ST. CHARLES, Mo.-Promoter Don King will bring Devon Alexander “The Great” (21-1, 13 KOs) back to the St. Louis area on June 25 to face a significant test in his hometown from noted Argentine knockout artist and World Boxing Organization No.-3 ranked contender Lucas Matthysse (28-1, 26 KOs) at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.
King will support the Alexander-Matthysse main event with a history-making fight card that will mark the first time four world championships have been presented in Missouri during a single event.
Undefeated International Boxing Federation light heavyweight champion Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud (21-0, 18 KOs), from Tallahassee, Fla., will defend his title against IBF No. 1-ranked mandatory challenger Yusaf “Mack Attack” Mack (29-3-2, 26 KOs), from Philadelphia; rising heavyweight Bermane “B-Ware” Stiverne (20-1-1, 19 KOs), from Haiti, will square off in a World Boxing Council heavyweight elimination bout opposing Ray “The Rainman” Austin (28-5-4, 18 KOs), from Cleveland; World Boxing Association cruiserweight champion Guillermo “El Felino” Jones (37-3-2, 29 KOs), from Colon, Panama, will meet undefeated WBC USNBC champion Ryan “The Irish Outlaw” Coyne (16-0, 6 KOs), from St. Louis; and IBF junior middleweight champion Cornelius “K9” Bundrage (30-4, 18 KOs), from Detroit, will defend his title against IBF No. 1-ranked mandatory challenger Sechew Powell, from Brooklyn, N.Y.
Tickets priced at $25, $50, $125 and $300 will go on sale on Friday (May 20) at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at the Family Arena Box Office, all MetroTix outlets including online at metrotix.com or charge by phone at (314) 534-1111. All tickets include parking. The event is being promoted by Don King Productions. Alexander vs. Matthysse, presented in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Arano Box Promotions; Cloud vs. Mack, presented in association with Bash Boxing/Lights Out Promotions; and Stiverne vs. Austin will be televised on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT (8:45 p.m. CT).
Alexander, 24, skyrocketed to become the World Boxing Council super lightweight champion at age 22. The talented southpaw became a unified world champion last year after defeating then-International Boxing Federation 140-pound champion Juan “Iron Twins” Urango.
Alexander’s career undefeated streak was snapped on Jan. 29 by World Boxing Organization junior welterweight champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich. After suffering numerous head butts throughout the contest, referee Frank Garza halted the match in round 10 after consulting with the ringside physician. The judges favored Bradley 96-95, 97-93 and 98-93.
Rather than opting to face a lesser opponent, Alexander has chosen a dangerous puncher in Matthysse, 28, from Chubut, Agrentina. Matthysse has a career knockout percentage over 92 percent with 26 of 28 victories coming by knockout.
In his most notable bout, Matthysse came within a whisker of knocking out five-time world champion Zab “Super” Judah in the 10th round on Nov. 6 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Matthysse tagged Judah with a brutal right hand in the 10th round that sent Judah to the mat. Later in the round, Matthysse landed a sweeping left hook that staggered Judah again. Judah managed to escape the round and finish the fight-winning by the slimmest margin possible. One judge favored Matthysse 114-113, but the remaining two scorers favored Judah by a point, 114-113.
Matthysee and Alexander have a common opponent in former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley. Matthyssee knocked Corley down nine times en route to an eighth-round win by technical knockout on June 21 in Argentina. Alexander won a unanimous decision over Corley in 2008 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The winner of this match will become the top contender at the 140-pound weight limit.
Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud vs. Yusaf “Mack Attack” Mack
IBF Light Heavyweight Championship
Tavoris Cloud returns to the Gateway City after successfully defending his IBF light heavyweight crown in a slugfest against former world champion Glen Johnson on Aug. 7 at Scottrade Center. Cloud won a unanimous decision by the identical scores of 116-112.
Cloud possesses an 81-percent knockout ratio, even though his last three fights were won by unanimous decisions. Possessing an aggressive style and a plethora of power in both hands, Cloud is a throwback fighter that likes to overwhelm his opponents with brute force.
His tenacity and vaunted power have caused other world champions to avoid facing him. Yusaf Mack does not have that luxury as he has been named by the IBF as the mandatory challenger to Cloud.
Mack is a 31-year-old veteran from Philadelphia. He remained unbeaten in his first 24 matches, fighting between middleweight and super middleweight. Mack settled in at the 175-pound light heavyweight limit beginning in 2008, and he promptly reeled off five straight victories.
He fought well in a pivotal fight with respected former light heavyweight world champion Glen Johnson in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on Feb. 5, 2010, before being stopped by technical knockout in the sixth round.
In his last appearance, Mack defeated Otis Griffin on March 4 in Los Angeles. This was an IBF elimination bout, which put Mack in line to next face Cloud. He is also the reigning USBA light heavyweight champion; former NABA and NABF light heavyweight champion; and former USBA super middleweight champion.
Bermane “B-Ware” Stiverne vs. Ray “The Rainman” Austin
WBC Silver Heavyweight Championship
Emerging heavyweight Bermane Stiverne and title-tested veteran Ray Austin will meet in an important WBC elimination bout with ramifications at the top of the sport.
Stiverne has a staggering 86-percent knockout ratio with an equally stunning 14 first-round knockouts. Only two of his fights have gone the distance. Most of his victims have fallen prey to his powerful right hand.
Austin has hovered at the top of the heavyweight division for the last five years, having faced Wladimir Klitschko, Andrew Golota, Sultan Ibragimov, Odlanier Solis and DaVarryl Williamson, among others.
