Promotions.
Here is what the press conference participants had to say:
FLOYD MAYWEATHER, President of Mayweather Promotions
“Mayweather Promotions has always done record-breaking numbers and our ultimate goal is to find the next Floyd Mayweather. With all of the talent out there, it will soon happen.
“I want all of the fighters out there to keep working hard, stay focused and know that there is no limit to what you can do.
“With all the media here talking to him, it’s obvious that Adrien is doing something right. He’s entertaining and people like it.
“There’s no limit to how far Adrien Broner can go in this sport. He can fight. I’m in the gym with him and he’s boxing top guys. He’s pushing himself.
“Shawn Porter is a really solid competitor. It’s not an easy task for Adrien, he’s going to have to fight.
“Mayweather Promotions wants to continue to work with all fighters and help build their careers so that they can get to that top level.”
ADRIEN BRONER
“This is the AB show. You’re all getting it first, live and personal.
“I’m fighting Shawn Porter and I’m fighting his dad. It’s like I’m fighting his dad because the check comes in his dad’s name, then he pays Shawn.
“Since both Shawn and his dad get a check, if I whoop both of them, will I get paid twice?
“I like Shawn as a person, but he gets so much negative energy from his dad. That’s just the truth.
“After I whoop you Shawn, come sign with About Billions and I’ll buy you a nicer car than your dad’s. I already wrote out the contract.
“This is going to be a great fight. I’m very excited because I love putting on a show for the fans. This boy will not beat me.
“I’m coming to deliver a beat down. Shawn Porter is a football player, I’m going to take him out. It’s going to be fun.”
SHAWN PORTER
“I feel great, it’s a good day. I’m just counting down until fight night.
“I’ve been working on everything in camp. I have a lot of speed, power, quickness and the whole nine. It’s going to take everything to win this fight.
“He’s got good speed, so we’re preparing for him to use a lot of that. We’ll make adjustments as we go along but the key is definitely taking care of his speed with our speed.
“It’s so sweet to be fighting at MGM Grand, this is what you want as a fighter. It’s my time now. I’m so excited about this opportunity.
“Number one, we have to take care of business. We know that if we take care of business it’ll be a great Father’s Day on Sunday.”
ERROL SPENCE JR.
“I just have to stay focused and put on a spectacular performance on Saturday night. Hopefully next time I’ll be the main event. It’s a process but I’m getting there.
“I’m ready for anybody in the welterweight division, I’m ready for any kind of step up in competition period. I’m not the guy to shy away from anybody.
“Porter and Broner are a little more seasoned that me, but skill wise I think I’m right on par with them. Skill for skill I can match anybody in boxing.
“A lot of guys aren’t in the position that I’m in to get the opportunities that I have. This is my third year as a pro and it’s all been coming pretty fast. It’s all about timing. I’m enjoying the process.
“You’re going to be looking at the future of the sport come Saturday night.”
PHIL LO GRECO
“There’s no such thing as the right moment. The perfect fight is when you want it to be. I got the call and decided that this is the perfect timing.
“It took me about 30 seconds to decide to take this fight. When you know why you fight, it makes these decisions easy.
“A year ago there was no way I thought I’d be on this stage. Now I have real opportunities and we’re here now.
“Win, lose or draw, I’m going back to the gym next week.
“I’m a pressure fighter. I like to engage and give the fans what they want to see. This is a great opportunity. Saturday is going to be fun.”
RANCES BARTHELEMY
“I’m feeling good moving up in weight. Everybody knows Antonio DeMarco is a very, very tough fighter. He’s one of the best I’ve ever fought. His record who he has faced proves that. He’s experienced, but so am I.
“I want to be the best Cuban fighter of all-time and I’m on my way.
“I’m in tremendous shape and I’m ready to go. I want to showcase my skills on Sunday to show the world how I can fight.
“Who do I want to fight? I’ll fight anyone they put in my way. I’ll fight Godzilla if he’s there.
“I don’t do predictions but this is going to be an entertaining fight. Unlike past Cuban fighters, I have power and can knock people out. In the amateurs you don’t need power. But in the pros, that’s what it’s all about.”
ANTONIO DEMARCO
“This is going to be a tough fight, a difficult fight, but I have a great responsibility. My 15-year-old sister told me that if I win, she will beat cancer. She was diagnosed with bone cancer last November – and it was life-threatening. But her last chemo treatment was yesterday.
