HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 27, 2008) – International Boxing Federation top contender and mandatory challenger, former U.S. Olympian and IBF light middleweight title-holder Raul “El Diamente” Marquez, says he will shock the boxing world November 8 when he fights unbeaten IBF middleweight champion “King” Arthur Abraham at Jako Arena in Bamberg, Germany..
Abraham-Marquez is promoted by Wilfried Sauerland, presented by Sauerland Event and its Managing Director, Christian Meyer, in association with Seminole Warriors Boxing. The broadcast is being distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports for live viewing in English and Spanish at 3 PM/ET – 12 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, TVN, DISH Network, Viewer’s Choice Canada, and Bell ExpressVue, for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. iN Demand will show a replay the following day (Sunday, Nov. 9) at 2 PM/ET. Al Bernstein and Nick Charles will call the action.
Abraham-Marquez, originally scheduled October 4, was postponed due to Abraham’s sudden illness on the day of the fight, which Marquez still questions yet firmly believes will work to his advantage. Raul explained that both fighters made weight the night before and day of the fight, selected gloves, and passed examinations by the commission doctors.
“Everything was good after the weigh in,” southpaw Marquez explained. “After the morning weigh in (the day of the fight) I ate breakfast and went back to my room to rest. Around 11 there was banging on my door – everybody knows not to bother a fighter resting for his fight – and it was my promoter, Leon (Margules, Executive Director of Seminole Warriors Boxing), who told me the fight was postponed. I was shocked; I couldn’t believe it. Something wasn’t right all along. I knew he (Abraham) was having trouble making weight. Before the first weigh in, we both checked out our weight – I was on but he was over a half-pound. I was called for the official weigh in and made it; he was called but was 10 minutes late. He came in wearing a robe because he had to go in the sauna. Maybe he was sick but, if he really was, it was because of what he had to do to make weight.
“It’s all positive for me. I’m looking at it as they stopped it for a reason. If he really was sick it would have taken him two weeks to get back to where he was. Four weeks isn’t going to help him if he’s having trouble making 160 pounds. I’ve heard that he’s had trouble making weight for his last few fights and his last was fought at a catch weight of 166. He’s very muscular and and it’s not easy staying in the same weight class. After my fight with (Giovanni) Lorenzo, we wanted this fight (against Abraham) to be in November so I’d have more time for my cut (over eye) to heal. Now it’s in November. I’ve already been to Germany and know what to expect. Germany’s going to be like my second home for the past month-and-a-half. It’s a beautiful country with great people and I made some fans over there. I’ll leave here next Wednesday and have the same 10 days to acclimate myself to the time and weather. The second time around I’m even more confident of winning. I’m not going ! over there just for a payday. When I beat him the big paydays will come. I’m going to Germany to shock the boxing world.”
Marquez still believes that Abraham is looking past him to a unification fight against Kelly Pavlik, despite Abraham’s claims that he isn’t looking ahead to bigger fights. “I’m an old pro, a crafty veteran who is even more motivated after seeing (Bernard) Hopkins beat Pavlik, old beating young, and I have a lot of experience over Abraham,” Raul continued. “I don’t know why Abraham just doesn’t say he’s focused on me like I would, but he keeps mentioning Pavlik or (Felix) Sturm and you can’t tell me he isn’t looking ahead, no matter what he says. I read a lot about boxing and he still has to beat me in a very tough fight to get Pavlik, unless, of course, he plans to pull out of our fight again. And I know he has had trouble fighting southpaws, like (Khoren) Gevor and (Ian) Gardiner, and I’m a top world-rated fighter.
“I got a lot of respect over there from him and his trainer. They said I’m better than Miranda or anybody else he’s fought. Abraham is powerful and strong with obvious power, but he leaves himself open and fights in spurts. He has flaws. Miranda won the first three rounds (in their last fight) but you saw what happens to a fighter who needed to lose too much weight. I won’t know how hard he hits until we get into the ring, but I’ve been hit by guys like (Jermain) Taylor and (Fernando) Vargas, and those two can really crack. If I didn’t think I could beat him, I wouldn’t be going to Germany. I’m in the best shape of my life, ready to go 12, 15 if they still had that many rounds. All of the pressure is on him. I expect to win and that will open the doors to bigger and better things for me.”
