Month: August 2013

Iron Mike makes promotional debut on Friday Night Fights

821Most people who have been around the boxing industry for a considerable amount of time will tell you that the only thing crazier than actually stepping in the ring is getting into the promotional side of the sport.

Being a fight promoter is not for the faint of heart. It’s a brutal trade that is more than deserving of its “hurt business” moniker…and if you’re one of the few promoters who can actually make money from staging live cards, while continually trying to sign the best talent available, well then you’re a blessed individual.

On Friday, August 23rd, from the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York, Hall of Fame fighter and former Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson will try his luck in the promotional realm. On ESPN ‘s “Friday Night Fights” season finale, Iron Mike Productions will present two title fights in the 130 and 126 pound weight divisions.

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Amir “Hardcore” Mansour Interview – “I’m Definitely The Most Avoided Heavyweight Out There!”

Amir “Hardcore” Mansour Interview - “I’m Definitely The Most Avoided Heavyweight Out There!”

Unbeaten southpaw heavyweight Amir Mansour believes he is the best kept secret in the heavyweight division today. This may come across as an overused cliché, but “Hardcore,” as the 18-0(14) heavyweight is known, has certainly been avoided by the top names of the division, and this is the reason, he says passionately, that the casual fans are largely unaware of him and his explosive talents.

The 41-year-old, who has served some serious time in prison, has also suffered criticism due to his age. Yet the eloquently spoken Delaware man defies any younger fighter to come and test his speed, stamina and power. Amir has also put his jail time well and truly behind him.

Speaking with me last week, ahead of tonight’s fight against the seasoned Maurice Harris, Mansour insisted that as long as he keeps winning the top names will have to “come and see me eventually.”

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Amir Khan gets yet another title shot – is he a worthy contender or a stepping stone in disguise?

002KhanvsMolinaIMG_5847 Amir Khan is slated to fight Devon Alexander for the IBF welterweight title on December 7, 2013. Khan has had nothing but title fights since his first loss at the hands of Breidis Prescott. The only exception was his last fight against Julio Diaz which was a non-title bout that Amir got up from a 4th round knock down to win by UD. That makes of 12 fights for different titles and he won 9 of them.

Amir‘s loss to Prescott came in a lightweight title bout in 2008 via first round KO. It was a deep, heavy fall and it didn’t look like Khan could ever beat Prescott. My view then was that Khan wasn’t made for professional boxing despite his stellar amateur career. He bounced back and moved up to light welterweight to have all those high profile fights.

Unlike other high-profile fighters who have a dedicated fan following, Khan has a bandwagon of nay-sayers and very few fans support him even in his own country. He is someone fans love to hate.

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Dereck Chisora: ‘I want to get the European Title, then Wladimir Klitschko’

chisora6Former World Title challenger Dereck Chisora, who recently enjoyed the best win of his career against Malik Scott, made headlines on his short break to Ibiza last month when the Finchley heavyweight came face to face with long-time rival and World Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir Klitchsko.

Chisora opened up about the meeting and reiterated his desire to face the younger Klitchsko brother in the ring in the next year. Chisora, who is mandatory challenger for the European Heavyweight Title, is part of a bumper line-up at the Copper Box Arena’s debut boxing event on the 21st September, headlined by Billy Joe Saunders’ British title defence against John Ryder.

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Maxwell Awuku fired up for world title

Maxwell AwukuGhanaian, Maxwell Awuku, currently ranked number 6 by the WBO at Junior Lightweight is relishing his impending trip to the United States of America to begin the new phase of his career, and the former WBO and WBA Pan Africa Super Featherweight champion is pledging to return home a world champion.

Experienced Awuku, 35-2-1, 23 KOs, has just received his US visa after getting a P1 approval and is expected to depart Accra for his new life in the US by the first week of September and he is already setting lofty targets after spending almost a decade of his professional career on the African continent.

Hitherto, in his 10th professional fight back on November 24 2006, Awuku caused a major upset with an astonishing victory over former world champion, Lehlo Ledwaba who boasts Manny Pacquiao in his fighting resume. Former IBF Bantamweight titlist, Lewdaba was trying to get back to the top but Awuku’s defeat forced the South African into permanent retirement.

