Maloney Press Release: BERNARD DUNNE and manager Brian Peters will be men looking in from the outside later this month. Bitter Bernard and Bitterer Brian have come up with non-stop excuses about the super-bantamweight’s defeat in seconds to Kiko Martinez and accused European champion Rendall Munroe of running scared. ‘The Bitters’ big rivals invade Dunne’s home city, Dublin on Thursday December 18 and have vowed to show who the best super-bantamweights in Europe really are..
Munroe (16-1) defends his title against Italy’s Fabricio Trotta (13-4-2) on the brilliant bill at Dublin City University, while Martinez boxes a six rounder.
Martinez (19-1) flattened Dunne quicker than it takes to pull in a pint in one of the pubs owned by Peters who doubles as a boxing promoter.
The Spaniard then lost his title to Munroe, but Dunne and Peters somehow feel hard done by.
Promoter Frank Maloney said: “We have no problem fighting Dunne even in his own front room. What I have a problem with is someone who can’t make up their mind.
“There have been three different offers on the table at three different times for Dunne to fight Munroe.
“Dunne’s people don’t seem to know left from right. One minute they want to fight Rendall and the next talking about world titles.
“If you get knocked out by the Martinez, the second best super-bantamweight in Europe you are not world class.
“Instead of dreaming, Team Dunne should start living in the real world.”
Munroe’s cracking defence will top the bill, but Irish eyes will be on Olympic bronze medallist Darren Sutherland who boxes a six round super-middleweight contest on his professional debut at the university where he studied.
Irish light-middleweight champion Jamie Moore (30-3) boxes a six rounder ahead of his crack at the vacant European light-middleweight early next year
London based Irishman Martin Power (19-3), the former British bantamweight champion faces a tough test against Gary Davies (7-2-1).
In a special attraction Craig Watson (13-2) defends his Commonwealth welterweight title against Adnan Amar (22-1), a protégé of Dubliner Brendan Ingle..
A third title bout on the bill sees Jason Booth (30-5) risks his Commonwealth bantamweight crown against Sean Hughes (15-7-1).
Tickets for the big Dublin bill cost 100 Euros and 40 Euros and are available from www.frankmaloney.com www.ticketmaster.ie. To order from Ireland by phone call 08 18 719300, and from UK 0871 226 1508.
Nick Otieno: A Hard road to become African / WBC Champion
By Edward Sande (ed@jabpro.net)
While Kenyans were monitoring the progress of Kenyan Musician Wahu Kagwi and Jua Cali at the MAMA Music Awards in Lagos Nigeria, another Kenyan was quietly seeking to add to the nation’s conquests and make a name for himself in a totally different discipline. Less than three hundred kilometers from the Nigerian Coastal City, Kenyan Boxer Nick Otieno was battling it out in the boxing ring against African Boxing Champion Ibrahim Adewale for an unprecedented all African double title challenge. At stake, the vacant WBC international bantamweight title and the ABU bantamweight title held by his Nigerian Opponent.
In 2006, a little known Otieno won the vacant Universal Boxing Organization bantamweight crown against Twalib Muribu in Dec 2006 and defended it in a rematch in 2007. Still in 2007, he took IBF INT Champion, Eduardo Garcia all of the 12 rounds in an IBF Intercontinental Bantam weight championship in a close contest where one judge scored the bout as a draw. (110-118, 114-114, 113-115). He was the warrior who stopped African Boxing Union Super Flyweight champion Francis Miyeyusho with a first-round knockout on April 5, taking the Tanzanian off the race for the IBF Intercontinental super flyweight title. Otieno also stopped former WBO A/P Champion Florres in and has now taken the African Boxing Union title (from Ibrahim Adewale) and vacant WBC International Bantam title in the Nigerian’s home tuff on 22nd November 2008. That’s Nick “Kanyankole” Otieno; a hardboiled African champion who moves introduces himself the scene of world boxing with fists and heart on fire.
For Nick, the Nigeria victory was a crowning of an illustrious year in his boxing career. For the third time within the last six months, Otieno had stepped into the ring as an underdog and come out convincingly on top. In June what had seemed to be a mere formality for African Super flyweight Champion, Otieno stopped the Tanzanian in the first round. A left hook from Otieno sent Miyeyusho sprawling to the ropes and his attempts to get up on his feet were thwarted by his weak knees. While many fans would have thought that Nick’s victory could have been just a lucky punch, Otieno went on cement his new found prowess in the faraway Asian Islands of Philippines.
In October Otieno was set for a WBC International Flyweight title fight, in Davao City- Philipines against Fernando Lumacad, but the promoters replaced Lumacad with the more experienced Rexxon Florres (18-4). The highly rated Florres who is a former WBO Asia Pacific Champion was expected to overcome Otieno – boxing pundits had all put their money of Florres but were shocked when Otieno’s pressure sent the WBO champion twice to the canvas. When Florres hit the canvas for the 3rd time in the 8th round, his efforts to get back on his feet were in vain and the referee waived off the fight. This was Otieno’s second visit to the Philipines. He had lost a ten round contest against No. 5 rated Supeflyweight, Z Gorres in Cebu City in May 31.
By those two victories, (Miyeyusho and Florres) Otieno’s world rating had surged from the hundreds to 17 at the flyweight berth. It therefore was not hard for him to be considered as a worthy challenger for an African title by the ABU to replace a South African challenger. Otieno’s next challenge seemed even more difficult; against the unbeaten African bantamweight champion Ibrahim Adewale. Adewale’s perfect record of eleven wins and no loss also included 11 stoppages. No one had ever lasted with Adewale for more than 6 rounds. The WBC Judges unanimously scored the fight for Otieno 117–111, 115-113, 119-109.