“From a ring standpoint, I am really looking forward to Sunday. I am very prepared, I am relaxed and ready to go. Besides for my sister, my other main motivation is that this is a chance to get my career back on track. A victory and I can get back to where I was and in position to challenge the best.
“I am treating it like another fight, but of course it is much more. Exposure-wise, you can’t get better than network television.
“I know Rances is going to be a difficult opponent. He’s a great fighter. But I have the experience to come up with a game plan to win. From a career-standpoint, this is a very important fight and I’m ready for it.”
SAMMY VASQUEZ
“It’s an honor to be here in this building among some of the greatest fighters in the world. Omotoso has never fought anyone like me before.
“I’m here to restore the greatness of Pittsburgh boxing. Everyone knows ‘The Pittsburgh Kid’, Paul Spadafora, but we all carry the torch differently. I respect him as a fighter and he’s done some great things. We were raised differently and I’m amazed at the great things he’s accomplished. But I’m here to bring a new look to Pittsburgh boxing.
“Omotoso is tough. His record speaks for itself at 25-1. His only loss was to Jessie Vargas who’s fighting for a world title. I don’t take anybody lightly. I’ve trained hard for this and I don’t think he’s fought anyone as fast as me or hits as hard as me with both hands.
“I’m going to throw a lot of punches and it should be fun to see. It will be an entertaining fight. The main goal is to win. If the opportunity presents itself to knock him out then I will. I’m not going to go in there trying to knock his head off or anything. I have to box smart.
“In this game it’s all about longevity and the less you get hit the longer you can fight so I don’t want to get hit. That’s my goal.”
WALE OMOTOSO
“I feel blessed to have the opportunity to fight on such a big stage. Fighting on network TV provides all of us such a lift. Getting this kind of national exposure is what fighters like me need and what we work so hard to get.
“I’m totally ready to take advantage and I look forward to being able to showcase my talents on Sunday. All my friends and countrymen are going to be able to watch it, and I don’t want to let them down.
“I really don’t know much about Vasquez, other than he’s a southpaw whose quick, he is just another fighter who can fight. But we can all fight. It’s not like he has four hands and two heads.
“The best man will be victorious and I am confident that is me.
“I can’t wait for Sunday. I wish it was time to fight right now. This is going to be my Father’s Day present to my kids and wife.”
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Niyomtrong Proves a Bridge Too Far for Alex Winwood in Australia
![Niyomtrong-Proves-a-Bridge-Too-Far-for-Alex-Winwood-in-Australia](https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/knockout.png)
Today in Perth, Australia, Alex Winwood stepped up in class in his fifth pro fight with the aim of becoming the fastest world title-holder in Australian boxing history. But Winwood (4-0, 2 KOs heading in) wasn’t ready for WBA strawweight champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong, aka Knockout CP Freshmart, who by some accounts is the longest reigning champion in the sport.
Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KOs) prevailed by a slim margin to retain his title. “At least the right guy won,” said prominent Australian boxing writer Anthony Cocks who thought the scores (114-112, 114-112, 113-113) gave the hometown fighter all the best of it.
Winwood, who represented Australia in the Tokyo Olympics, trained for the match in Thailand (as do many foreign boxers in his weight class). He is trained by Angelo Hyder who also worked with Danny Green and the Moloney twins. Had he prevailed, he would have broken the record of Australian boxing icon Jeff Fenech who won a world title in his seventh pro fight. A member of the Noongar tribe, Winwood, 27, also hoped to etch on his name on the list of notable Australian aboriginal boxers alongside Dave Sands, Lionel Rose and the Mundines, Tony and Anthony, father and son.
What Winwood, 27, hoped to capitalize on was Niyomtrong’s theoretical ring rust. The Thai was making his first start since July 20 of 2022 when he won a comfortable decision over Wanheng Menayothin in one of the most ballyhooed domestic showdowns in Thai boxing history. But the Noongar needed more edges than that to overcome the Thai who won his first major title in his ninth pro fight with a hard-fought decision over Nicaragua’s Carlos Buitrago who was 27-0-1 heading in.
A former Muai Thai champion, Niyomtrong/Freshmart turns 34 later this month, an advanced age for a boxer in the sport’s smallest weight class. Although he remains undefeated, he may have passed his prime. How good was he in his heyday? Prominent boxing historian Matt McGrain has written that he was the most accomplished strawweight in the world in the decade 2010-2019: “It is not close, it is not debatable, there is no argument.”
Against the intrepid Winwood, Niyomtrong started slowly. In round seven, he cranked up the juice, putting the local fighter down hard with a left hook. He added another knockdown in round nine. The game Winwood stayed the course, but was well-beaten at the finish, no matter that the scorecards suggested otherwise, creating the impression of a very close fight.
