Wilder vs. Firtha on Hopkins-Murat card next month

003WildervictoryIMG_3358 Unbeaten KO artist Deontay Wilder will face experienced big guy Nicolai Firtha in his next pro outing, on the Bernard Hopkins-Karo Murat under-card at The Barclays Centre New York on October 26th.

Wilder, 29-0(29) is coming off that scary 1st-round destruction of former WBO heavyweight titlist Serhai Liakhovich and it will be interesting to see if he can keep his KO streak going against the 34-year-old who is both big and game.

Firtha, 21-10-1(8) is not a top-rated contender and his record is somewhat patchy, yet he has been in with some big names and acquitted himself well. Since being stopped (arguably prematurely) in the 5th-round by Tyson Fury in what was a sizzling slugfest while it lasted, Firtha has dropped a 12-round decision to Johnathon Banks (who went on to ruin Seth Mitchell via 2nd-round stoppage, before Banks lost the return via forgettable 12-round snoozer) and won a stay-busy six-rounder against Robert Hawkins.

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Bryan Vera: “Here we go again”

During his casual media workout before the now drama riddled, 173 pound, non-title, ten round attraction, Austin, Texas, resident Bryan Vera told anxious media members in attendance at the Fortune Gym in Los Angeles, California, that it was just business as usual leading into what could be the most impactful bout of Vera’s nine year professional career this Saturday night when he finally squares off against a “heavily” favored Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

“I can only do what I can do,” stated a very relaxed Bryan Vera. “I can’t concern myself with the added drama that Chavez brings to the event. I have to stay focused, and hopefully give the fans a great fight on Saturday night.”

Most ringside observers are holding their collective breaths in anticipation for what could be a promotional meltdown on Friday, September 27th, during the customary pre-fight weigh in, which is slated to be held at 6PM EST/3PM PST later this afternoon inside the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California, if “La Estrella de la Noche” doesn’t make the abridged weight limit of 173 pounds.

Will we see the dramatic “Novella” come to an anticlimactic conclusion this afternoon on the scales?

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Stevenson vs. Cloud: All roads to 175 supremacy have to come thru Canada

This Saturday in Montreal the Bell Centre will be packed per usual and that loyal fan base will cheer and sing, O Canada until their blue in the face, for their guy Adonis “Superman” Stevenson when he is challenged for 175 supremacy by Tavoris Cloud.

Does Cloud have the skill set sharp enough to stop Stevenson’s reign in his first defense of his lineal title. A title that he ripped suddenly from Chad Dawson’s soul, leaving the former pound for pound fighter’s career in doubt after back to back knockout losses.

I mentioned a sharp skill set, more accurately it will likely be how rough he can make this fight on the inside, using his brute strength to wear down the champion enabling him to use his natural power and athleticism.

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Deontay Wilder looking for KO #30 against Nicolai Firtha on October 26th

Unbeaten heavyweight contender Deontay Wilder (29-0, 29 KO’s) will be looking to pick up his 30th consecutive knockout against the always tough Nicolai Firtha (21-10-1, 8 KO’s) on October 26th at the Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. The Deontay-Firtha fight will be on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins vs. Kara Furat and Peter Quillin vs. Gabriel Rosado card.

At this point, the Wilder vs. Firtha fight might not be televised. However, boxing fans will no doubt get to see clips of the fight if that happens. It’s likely not going to last more than 1 round at best, so boxing fans won’t miss a lot by not being able to see the entire Deontay vs.Firtha fight, if Showtime chooses not to televise it.

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Chavez Jr. – Vera final press conference quotes and videos

LOS ANGELES (SEPTEMBER 26, 2013)—Below are quotes from Wednesday’s press conference in advance of Saturday’s Super Middleweight showdown between former WBC Middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and WBO #1 ranked Middleweight Bryan Vera that will take place at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

The show is promoted by Top Rank and Banner Promotions and will be televised LIVE on HBO’s Championship Boxing.

Bryan Vera (23-6, 14 KO’s)—“It has been the longest camp I have ever been in so I am not lying when I say I am in the best shape of my career.”