Awuku was also once lined up to fight Rene Gonzalez for the WBA world title but fell through at the last minute. Still, Awuku never got the credit he deserved until he defeated world title contender, Joseph Laryea in 2009, successfully defending the WBA Pan-Africa title he had won after beating Ledwaba.

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Malik Scott Speaks Out on Chisora Fight, Wilder and More

scott34Hey Malik, it’s been awhile. How are you doing bro?

I’m good bro, blessed and always be entertained by life.

In your last bout, you lost to Dereck Chisora by what many consider to be a controversial knockout. Talk about the impact that this loss has had on both your career and general psyche…

Well to start things off controversy or no controversy it was a good fight and Chisora officially won fair and square, whatever senseless acts that these referees or judges may do in these fights are not the fighters call, so it is what it is and that milk is spilled so no need to cry over it. As far as my psyche is concerned its better than it has ever been, I still believe I’m the best skilled heavyweight on the planet, I still look good, I have two beautiful, healthy kids that I’m crazy about and I can’t wait to get back in the ring to finish my mission to a heavyweight championship.

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Noah Zuhdi: In a Fight for Respect

zuhdi vajda picWhen WBU Lightweight Champion Noah Zuhdi (16-1, 12 KOs) steps in the ring against Hungarian challenger Gyula Vajda (12-3, 8 KOs) on August 24 at the Lucky Star Casino, he is not just fighting a sharp counterpuncher in his first title defense. He is fighting the litany of naysayers and people who subscribe to an archaic notion that a boxer has to be born and act a certain way in order to thrive in the sport.

We know what real fighters are. Fighters are not practicing lawyers or attorneys. Fighters do not start training in their twenties. Fighters do not grow up geographically and socioeconomically in middle America. And certainly real fighters do not video chat with a wife and infant son every night while in training camp. Yet, Zuhdi is and does all of these things, and he has fought his way to the fringes of boxing stardom.

“Nobody has to fight,” Zuhdi told Eastside before his bout with the tall and crafty Vajda. “No matter what your background is, no one has to get beat up like a boxer does or train as diligently as a boxer does.

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Mares vs. Gonzalez Final Press Conference Quotes and Photos

Abner Mares and Jhonny GonzalezCARSON, CALIF. (Aug. 22, 2013) – Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions hosted the final press conference Thursday for the outstanding fight card that will take place this Saturday, Aug. 24, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, immediately following the series premiere of ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Canelo) and SHOWTIME EXTREME (8 p.m. ET/PT) from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

In Saturday’s main event of an explosive world championship doubleheader on SHOWTIME, undefeated three-time and three-division World Champion Abner Mares (26-0-1, 14 KO’s), of Downey, Calif., by way of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, will defend his WBC Featherweight World Championship against former Two-Division World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez (54-8, 46 KO’s), of Mexico City.

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ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Canelo – Video

NEW YORK (Aug. 22, 2013) – Following the SHOWTIME premiere of each episode of the acclaimed documentary series ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Canelo—series premieres this Saturday at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME—full episodes will be made available online and across multiple platforms leading up to the boxing event of the year, “THE ONE: Mayweather vs. Canelo” on Saturday, September 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

All four episodes will be available following each premiere on Sports.SHO.com, the SHOWTIME Sports® YouTube channel, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and on mobile devices via SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Additionally, a full slate of encore airings are scheduled for SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME EXTREME® and the CBS SPORTS NETWORK. (Visit http://sports.sho.com/programs/all-access for a complete list of air dates and times)

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Shawn Porter vs. Julio Diaz II on September 12th in Las Vegas, Nevada

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (August 22, 2013) – It’s boxing’s biggest week, an opportunity for the stars of entertainment and sports to descend on Las Vegas for “THE” fight of 2013, the championship showdown between unbeaten icons Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez. However, before the world turns its eyes to the MGM Grand Garden Arena to watch these two warriors collide Saturday, Sept. 14, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions kick off festivities two days earlier, on Thursday, Sept. 12, with a special three-and-a-half hour, action-packed broadcast on FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes from MGM Grand Las Vegas’ Premier Ballroom.

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