P.S. – Because boxrec refused to name this a title fight, it fell under the radar screen until the result was made known. In case you hadn’t noticed, boxrec is at loggerheads with the World Boxing Association and has decided to “de-certify” the oldest of the world sanctioning bodies. While this reporter would be happy to see the WBA disappear – it is clearly the most corrupt of the four major organizations – the view from here is that boxrec is being petty. Moreover, if this practice continues, it will be much harder for boxing historians of future generations to sort through the rubble.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 295: Callum Walsh, Pechanga Casino Fights and More
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Super welterweight contender Callum Walsh worked out for reporters and videographers at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday,
The native of Ireland Walsh (11-0, 9 KOs) has a fight date against Poland’s Przemyslaw Runowski (22-2-1, 6 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 20 at the city of Dublin. It’s a homecoming for the undefeated southpaw from Cork. UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card.
Mark down the date.
Walsh is the latest prodigy of promoter Tom Loeffler who has a history of developing European boxers in America and propelling them forward on the global boxing scene. Think Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin and you know what I mean.
Golovkin was a middleweight monster for years.
From Kevin Kelley to Oba Carr to Vitaly Klitschko to Serhii Bohachuk and many more in-between, the trail of elite boxers promoted by Loeffler continues to grow. Will Walsh be the newest success?
Add to the mix Dana White, the maestro of UFC, who is also involved with Walsh and you get a clearer picture of what the Irish lad brings to the table.
Walsh has speed, power and a glint of meanness that champions need to navigate the prizefighting world. He also has one of the best trainers in the world in Freddie Roach who needs no further introduction.
Perhaps the final measure of Walsh will be when he’s been tested with the most important challenge of all:
Can he take a punch from a big hitter?
That’s the final challenge
It always comes down to the chin. It’s what separates the Golovkins from the rest of the pack. At the top of the food chain they all can hit, have incredible speed and skill, but the fighters with the rock hard chins are those that prevail.
So far, the chin test is the only examination remaining for Walsh.
“King’ Callum Walsh is ready for his Irish homecoming and promises some fireworks for the Irish fans. This will be an entertaining show for the fans and we are excited to bring world class boxing back to the 3Arena in Dublin,” said Loeffler.
Pechanga Fights
MarvNation Promotions presents a battle between welterweight contenders Jose “Chon” Zepeda (37-5, 28 KOs) and Ivan Redkach (24-7-1, 19 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 6, at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. DAZN will stream the fight card.
Both have fought many of the best welterweights in the world and now face each other. It should be an interesting clash between the veterans.
Also on the card, featherweights Nathan Rodriguez (15-0) and Bryan Mercado (11-5-1) meet in an eight-round fight.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. First bout at 7 p.m.
Monster Inoue
Once again Japan’s Naoya Inoue dispatched another super bantamweight contender with ease as TJ Doheny was unable to continue in the seventh round after battered by a combination on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Inoue continues to brush away whoever is placed in front of him like a glint of dust.
Is the “Monster” the best fighter pound-for-pound on the planet or is it Terence Crawford? Both are dynamic punchers with skill, speed, power and great chins.
Munguia in Big Bear
Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia is two weeks away from his match with Erik Bazinyan at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. ESPN will show the Top Rank card.
“Erik Bazinyan is a good fighter. He’s undefeated. He switches stances. We need to be careful with that. He’s taller and has a longer reach than me. He has a good jab. He can punch well on the inside. He’s a fighter who comes with all the desire to excel,” said Munguia.
Bazinyan has victories over Ronald Ellis and Alantez Fox.
In case you didn’t know, Munguia moved over to Top Rank but still has ties with Golden Boy Promotions and Zanfer Promotions. Bazinyan is promoted by Eye of the Tiger.
This is the Tijuana fighter’s first match with Top Rank since losing to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last May in Las Vegas. He is back with trainer Erik Morales.
Callum Walsh photo credit: Lina Baker
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60 Years Ago This Month, the Curtain Fell on the Golden Era of TV Boxing
![60-Years-Ago-This-Month-the-Curtain-Fell-on-the-Golden-Era-of-TV-Boxing.jpg](https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TV.png)
The Sept. 11, 1964 fight between Dick Tiger and Don Fullmer marked the end of an era. The bout aired on ABC which had taken the reins from NBC four years earlier. This would be the final episode of the series informally known as the “Friday Night Fights” or the “Fight of the Week,” closing the door on a 20-year run. In the future, boxing on free home TV (non-cable) would be sporadic, airing mostly on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The days when boxing was a weekly staple on at least one major TV network were gone forever.