Arthur Pelullo—“Bryan knows he is fighting a great young fighter and it’s going to be a great night of boxing. We feel that Bryan will have an excellent night. When Bob Arum called me about the fight, Bryan didn’t blink an eyelash and said yes. He knew this could be a career changing fight. He wanted this fight from the get-go. He understands the formal task in front of him. He is a great fighter and he is coming to win the fight.”

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Adonis Stevenson-Tavoris Cloud event showcases card full of world-class fighters

While media attention has focused on Saturday night’s “The Return Of Superman” main event (airing live on HBO in the United States), featuring World Boxing Council (WBC), The Ring Magazine and lineal world light heavyweight champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (21-1, 18 KOs) in his first title defense against former world title-holder Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud (24-1, 19 KOs), the remainder of this stacked card at historic Bell Centre in Montreal also showcases five other Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) world-class fighters in action.

First, former WBC, The Ring Magazine and lineal light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (22-2-1, 16 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time since defeating Aleksy Kuziemski last December. His opponent is American George “Honey Boy” Blades (23-4-2, 16 KOs). The last time the WBC #2-rated Pascal did not participate in the main bout of a major event was back in December of 2007, when he faced Brian Norman at the Bell Centre. Joachim Alcine then successfully defended his World Boxing Association (WBA) light middleweight title belt against Alfonso Mosquera in the main event.

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Tyson Fury: “Haye is a classless prima donna, a diva, a no good wannabe Bollywood actor”

After yesterday’s rescheduled date was announced as February 8th 2014 at the Phones 4 U Arena Manchester, following Haye’s withdrawal from the original September 28th date, Tyson Fury gave this reaction:

“I’m so glad to have this fight rescheduled – in my opinion, he’s a classless prima donna, a diva, a no good wannabe Bollywood actor and I can’t wait to put him in his place,” Tyson said.

“There’s lots of honest and hard working people in this world and I believe I’m going to punish and poleaxe this money grabbing cry baby for all of them – he’s getting knocked spark out!

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Klitschko vs Povetkin live on Boxnation

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546), is delighted to announce that it will show the year’s biggest heavyweight fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin live and exclusive in the UK.

Klitschko, regarded as the world’s best heavyweight, puts his WBO/IBF/WBA Super/IBO World titles on the line in his hardest and riskiest fight to date against the undefeated challenger Povetkin, who holds the regular WBA world title, on Saturday 5th October at the Olimpyskiy Arena in Moscow.

Not only does it pit two world champions against each other, but two Olympic Champions with Klitschko winning gold for Ukraine in 1996 and Povetkin capturing gold for Russia in 2004.

Such was the demand to stage the fight, a Russian promoter bid an incredible $23.3m, the third largest ever winning purse bid, to ensure that the fight went on in the Russian capital.

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Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Bryan Vera agree to 173 pound weight limit and 10 round contest

chavez8 According to trainer Ronnie Shields, successful negotiations have taken place to append a new weigh-in limit for the big Saturday night showdown between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KOs) of Culiacan, Mexico and Bryan Vera (23-6, 14 KOs) of Austin, Texas.

After the fight card’s final press conference convened this afternoon at the Crystal Ballroom of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California, both parties, including promoters Top Rank, Inc. and Banner Promotions, reached an accord binding both combatants to a new weigh in limit of 173 pounds for this Friday afternoon’s weigh in ceremony.

Although the added weight limit came as no surprise to most media members who had been following the current Chavez/Vera novella, veteran trainer Ronnie Shields made a surprise stipulation within the new fight agreement.

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Oleksandr Usyk, an Olympic gold medalist, will make a pro debut on Nov.9

A recent press release about the pro debut of Oleksandr Usyk (not Alexander) on Nov. 9 finally alerted some journalists that the cruiserweight Olympic champion had actually turned pro. He did that right after Vasyl Lomachenko singed with Top Rank. The two are team mates and close friends and they traveled to the US together to seek a deal with a premiere promotional company. Both are Olympic champions from the Ukraine and very competent boxers whose styles would need only minor tactical adjustments for them to cross over to the paid ranks. Conditioning should not be a problem for people who run the marathon distance as a part of their road work.

Lomachenko was in high demand and he put up an auction of sorts demanding a championship fight in his debut along with the financial terms. Apparently Top Rank beat the rest to the chase and attracted the diamond in the rough to their stable. A debut for a title was a pipe dream but the rest of the requirements may have been met.

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