(DUBLIN, CALIF.) – Newly crowned WBA Super Middleweight World Champion Andre Ward (Oakland, Calif.) has enjoyed a meteoric ascent to the top of the boxing world, and on Wednesday, January 6, the 25-year-old titlist will share his formula for success with local youth at two Bay Area Juvenile Detention Centers. The presentations will take place in conjunction with Knock Out Dog Fighting 501 (c)(3), a charity Ward has partnered with in an effort to combat the nationwide problem of dog fighting and animal abuse..
“It’s important that we reach out and embrace our youth in order to help them discover the greatness that lies within each of them,” Ward said. “Many young people struggle with several issues that we can’t begin to imagine. They need all of us, and we can’t give up on them. We have to care for them, motivate and inspire them to dream again.”
Ward will start at the Santa Clara County Juvenile Detention Center, where he will speak to over 125 juvenile detainees about animal cruelty and a range of other topics, including; overcoming adversity, self-discipline and positive decision making. Ward will give his second presentation at the William F. James Ranch before approximately 90 juveniles who are convicted of violent crimes. He will be joined by representatives from Knock Out Dog Fighting, the Santa Clara County District Attorney, members from the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force and agents from the F.B.I.
The presentation is Ward’s first since he claimed the WBA Super Middleweight World title on November 21st. The 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist won the WBA crown with a unanimous technical decision victory over Mikkel Kessler at the Oracle Arena, Oakland, Calif., in front of his hometown crowd. The bout was Ward’s first in the Showtime Super Six World Boxing Classic, solidifying him as one of the international tournament’s favorites. He is scheduled to return to the ring in April for his second fight of the round-robin, points-based competition.
2010 starts with “High Arthur”
31 wins in 31 professional fights – that is the impressive record that Arthur Abraham brings with him into the new year. And to ensure the winning streak of the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament leader carries on unabated in the new year, Sauerland Event general manager Chris Meyer has come up with a fantastic and novel surprise for coach Ulli Wegner’s pupil.
He has seen to it personally that the first high pressure front of the new year – the ‘High Arthur’ – has been named after the Sauerland Team’s boxing champion. “We are firmly counting on Arthur exhilarating his fans again in the new year with his performances. Therefore, we wanted to make him smile with this gesture,” explained Meyer. The Institute for Meteorology at Berlin’s Freie Universität made it possible.
Weather forecasters allocate a name to every high and low pressure front. For several years now, it has been possible to give your own name to one of these weather phenomena, but you have got to be quick because each letter in the alphabet only gets allocated to one high pressure front. “That was a real surprise,” said a proud King Arthur. “It is the first time that I have swept across a country as a high pressure front – that’s a really nice idea!”
Matt Remillard ready to breakout in 2010
MANCHESTER, Conn. (Jan. 3, 2010) – NABF featherweight champion Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard has taken aim at the top boxing featherweights in the world as he prepares for a breakout 2010. The 23-year-old Remillard (20-0, 11KOs), fighting out of Manchester (CT), fought four times last year, winning three by knockout. He captured the vacant NABF title September 19, stopping previously unbeaten Rafael “The Dominican Man” Lora (11-0, 5 KOs) for the vacant crown in the fourth round. Remillard is slated to defend his NABF strap January 29 in a rematch against Lora at Mohegan Sun.
Remillard recently closed out 2009 in Knoxville, winning a 6-round decision against veteran Marty Robin.
“I was in transition last year and I feel comfortable with TKO Boxing,” Remillard said. “My career is where it needs to be and being ranked No. 13 says a lot about where I’ve come in the past year.
“I know I can fight, but I’ve learned how to set-up a game plan, boxing more, but I know I can always bang if I get in a bad situation. You don’t last long in this game getting hit a lot. I’m boxing more for my career. Now, I’m setting-up punches in the first round to take out my opponent in the sixth.”
Remillard, the former WBC Youth and USNBC titlist, has cracked the WBC ratings for the first time and he’s presently No. 13, the second-highest ranked American behind No. 11 Cornelius Lock. The WBC featherweight champion may be a Dominican, Elio Rojas, but Matt realizes the way to the top in this highly competitive division goes through a host of Mexican warriors. The top 4 featherweight contenders in the WBC are all Mexicans – (in order) Israel Vasquez, Juan Carlos Burgos, Guty Espades, Jr. and Johnny Gonzalez – and four of the next 10 are also Mexicans.
“I’m really looking forward to 2010,” Remillard concluded. “The NABF title means more than its Youth title and winning that belt has helped move me up in the WBC ratings. I know to move forward in the featherweight division I’ll need to beat some of these great Mexican fighters. I let my promoter and manager (Bret Hallenbeck) worry about that stuff. They’ve been doing a great job and gotten me ranked at No. 13. I trust them to make the right decisions and I just concentrate on fighting. I’m still young and soaking-up knowledge all the time. I’m looking to make 2010 my year.”