A late bloomer in the pro ranks, Nick Otieno is an archetype of the fore-sightless management of the entire boxing scene in Kenya; he has only fought as a professional for the last four years. In Kenya, corporate companies that have amateur boxing teams and the military, i.e. Army, Police and Prisons horde the best boxers, recruiting them as early as 15yrs and with the assurance of employment reap from their best years in a grand effort to fill their amateur medals cabinets with Olympic, Commonwealth, and even Military games awards. By the time a boxer is able to turn professional, he is more or less done with, often over 30 years and his ’employer’ turns to the younger crop.
After an illustrious amateur career, Otieno turned pro at 32 years old. Many would expect such boxers not to last, or rather not to make an impression, but he obviously had other plans. As he made his way through his first five fights without a loss and only registering one KO, many, though entertained by his style assumed that he wouldn’t last long.
Winning the vacant UBO Bantamweight title against the tough Twalib Mubiru, and brought some appreciation to his boxing. A rematch with Mubiru for the same title (where he registered his second stoppage) earned him the full recognition that he deserved. But his exploits in the year 2008 stand out most.
The story of Otieno is a tale of tough times that the champion had to contend with in his upbringing. Born in 1973 in the sprawling outskirts of Nairobi Kenya, he grew up in the crime infested Mathare No. 10 slums on the outskirts of Nairobi. The tough life in the ghetto hardened him and his experiences there could have played a big part in his decision to take up boxing. Otieno has seen it all. The first of 9 siblings, Nick grew up in the care of a step mother, after his parents separated. His father did not do much to help him further his education ad by the time he was in Primary six, there seemed to be no option but for him to drop out of school.
‘As a kid I was tiny and I got beat up a lot by the lads’ He says. ‘That’s what probably pushed me to take up boxing, to be able to defend myself’.
Otieno enrolled at the Dandora Bangla boxing gym. He trained hard and by 1992 he had become a regular feature in the junior amateur circuit. As he progressed to the intermediate level of the amateur championships, Nick moved from club to club in search of the permanency of employment.
‘I fought for at least seven Amateur boxing clubs including Kenya Creameries, Telkom and Kenya Breweries. Those days and indeed now, if you performed well at the boxing club, you could get a chance of getting employed by the sponsoring company.’ Nick says ‘Of course I did not study much, so probably I could have landed a job as a casual worker or laborer’
No jobs materialized, but he made his name in the amateur boxing circles, even representing Kenya in a few regional and African competitions. Otieno made the decision to join the paid ranks, and he says things began to look up.
‘I was already married then’ he says of the time he turned professional ‘the pay after each fight was not much but it was better than at the amateurs. I could afford to get a few things done for my small family.
Twenty professional fights later, including two losses at a high level, Otieno is arguably the best boxer at the Super fly and Bantam weights in the Eastern Africa region. Otieno has campaigned successfully at flyweight, super flyweight and Bantam weight. His 2008 conquests now see him ranked at 13 in the world by the respected boxrec website.
‘We have proven ourselves at three different weights, Flyweight to bantamweight’ says Nick’s trainer Paul Akoth ‘what we want in the new year are the opportunities that befit Nick’s achievements in 2008, he deserves the big shots now’
TREIBER RETURNS FROM CALIFORNIA , RECHARGES IN CHICAGO FOR DECEMBER RUN
CHICAGO, IL (November 30, 2008) Ring announcer Thomas Treiber has returned home to recharge following his most recent trip to Northern California where he hosted an outstanding evening of world class professional boxing at the Table Mountain Casino on November 18th..
In December, Treiber will ring announce two hometown shows, Friday, December 12th at Cicero Stadium and Saturday, December 13th at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, before jetting to Las Vegas on December 30th for an event at Planet Hollywood.
Working with long time California promoter, Roy Englebrecht, for the first time, Treiber handled ring announcing duties for the five bout card which featured two world title bouts in Friant , California , just outside of Fresno .
In the main event Martin Honorio stopped Frankie Archuleta in the fifth round to claim the IBA Super Featherweight title, while the co-main event saw Ava Knight upset hometown favorite Kaliesha West in a thrilling eight rounder for the IFBA North American Bantamweight title.
Said Treiber, “All five bouts were outstanding, but the women’s bout had the fans at the casino on their feet throughout cheering on the local girl, West. It was terrific to work with Roy and his team and I’m looking forward to going back to California in the New Year.”
Late in November, Treiber was featured on the boxing website, Cyberboxingzone.com in a story written by Juan Ayllon which can be read at this link; http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/news/archives/00005035.htm
On December 12th, Treiber will ring announce the 8 Count Productions professional boxing event in front of their typically raucous crowd at Cicero Stadium. The next evening he will handle ring announcing duties for a mixed martial arts card presented by Fight Card Entertainment at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles .
“8 Count shows at Cicero are always fun, especially the December holiday shows. Fight Card Entertainment has been around for the past couple of years and they always put on terrific mixed martial arts events.
Having lived and worked in Las Vegas for a few years in the 90’s, it’s always a great experience going back there to ring announce an event. The TKO Boxing Promotions boxing card at Planet Hollywood should be an outstanding event to work” said Treiber.
Thomas Treiber has been amongst the most visible and versatile announcers in boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling for the last seventeen years. His credits include work on HBO, Showtime, CBS Sports, ESPN, Fox Sports Net, Spike TV and Pay Per View events. He can be contacted through his website at www.thomastreiber.com or by calling 219-801-9433.