Abraham (27-0, 22 KOs), rated No. 2 by The Ring and ESPN, captured the IBF middleweight title nearly three years ago by way of a fifth-round knockout of Kingsley Ikeke (23-1). Seven successful title defenses have followed against Miranda, Shannon Taylor, Kofi Jantuah, Sebastian Demers, Khoren Gevor, Wayne Elcock and Elvin Ayala.
The 37-year-old Marquez (41-3-1, 29 KOs), rated No. 2 (No. 1 unrated) by the IBF as well as No. 8 by The Ring and No. 9 by ESPN, earned his title shot against Abraham by defeating previously unbeaten No. 1 contender Giovanni Lorenzo (26-0) in their June 21st IBF title eliminator. Marquez, fighting out of Houston, was a 1992 U.S. Olympian who was the IBF junior middleweight title-holder in 1997.
The 10-round co-feature on the PPV show from Germany finds former NABO champion and “The
Next Great Champ” reality television winner, Otis “Triple OG” Griffin (19-3-2, 7 KOs), of Sacramento, fighting Yugoslavian-born Enad Licina (14-1, 8 KOs), now living in Germany, for the
vacant IBF Intercontinental cruiserweight belt.
For more information about the Abraham-Marguez PPV go to www.integratedsportsnet.com or www.warriorsboxing.com
BUCKLEY: 300 AND OUT
History-maker Peter Buckley is aiming to bow out of professional boxing with a win on Friday night in what will be his 300th – and last – fight.
And for one of the few times in his career, the Birmingham man will be in the home corner at the Aston Events Centre on a Frank Warren promoted show headlined by Don Broadhurst.
Buckley, 39, turned professional in 1989 with a six-round draw in Stafford, and has gone on to have 299 fights, spanning 1,734 rounds and racking up 31 wins, 12 draws…and 256 losses.
But that final figure doesn’t look too bad once Buckley’s opponents have been factored in.
Dozens of unbeaten prospects litter his record, and in all, he’s fought 42 future British, Commonwealth, European or World champions, including the likes of Duke McKenzie, Scott Harrison, Naseem Hamed, Michael Brodie, Gavin Rees and Colin McMillian.
Things will be a little easier on Friday when “The Professor” tackles Matin Mohammed – a man he drew with in Nottingham earlier this month – and becomes one of just a handful of fighters who have racked up 300 fights.
“It’s great to get my final fight in my home city, but I’m not sure about being in the home corner,” said Buckley.
“When the bell goes between rounds I’m not sure if I’ll know where to go!
“Win lose or draw, this is definitely my last fight.
“I’ve had my eye on the 300 mark for a while, and it’s a little milestone I want to acheive, but I don’t want to fight on.
“People keep saying to me that I’ll get a call in a few weeks time offering me a fight and I’ll say yes, but I mean it when I say this it.
“It will be fantastic to bow out in a city where I’ve not fought for years. Plenty of my mates are coming along to the show to cheer me on.
“Boxing has been good to me over the years. When I was a youngster I was in trouble with the police, a really wild kid.
“But the sport has given me a focus in life and kept me on the straight and narrow.
“I don’t know what I’ll do when it’s all over on Friday, but I’d love to stay in boxing in one capacity or another.
“I’ve had a few high points in the sport, but my proudest was when I went to Austria and took on Harald Geler for an intercontinental WBA title.
“He’d been knocking a few people out but he was nothing special and I had him over in the ninth round, but ended up losing on points over 12.
“There’s been some lows as well, and I definitely won’t miss getting punched in the face for a living!”