During the NBC years, the show ran on Friday in the 10:00-11-00 pm slot for viewers in the Eastern Time Zone and the “studio” was almost always Madison Square Garden. The sponsor from the very beginning was the Gillette razor company (during the ABC run, El Producto Cigars came on as a co-sponsor).
Gillette sponsored many sporting events – the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, the U.S. Open golf tournament and the Blue-Gray college football all-star game, to name just a few – all of which were bundled under the handle of the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports. Every sports fan in America could identify the catchphrase that the company used to promote their disposable “Blue Blades” – “Look Sharp, Feel Sharp, Be Sharp!” — and the melody of the Gillette jingle would become the most-played tune by marching bands at high school and college football halftime shows (the precursor, one might say, of the Kingsmen’s “Louie, Louie”).
The Sept. 11 curtain-closer wasn’t staged at Madison Square Garden but in Cleveland with the local area blacked out.
Dick Tiger, born and raised in Nigeria, was making his second start since losing his world middleweight title on a 15-round points decision to Joey Giardello. Don Fullmer would be attempting to restore the family honor. Dick Tiger was 2-0-1 vs. Gene Fullmer, Don’s more celebrated brother. Their third encounter, which proved to be Gene Fullmer’s final fight, was historic. It was staged in Ibadan, Nigeria, the first world title fight ever potted on the continent of Africa.
In New York, the epitaph of free TV boxing was written three weeks earlier when veteran Henry Hank fought up-and-comer Johnny Persol to a draw in a 10-round light heavyweight contest at the Garden. This was the final Gillette fight from the place where it all started.
Some historians trace the advent of TV boxing in the United States to Sept. 29, 1944, when a 20-year-old boxer from Connecticut, Willie Pep, followed his manager’s game plan to perfection, sticking and moving for 15 rounds to become the youngest featherweight champion in history, winning the New York version of the title from West Coast veteran Albert “Chalky” Wright.
There weren’t many TVs in use in those days. As had been true when the telephone was brand new, most were found in hospitals, commercial establishments, and in the homes of the very wealthy. But within a few years, with mass production and tumbling prices, the gizmo became a living room staple and the TV repairman, who made house calls like the family doctor, had a shop on every Main Street.
Boxing was ideally suited to the infant medium of television because the action was confined to a small area that required no refurbishment other than brighter illumination, keeping production costs low. The one-minute interval between rounds served as a natural commercial break. The main drawback was that a fight could end early, meaning fewer commercials for the sponsor who paid a flat rate.
At its zenith, boxing in some locales aired five nights a week. And it came to be generally seen that this oversaturation killed the golden goose. One by one, the small fight clubs dried up as fight fans stayed home to watch the fights on TV. In the big arenas, attendance fell off drastically. Note the difference between Pep vs. Wright, the 1944 originator, and Hank vs. Persol, also at Madison Square Garden:
Willie Pep vs. Chalky Wright Sept. 29, 1944 attendance 19,521
Henry Hank vs. Johnny Persol Aug. 21, 1964 attendance 5,219
(True, Pep vs. Wright was a far more alluring fight, but this fact alone doesn’t explain the wide gap. Published attendance counts aren’t always trustworthy. In the eyes of the UPI reporter who covered the Hank-Persol match, the crowd looked smaller. He estimated the attendance at 3,000.)
Hank vs. Persol was an entertaining bout between evenly-matched combatants. The Tiger-Fullmer bout, which played out before a sea of empty seats, was a snoozer. Don Fullmer, a late sub for Rocky Rivero who got homesick and returned to Argentina, was there just for the paycheck. A Pittsburgh reporter wrote that the match was as dull as a race between two turtles. Scoring off the “5-point-must” system, the judges awarded the match to Dick Tiger by margins of 6, 6, and 7 points.
And that was that. Some of the most sensational fights in the annals of boxing aired free on a major TV network, but the last big bang of the golden era was hardly a bang, merely a whimper.
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A recognized authority on the history of prizefighting and the history of American sports gambling, TSS editor-in-chief Arne K. Lang is the author of five books including “Prizefighting: An American History,” released by McFarland in 2008 and re-released in a paperback edition in 2020.
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The photo accompanying this article is from the 1962 fight at Madison Square Garden between Dick Tiger (on the right) and Henry Hank. To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
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