Boxing News: Morrell Joins Team Donofrio, Kelsey Jeffries, TopRank News

Joe Donofrio of Donofrio Entertainment is proud to announce that Matchmaker/Fight Coordinator Anne Morell has joined his team. Fortunately for those who will be in attendance, Morell joins Team Donofrio in time to work her magic on their upcoming event “MEADOWBROOK CAGE FIGHT FESTIVAL” on September 6 at Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan..

“Anne’s reputation as the top matchmaker in Michigan is well-known and we’re ecstatic to have her on our side, making more of the kinds of fights that have become the hallmark of our events,” said an elated Donofrio.

Morell’s knack for putting together action-packed bouts has allowed her to work with some of the industry’s top athletes and professionals.

“My work ethic has never been compromised and I have held true to my own standards while preserving the integrity of the sport of MMA,” she says of her success. “I feel very fortunate to be involved with a team that has the same work ethic and commitment and it will no doubt result in exceptional promotions that will provide the fans and athletes the ultimate mixed martial arts experience.”

Featuring 20 full-contact matches between experts of a wide range of fighting disciplines; “Vegas” style ring entrances, state-of-the-art pyrotechnics, the most beautiful ring girls, and the Midwest’s best choreographed troupe walking the fighters to the cage, MEADOWBROOK CAGE FIGHT FESTIVAL will surely raise the bar even higher for competing promoters in the State.

“This will be a must-see night of fighting. No other mixed martial arts event in Michigan even compares to the Caged Warrior Combat series,” added Donofrio. “MEADOWBROOK CAGE FIGHT FESTIVAL will give everyone a chance to watch world-class MMA at an outdoor venue that was made for the voltage that live MMA creates. It’s going to be the show of the year, so make sure you get your tickets now!”

Tickets for “MEADOW BROOK CAGE FIGHT FESTIVAL” are available at The Palace of Auburn Hills and Meadow Brook Music Festival Box Offices, palacenet.com, all TicketMaster outlets or via charge by phone at 248-645-6666. Doors open at 6:30 pm and fights start at 7:30. Meadow Brook Music Festival is located on the grounds of Oakland University.

All bouts subject to change.

WIBA World Title fight for 3 time Champ Kelsey ‘Road Warrior’ Jeffries

WIBA President, Ryan Wissow and Jarvis Robinson, CEO of Fight Night Productions, announced today that 3 time World Champion – IFBA/GBU featherweight & IBA super bantamweight – Kelsey ‘Road Warrior’ Jeffries will be one of the opponents competing for the vacant WIBA super bantamweight title at the ‘Casino Battle Royale’ event which will take place in Atlantic City later this year.

The clearly pleased Jarvis Robinson said “It’s so good to have a top class fighter like Kelsey on the show. Boy, can that girl fight. I was watching some video of her and I’m seriously impressed. She’s the style of fighter I like. All action from start to finish.”

Jeffries, an on call Fire Fighter for the Hollister, California Fire Department and full time student at Gavilan Jr. College, Bakersfield, grew up in Hawaii and took up kickboxing, which was popular on the Island State, at an early age. Switching her pugilistic allegiance to boxing a
few years later she built up a stellar 9-2 amateur career.

After returning to her native California, Jeffries turned professional in July 1999 and has since built up an enviable 27-0-1 record, most against opponents significantly larger than her natural 120-122Lbs.

She is trained by former two-time world champion, James ‘Buddy’ McGirt, who said of her “She is one of the hardest working fighters that I ever trained and she’s the best out there at her weight”

Jeffries opponent is expected to be announced within the next week or two.

Top Rank news & notes

Super welterweight contender Ray Sanchez of Albuquerque, N.M. is working out in Las Vegas blast-furnace heat to wire in for his showdown against Joaquin Zamora of Pecos, N.M. on Sept. 5.

“Ray is working real hard to be fully prepared,” said chief trainer Jesse Reid at the Top Rank gym today.

Reid said Sanchez is working “…..on getting the right kind of angles.”

“It’s a 45-degree thing, angling in to effectively fight Zamora,” said Reid. “Ray is going to work on that, spar a lot, run a lot.”

Sanchez knows all about Zamora. Sanchez told Chris Cozzone of Newmexicoboxing.com that “….I’ve know Zamora for years and we’re great friends. Zamora is tough and he has proved himself. In the last 4 years he has stepped up and polished his skills — I better be ready.”

Sanchez plans to train in Las Vegas through August 29, then head home to Albuquerque.

Sanchez vs. Zamora is the centerpiece of a huge Top Rank/Prime Time Promotions fight card at the Isleta Hotel and Casino in Albuquerque, N.M. on Friday, Sept 5.

Urbano Antillon, 23-0, will take on Guadalupe Rosales, 26-2, in a 12-round NABF, NABO super featherweight title bout which will open the televised portion of the card on Telefutura. Antillon, who has been fighting at lightweight, is going down to the 130 pound division for this bout.

Demetrius Hopkins, 28-0, of Philadelphia will make his Top Rank debut against Juaquin Gallardo, 18-7-2, of Oakland in a 10-round bout. Hopkins is a tremendously skilled contender handled by Cameron Dunkin who manages champions and star fighters…

More updates:

//Tickets are off to a very strong start for Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins on Oct 18 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Top Rank and Golden Boy are promoting. “We are thrilled with the response from fight fans,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank…..

//Running and light exercises for Miguel Cotto in Puerto Rico…..Miguel will be at ringside for the Aug 22 fight card featuring Daniel Jimenez vs. Shamir Reyes in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Top Rank and Cotto Promotions are co-promoting…

//Hard puncher Mike Alvarado, 22-0, will fight in his hometown of Denver on Friday, Oct. 3. On the undercard Top Rank matchmaker Brad Goodman has put together an all-out scorcher: Brandon Rios, 18-0, of Oxnard, Ca. vs. Manny Perez, 12-4, of Denver in a battle of 130-pounders. “There are some fights you cannot wait to see and this is one of them. I’ll be at ringside on Oct. 3,” Brad said today. Telefutura will televise. Fights will be at the Stockyard Arena….

//Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan, the wildly popular U.S.A. Olympian from Glendale, Ca., will return to action on Sept. 19. Top Rank will soon announce the venue for that fight card….

//Stat of the day, from Kevin Iole at Yahoo Sports, about 31-0, light fly world champion Ivan ‘Iron Boy’ Calderon:

“Calderon has done astonishingly well with his physical gifts. He’s won 415 of the 500 rounds during his 15 title fights, an amazing 83 percent round-winning ratio.”

//Those are some kind of numbers. Calderon defends against former champion Hugo Cazares on Top Rank’s Latin Fury 6 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on August 30. That’s a scorcher of a fight too…