News: Giovanni Lorenzo; Smith vs Tyner; Husanov vs Berrio

LAS VEGAS, NV (June 3, 2010) Former world title challenger Giovanni Lorenzo has signed an exclusive promotional agreement with TKO Boxing Promotions it was announced today by Chet Koerner, its President. Lorenzo will make his debut under the TKO Boxing Promotions banner against veteran Daryl Salmon tonight, Thursday, June 3rd at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. The 29 year old Lorenzo, 28-2-0 with twenty knockouts, challenged Sebastian Sylvester for the vacant IBF Middleweight Title on September 19, 2009, losing a very close split decision in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany..

“I’ve watched the Sylvester bout, and my goal is to get Giovanni another world title opportunity. The fight truly showed that Giovanni is a championship level fighter.” said Koerner. ”Sylvester is fighting Roman Karmazin on June 5th and Giovanni wants to fight the winner this fall”

“Giovanni can contend as a middleweight or super middleweight and is an excellent addition to our team of contenders and world class prospects and we’re very proud to welcome him to TKO.”

Lorenzo, a native of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, is currently ranked # 4 by the International Boxing Federation in the middleweight division.

A native of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, Lorenzo is coming off a second round destruction of Wilmer Gonzalez on March 12th in Puerto Plata, D.R. He is managed by Richard Ryan.

“We’re very excited to be with TKO Boxing and feel they can truly provide us with the best opportunity for Giovanni to obtain another world title shot” said Ryan.

“Ideally, we want to stay as busy as possible, at this point in his career Giovanni need to be very active which helps him stay sharp.”

Continued Ryan, ‘I’ve known Chris Middendorf and John Beninati for many years and feel very comfortable working with both of them on the right matches. Giovanni is very well positioned in the middleweight division and we look forward to winning a world title with TKO Boxing.”

ANTWONE SMITH vs. LANARDO TYNER ADDED TO JONES-GARCIA CARD JULY 9 IN ATLANTIC CITY; SHOWTIME WILL TELEVISE

Atlantic City, NJ—Welterweights Antwone Smith, of Miami, FL, and Lanardo Tyner, of Houston, TX, will meet in a scheduled 10-round fight on Friday evening, July 9, in the ballroom at Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall.

Along with the main event featuring Mike Jones vs. Irving Garcia, this card will give boxing fans a chance to witness the progress of the two best United States-based welterweight prospects, Jones and Smith.

Showtime will televise the two main fights as part of its popular ShoBox series, The New Generation.
First of eight fights is 8.30 pm.

Smith, 23, is 18-1-1, 10 K0s, and he is rated No. 13 by the IBF. A pro since 2006, Smith has defeated Jerome Ellis, Norberto Gonzalez, Richard Gutierrez and Henry Crawford.

In his last fight April 10 in Sunrise, FL, Smith knocked out Franklin Gonzalez with a body shot in the third round on the Andre Berto-Carlos Quintana card.

Tyner, 34, is 23-3, 14 K0s. Originally from Detroit, Tyner turned pro in 2004 and has beaten Kenny Abril, Leo Martinez and Gilbert Venegas. He also went 12 hard rounds with Mexican knockout sensation Saul Alvarez, losing by decision last year in Mexico.

This is a big fight for both men since Showtime would like to match the winner with the winner of the Jones-Garcia contest.

At stake in the Jones-Garcia bout will be Jones’ North American Boxing Association (NABA) and North American Boxing Organization (NABO) titles.

Jones, 27, is 21-0, 17 K0s, and he is ranked among the Top 10 welterweights by all four major world sanctioning bodies: No. 3 WBO; No. 5 WBA; No. 7 IBF; No. 7 WBC.

Garcia, 31, should be Jones’ toughest test. His 17-4-3 record includes eight knockouts.

The July 9 card is being promoted by Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with DiBella Entertainment and Caesars Atlantic City.

Tickets priced at $50, $75 and $100 are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions (215-765-0922) and all Ticketmaster outlets (800-736-1420). They also can be purchased at Boardwalk Hall and online at www.peltzboxing.com and www.Ticketmaster.com.

SHERZOD HUSANOV VS JHON BERRIO HEADLINES FIGHT CARD ON JUNE 18,

DEMETRIUS ANDRADE ALSO FEATUREDb AT NORTHERN QUEST CASINO IN AIRWAY HEIGHTS, WASH.;TELEVISED LIVE ON ESPN

Art Pelullo/Banner Promotions and German Titov Promotions will present a sensational fight card on Friday, June 18, in the Pend O’reille Pavillion at Northern Quest Casino, located at North 100 Hayford Road in Airway Heights, Washington. The main event and co-featured bout will be televised live ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights.”

In the 10-round main event, junior middleweight prospect Sherzod Husanov, 14-0-1 with 7 knockouts, of Nizhny Tagil, Russia, will battle Colombian junior middleweight champion Jhon Berrio, 15-6 with 11 knockouts, who is now based in Pahokie, Florida.

Husanov is making his U.S. debut in this fight. A former international amateur standout, he represented his native Uzbekistan in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, won a bronze medal at the 2001 World championships, and won a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships. Now 30 years old, he made his pro debut in September, 2007.

The 24 year-old Berrio is also fighting for the first time in the U.S. A native of Colombia, all but two of his fights have been in his home country. He won the Colombian junior middleweight title in October, 2008.

In the co-featured bout, also scheduled for 10 rounds, super middleweight prospect Maxim Vlasov, 17-0 with 8 knockouts, of Samara, Russia, will face veteran Kingsley Ikeke, 27-3 with 14 knockouts, a native of Nigeria now living in Los Angeles. The 23 year-old Vlasov is a five-year pro. Ikeke, now 37, is a former middleweight world title challenger and has now won four fights in a row.

Also:

6 Rounds, Jr. Middleweights
Demetrius Andrade, 10-0, 7 knockouts, Providence, Rhode Island, vs.
Candy Robertson, 15-9, 10 knockouts, Salem, Oregon.

22 year-old prospect Andrade, one of boxing’s top young prospects, takes on a tough veteran and local favorite in Robertson. Before making his pro debut in October, 2008, Andrade was an amateur standout – he represented the United States in the a 2004 Olympics, and was the 152-pound gold medalist at the 2007 World Championships. Andrade is co-promoted by Joe DeGuardia/Star Boxing.

4 Rounds, Heavyweights
Garret Simon, 4-0, 3 KOs, Puyallup, Washington, vs. TBA.

18 year-old prospect Simon was the 201-pound gold medalist at the 2008 National Junior Olympics Championships.

4/6 Rounds, Heavyweights
Jonte Willis, 6-0, 3 KOs, Tacoma, Washington, vs.
Charles Ellis, 6-0-1, 5 KOs, Vancouver, Washington.

Willis, now 26 years old, was the 2006 U.S. National Championships gold medalist at super heavyweight.

4 Rounds, Jr. Lightweights
Alisher Rahimov, 20-0, 11 KOS, Ekaterinburg, Russia, vs. TBA.
Rahimov represented his native Uzbekistan in the 2000 Olympics.

4 Rounds, Jr. Middleweights
Kaleb Fisher, 3-0, 2 KOs, Winthrop, Washington, vs.
David Lopez, 3-2-2, Boise, Idaho.

All bouts are subject to change without notice.

Doors open at 6:00 P.M.; first fight at 7:00 P.M. (Pacific Time)

Ticket prices: $50, $60, $75.

Tickets are available at Northern Quest Casino Box Office – 509-481-6700, and Ticketswest – 800-325-SEAT, and www.ticketswest.com.