Red hot prospects Billy Joe Saunders and Kell Brook have joined the likes of England rugby ace Danny Cipriani and Bond girl Gemma Arterton in 2009’s Red Pages: Hot 100. The influential list predicts tomorrow’s movers, shakers and newsmakers in the worlds of fashion, music, film, TV, politics, sport and business..
This year’s list includes the new generation of rock kids Amber Le Bon, Lois Winstone, Lily Collins and Frances Bean Cobain, TV stars from US imports Beverly Hills 90210, Crash and Privileged, as well as musicians V V Brown, White Lies and Amazing Baby.
2008 Olympian Saunders recently signed professional terms with promoter Frank Warren, and he is due to make his glittering professional debut in early 2009.
And British welterweight champion Brook impressed in 2008 in capturing the Lonsdale belt, and is poised for big things in the next 12 months starting with his second title defence on January 30 at the York Hall in London.
“It’s great that people are beginning to talk about me,” said Saunders, who is still only 19.
“Since the Olympics I’ve started getting recognized a bit in the street, but once I turn professional I’m hoping things will really start to take off.
“It’s a real honour to be part of the Red Pages: Hot 100 list, and I plan to live up to my billing in 2009.
Brook, 21, added: “The last 12 months have been great for me, winning the British title and then defending it against Kevin McIntyre in Scotland.
“But it’s really just the start. By the end of next year I want to have won the Lonsdale belt outright and to have added the Commonwealth and European titles.
“Sheffield has had some great boxers over the years, but I’m the biggest thing to have come out of this city since Naseem Hamed.”
Roy Jones Junior’s company Square Ring Inc. signs Daniel “The Haitian Sensation” Edouard
WEST PALM BEACH, December 21 – Roy Jones Junior’s promotions company Square Ring Inc. proudly announces the signing of rising middleweight star Daniel “The Haitian Sensation” Edouard and is excited about adding him to the growing list of Square Ring promoted fighters. Edouard signed with Square Ring a short time ago and intends to catapult himself back into the national spotlight by being extremely active and winning impressively. “Daniel is a talented and crowd pleasing fighter and we are estatic about signing with Square Ring” said Tim Walker, CEO of Haitian Sensation Promotions, LLC. “It is awesome to see Roy Jones bring similar excitement to the boxing promotions game that he has given us in the ring. It should be a lot of fun!”
“I couldn’t be more thrilled!” stated Edouard. “Signing with Square Ring will provide me with immediate opportunities that may have taken years to grasp on my own. My focus now is to win, keep winning and win impressively. Consistency will open the door to bigger and bigger fights. I wasn’t ready before when I took on Taylor. The lights. The cameras. The hoopla was all overwhelming and my response to it all was not good. I am in a much better place now and am definitely ready.”
Edouard (21-2-2, 12 KO’s), a 26-year-old fighter of full Haitian descent living in West Palm Beach, Florida made his professional debut in 2002 and has since battled his way up the middleweight ranks to become one of the sport’s most exciting fighters. On August 27, 2004 he won the USBA Middleweight Title by defeating the highly favored Willie Gibbs via KO in the fourth round. His most recent win came against Edouard De La Cruz in Colon City, Panama via the KO where he won the WBA Fedelatin Middleweight Title. He also holds the WBA Fedecentro Light Middleweight Title and the WBA Fedecaribe Light Middleweight Title. His ranking has been as high as WBO #11, WBC #15, WBA #15, IBF #15. Edouard is trained by gym legend Panama Lewis.A date and opponent for Edouard’s forthcoming match under the Square Ring Inc. banner is yet determined but should occur in early 2009 in South Florida.