Buckley, who twice won Midlands Area super-featherweight title fights, says the best man he ever fought was McKenzie, one of only 10 fights in which he has been stopped.
He’s probably most famous for accepting fights on as little as one hour’s notice – but says he is not bothered by the short-notice demands of promoters.
“I’m always in the gym, so if I get a call a couple of hours before a fight, I usually say yes,” said Buckley.
“If you phone up a bricklayer and ask him to build you a wall, he doesn’t ask for three weeks to prepare. He comes round and does it straight away. Why should a boxer be any different?”
OCTOBER 29TH ROSELAND BALLROOM UNDERCARD ANNOUNCED
FEATURING SOME OF NYC’S TOP UP AND COMING PROSPECTS
Bronx, NY – Oct 27, 2008 On Wednesday October 29th, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing will present an exciting night of boxing at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. The card will be headlined by the WBO #7, IBF #10, WBA #11, WBC #15 rated jr. welterweight in the world, The Pride of Greece, “Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis (20-2-2, 10KO) taking on tough Ben Ankrah (19-6-1, 9KO). The bout is scheduled for ten rounds in the jr. welterweight division. The co- feature of the evening pits fan favorite, knockout artist, Vinny Maddalone (30-4, 21KO) vs. Terrell “Baby Bull” Nelson (8-6, 5KO) in an eight round heavyweight contest. The entire card will be shown live on GoFightLive.TV and will also feature some very exciting undercard match-ups including some of the NYC’s top young talent.
SGT. BRYANT PAPPAS
In an exciting 4 round middleweight match-up undefeated Yonkers Police Sgt. Bryant Pappas (6-0, 6KO) looks to stay undefeated when he takes on Chris Morton (1-2). Sgt. Pappas recently was in the news for assisting in the very high profile arrest Friday October 3rd of 43-year-old Eric Hadar. Hadar is the CEO of Allied Partners, one of New York City’s top real estate firms owning 25 properties valued at more than $3 billion. Hadar was reportedly pulled over for reckless driving and upon searching his car a bag was found that contained over 100 grams of cocaine and 703 Oxycontin pills and 352 Xanax pills.
In an incredible gesture of good will, Pappas has also stated that he is donating his entire purse from the card to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. “It is just another opportunity for me to give back. Sloan Kettering is one of the premier cancer centers in all the world, and I am lucky to be in the position where I can contribute, so I do,” stated Pappas.
EDDIE IRRIZARY
Another undefeated New Yorker, the Bronx’s Eddie Irizarry (3-0, 1KO) takes on Long Island’s own Jose Zamora (pro-debut) in a four round featherweight contest. Irizarry turned pro back in January and has displayed very fast hands and lots of natural ability thus far. Irizarry seems to get better each time out, so be sure to keep an eye out for this exciting featherweight.
In an exciting four round cruiserweight bout New York’s own undefeated Ahmed Samir (3- 0) battles Tyrone Smith (5-5-2, 2KO) of Boston, MA. It will be Samir’s second fight in New York since turning pro back in February of this year, and he looks to continue his winning ways against the tough Smith.
Rounding out the card features a battle of New York vs. New Jersey when Dominican born Jose Guzman (4-0, 3KO), Queens, NY, battles Paterson, New Jersey’s Luis Lopez (2-7-1, 2KO). The Guzman vs. Lopez bout is scheduled for four rounds in the lightweight division.
Tickets are available for purchase immediately through all ticketmaster outlets or by going online to ticketmaster.com and www.starboxing.com. Or simply by calling (718) 823-2000 or (212)307-717. Tickets can be purchased for $200, $100, $75, or $40. A FEW EXCLUSIVE VIP TABLES WHICH INCLUDE DINNER AND PRIORITY SEATING ARE STILL AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE BY CONTACTING DOTTIE RAVEN AT STAR BOXING AT (718) 823-2000. Roseland Ballroom is located in New York City at 239 W. 52 Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. Doors open at 6:30 PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:30.