World Boxing Council (WBC) WBC Silver welterweight champion and mandatory challenger Selcuk Aydin wants to fight the new WBC world champion Victor Ortiz immediately. “I congratulate Victor Ortiz to his victory and I hope that he is man enough to fight me”, says Aydin. “Ortiz should not forget that he only got his shot at the title because I stepped aside from my mandatory right to challenge Berto. Berto knew exactly why he didn’t want to fight me. He knows how strong I am and that I would have beaten him. He thought he would have better chances against Ortiz. Now I can only hope that Ortiz doesn’t run away from me like Berto did over the past two years.”
Selcuk Aydin is the mandatory challenger for the WBC welterweigt championship since beating Jackson Osei Bonsu in a final elimination bout in July 2009. Because Berto refused to fight him Aydin agreed to fight for the Silver championship in June 2010 beating previously unbeaten Ionut “Jo-Jo Dan” Ion in a very close fight in Istanbul to confirm his mandatory challenger status.
“We hope that the WBC calls for the mandatory defense immediately”, says promoter Ahmet Oner. “There has been no mandatory for the WBC welterweight title since January 2009. Selcuk has been patiently waiting for his chance for almost two years now so it’s about time that he gets the title shot he deserved by beating Jo-Jo Dan, Jackson Bonsu and Said Ouali who were all top rated contenders at the time Selcuk beat them. We are convinced that he will beat Ortiz as well.”
Victor Ortiz stripped the WBC welterweight belt from Berto last Saturday with a stunning performance in a “fight of the year” candidate. “I know that Ortiz is strong and looked excellent last weekend but I also know that I am stronger” says Aydin. “My determination and willpower will be too much for him. I should have been the man to win the title from Berto but now I will be the man who beats the man who beat Berto. I don’t care who my opponent is as long as I get the title fight I worked for my whole life. I can’t wait to get my hands on the gold and green belt.”
WBC News:Berto vs. Ortiz
From WBC President Dr. José Sulaimán: “This past Saturday night saw the two best fights of recent years: the World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight championship between Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz, and the fight for supremacy between WBC super bantamweight female champion Jackie Nava and WBC super flyweight champion Ana Maria Torres.
“These fights are already considered “Fight of the Year” for 2011, and both could very well be fights of the decade.
“Andre Berto, making his sixth title defense, lost the WBC welterweight title in a dramatic, epic battle that brought the live audience and the millions watching on TV to their feet throughout the fight. “It is the best fight I have seen since Hagler versus Hearns,” said Emanuel Steward. Berto down in round one, Ortiz down in round two, Ortiz down and almost out in round six, to then drop Berto in the same round!!!!!
“Congratulations to both warriors – they deserve the recognition of the world. This is what boxing is all about. Congratulations to DiBella Entertainment, to Golden Boy Promotions, to HBO and Corona for putting this fight together.
“Jackie Nava , two-time WBC female world champion, battled Ana Maria Torres, the WBC super flyweight champion who has made eight consecutive title defenses, in a fight that kept the crowd on its feet during all 10 rounds in Veracruz, Mexico. It was a toe-to-toe, action-packed fight which resulted in a unanimous draw, 95-95 on all three cards. Neither fighter deserved to lose, and the draw was a fair result. The winner was the public, and female boxing has now seen the best fight ever to show the world the class and dignity of its athletes.
“Long live boxing!!!!!!”
Oliveira repeat Brazilian Athlete of the Year award winner
MIAMI (April 18, 2011) – Unbeaten Interim World Boxing Council (WBC) Latino super middleweight and UNBC middleweight champion, Michael “The Brazilian Rocky” Oliveira (14-0, 11 KOs), received his the Brazilian International Press Award’s 2010 Athlete of the Year Award last Saturday night in the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The 20-year-old Oliveira, rated No. 20 by the World Boxing Council, was the leading vote-getter for the second year in a row among a group of great nominated Brazilian athletes.
“I am honored to win this prestigious award for the second time,” Oliveira said. “I’d like to thank all my fans for supporting me with their votes. I represent all of the Brazilians living back home as well as those in the United States. Brazil is always No. 1 in my heart. We take all sports, especially boxing, serious but no matter what the final results, it always ends with Samba music and partying. There’s more to Brazilian sports than just soccer. I’m only 20 and hopefully I can keep winning this award for many years to come. I loved fighting at home in Brazil my last two fights and look forward to returning there this summer for my next fight.”
Oliveira was born in Sao Paulo but he moved two weeks after birth with his family to Miami. Backed by his family promotional company, MO Productions, as well as TV Globo, Michael has returned to his roots in hopes of reestablishing boxing back to the days of Brazilian boxing icons, Hall of Famer Eder “Golden Bantam” Jofre, and more recent superstar Acelino “Popo” Freitas. Both legendary Brazilian boxers have supported Michael by attending his fights in Brazil.
TV Globo, the third-largest network in the world, committed to a two-year, six-fight commitment featuring Oliveira, whose third fight in the TV deal has been tentatively set for July once again in Sao Paulo. Plans also call for Oliveira to return to Brazil in September to headline a show in the capital of Brasilia, inside of a portable arena built by TV Globo.
“Michael’s popularity in Brazil has really taken off,” said Carlos Oliveira, who is Michael’s father and promoter under the MO Productions banner. “Brazil is going to be the center of the sporting world as the host of the 2012 World Cup and 2014 Summer Olympics. The support we’re receiving from Brazilian fans, and especially TV Globo, has opened the door here for boxing. We look forward to working with U.S. promoters who are interested in promoting shows in Brazil.”
Go to www.MichaelOliveira.com for more information about Michael.