Undefeated WBC Super Lightweight Champion Timothy Ray Bradley, Jr., completed his mandated 30-day weight check at the Boys and Girls Club in Indio, California, in preparation for his championship defense against Edner Cherry, Saturday, September 13. Bradley weighed in well below the limit at 152 lbs..
“This is my first title defense and I am preparing as good as ever – I have ownership of this title and Cherry will know it and feel it when he steps into the ring with me,” said Bradley who is co-promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions. “I’m aware that Cherry is a dangerous opponent that likes to come forward but I know how to deal with it. His fighting style and how I handle my business in the ring will make it a very exciting fight.”
“There is one thing for certain, no matter what, my belt’s not going anywhere. It’s staying with me.” said Bradley.
The main event of the world championship doubleheader features Lightweight World Champion Nate Campbell vs. Joan Guzman for Campbell’s International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) 135-pound titles. The Bradley-Cherry fight is being presented by Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing Promotions. The main event is being promoted by Don King Productions from a venue to be determined.
Kimbrough vs Clark Sept. 25th at Mountaineer!
WBA #15 lightweight, Verquan ‘The Show’ Kimbrough (20-1-1) of Aliquippa, PA will defend his NABA lightweight belt on Thursday, September 25th at the Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort against former NABF champ and WBC #1 contender, Michael ‘Cold Blood’ Clark (37-5) of Columbus, OH in the 10 round main event. The match will serve as a crossroads fight as Kimbrough attempts to ascend in the rankings, while the Contender Season II series star, Clark, tries to climb his way back into contention. The 7 bout card tabbed as “Border Wars” pits boxers from Pennsylvania against challengers from Ohio on neutral turf (West Virginia) in a unique Team competition format with the winners earning bragging rights over their bordering rivals.
The undercard features light heavy, Tommy Karpency (11-1-1) of Adah, PA facing Eric Asher (6-3-1) of Columbus in a six rounder, while heavyweights, Nicolai Firtha (14-4-1) of Akron, OH and Jason Bergman (6-6) of Adah, PA do battle in another six. Also, Youngstown Ohio’s Billy Lyell (16-6) meets Khristian Geraci (3-3-1) of Pittsburgh in a 6 round junior middleweight match, and a six round super middleweight fight is scheduled between Pittsburgh’s Jimmy Lubash (8-1) and Greg Beerman (4-3) of Cincinnati. Rounding out the card, heavy Jim Emrick (5-1-1) of Butler, PA faces Dan Whetsel (9-13-1) of Toledo, OH in an eight round rematch. Their first meeting ended in a six round draw in February. The show begins at 7PM with doors opening at 6PM. Tickets can be ordered at Ticketmaster or on site at the Roarin’ 20s Frequent Players Club.
ANESTESISTA MARQUEZ: PREMIER DESTROYER OF SONORA
Navojoa, a town of the federal state of Sonora and part of the most productive region in Mexico, is much closer to the sports of baseball than it is for boxing. But still it is home to hardy warriors such as International Boxing Association Continental light middle weight ruler Luis Ramon “Yori Boy” Campas (74 KOs of 92 wins) and Mexican super flyweight champion Juan Alberto “The Monster” Rosas (23 KOs of 27 wins).
Sonora itself is a cradle of another destroyer: undefeated interim Mexican featherweight titlist Leonilo “Veneno” Miranda (28 KOs of 30 wins). At his weight level, World Boxing Organization (WBO) Inter-Continental super bantamweight challenger Eden “Anestesista” Marquez is the top destroyer in Sonora, a region 20 times bigger than Cebu with about the same population of 3 million.
Still in a young career of three years, Marquez stopped more than half of his defeated foes, a feat about close to the 69% KO record of reigning WBO Inter-Continental super bantamweight champion Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista. Yet his early demolition jobs glares nastily at the reigning king’s KO performance. He destroyed seven of his 12 KO victims within the second round, while Bautista mustered only six of his 18 KOs. That’s an impressive second-round performance of 58 percent against Bautista’s 33 percent.
Marquez fought 59 percent of his career fights inside Navojao and approached two-thirds within the Sonora region, with a few contests fought in Baja California Sur and Sinaloa, towards the southern border of Sonora. He defeated the more experienced pugilist Rodolfo Garay (then, 17-5-1) of Sinaloa, Mexico in 2006 and had earned respect for standing up against the 56-career-fight veteran and brawler Francisco Garcia, also from Sinaloa, to the final round last year, although losing to him by unanimous verdict. He defeated Genaro Camargo in February 2007, a year ahead of Bautista’s KO win early this year.
His bid to unseat Boom-Boom Bautista from the regional throne on August 30 will be his first foray into the regional boxing scene and his first breakout from Mexico and apparently the beginning of his regional campaign. And vipers rarely go out of their pits unless they feed. Anestesista’s conquest of the Philippine champion stands as a critical chip in making his presence felt in the region.
The rivalry for the WBO Inter-Continental super bantamweight crown comes to Cebu through another blockbuster boxing promotion, dubbed “WBO Night of Champions,” at the Cebu City Waterfront Hotel & Casino at 6:00 PM. Tickets are available for the following rates: Balcony—P350; Ballroom—P550; Ringside—P1,500. Reserved seats ranged from P 2,000 to P 3,000. Please call Jeana (0928-5057980) and Brent (0917-3253005) for reservations.
ALA Promotions organized the event in cooperation with Cebu City Waterfront Hotel & Casino and giant media network ABS-CBN Broadcasting Company.