This will clearly be the toughest opponent yet for Stiverne. A win here would set up bigger fights in the future. Austin will be trying to prove that he is still a force in the heavyweight division.
Guillermo “El Felino” Jones vs. Ryan “The Irish Outlaw” Coyne
WBA Cruiserweight Championship
WBA cruiserweight champion Guillermo Jones will receive a test from undefeated hometown fighter Ryan Coyne who holds the WBC USNBC national cruiserweight championship.
Jones began his career at 147 pounds but it took him adding and astonishing 53 pounds and fighting at the 200-pound limit before he won his first world championship, a 10th-round technical knockout over Firat Arslan in 2008. Jones is a gifted athlete and true fighter who has an uncanny ability to find a way to win in almost every circumstance.
The Panamanian lost a disputed split decision in 2005 to future world champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, but he rebounded to defeat former world champions Kelvin “Concrete” Davis and Wayne “Big Truck” Braithwaite.
In his last appearance, Jones scored an 11th-round technical knockout over respected former interim WBA cruiserweight world champion Valery Brudov when the two met on Oct. 2 in Panama City, Panama.
Coyne graduated from St. Charles High School where he was named “St. Charles County Football Player of the Year” in 2001. He played collegiate football at University of Missouri from 2001 to 2002. Injuries shortened his football career, and he returned to St. Charles to pursue a boxing career while earning a bachelor’s degree from Lindenwood University in 2005.
He has made steady progress in his boxing career, maintaining an unblemished record since turning professional in 2006. He won the WBC-USNBC national title last summer at Scottrade Center in St. Louis by knocking out Warren Browning in the ninth round.
Coyne also is known for having fought into the semi-finals during the fourth season of The Contender, televised on Versus, before suffering an accidental headbutt that forced him to leave the competition.
Coyye trains out of the Sweat Pound 4 Pound Gym in Clayton, Mo., under the tutelage of trainer Jose Ponce. The addition of strength and conditioning expert Matt Brown has helped “The Irish Outlaw” to increase his power.
Cornelius “K9” Bundrage vs. Sechew Powell
IBF Junior Middleweight Championship
IBF junior middleweight champion Cornelius “K9” Bundrage has an old score to settle with Sechew Powell. After a stunning fifth-round technical knockout over Cory Spinks in St. Louis on Aug. 7 to win his first world title, the Emanuel Steward-trained Bundrage immediately looked to avenge his first loss as a professional, which came at the hands of Powell in 2005.
Powell is a southpaw who won his first 20 fights before running into Kassim Ouma at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 2006, where he lost by decision. His only other loss came against Deandre Latimore in 2008, a defeat he avenged in his last appearance on March 3, 2010, winning a majority decision over St. Louis’s Latimore in an IBF elimination bout that earned Powell the right to face Bundrage, the newly crowned champion.
Bundrage was also a fast starter, having won his first 21 fights before running into Powell. He later did what Powell was unable to do, winning a unanimous decision over Ouma when he faced the Ugandan in 2008.
Bundrage went on to face future world champion Yuri Foreman in 2009. The bout was ruled no contest after an accidental clash of heads in the third round left Foreman unable to continue. Bundrage immediately went on to take the title from Spinks in his next match.
About The Family Arena
Since its opening in October of 1999, The Family Arena has been the stage for a number of entertainment and sporting events. A state-of-the-art performance center, the 10,467-seat facility has played host to collegiate and high school basketball events, professional football, hockey and soccer, a wide variety of concerts, and trade shows and conventions. Located just fifteen miles from Lambert International Airport, The Family Arena is owned and operated by the County of St. Charles, Mo.
About Don King Productions
Don King Productions has promoted over 600 world championship fights with nearly 100 individual boxers having been paid $1 million or more. DKP also holds the distinction of having promoted or co-promoted seven of the 10 largest pay-per-view events in history, as gauged by total buys, including three of the top five: Holyfield vs. Tyson II, 1.99 million buys, June 1997; Tyson vs. Holyfield I, 1.6 million buys, November 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, 1.58 million buys, August 1995.
DKP has promoted or co-promoted 12 of the top 20 highest-grossing live gates in the history of the state of Nevada including four of the top five: Holyfield vs. Lewis II, paid attendance: 17,078, gross: $16,860,300 (NOTE: Also second-highest live-gate gross for any event in the history of the world.), date: Nov. 13, 1999; Holyfield vs. Tyson II, paid attendance: 16,279, gross: $14,277,200, date: June 28, 1997; Holyfield vs. Tyson I, paid attendance: 16,103, gross: $14,150,700, date: Nov. 9, 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, paid attendance: 16,113, gross: $13,965,600, date: Aug. 19, 1995.
About Golden Boy Promotions
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by Oscar de la Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. In 2007, in its fifth year of promoting, Golden Boy Promotions set a record by selling over 2.5 million in pay-per-view homes in a single night. Also in 2007, Golden Boy Promotions established the record for highest grossing pay-per-view homes in a single year with more than 4 million total. In 2009, the company broke records again by breaking the million mark in pay-per-view homes again with the return of Floyd Mayweather against Juan Manuel Marquez. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the United States and the world on networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, HBO Plus, SHOWTIME, TeleFutura, Televisa, ESPN2 and Fox Sports Net.
Golden Boy Promotions currently has over 70 fighters under contract, from future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins to current world champions and superstars Saul Alvarez, Robert Guerrero, David Haye, Chris John, Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana and Victor Ortiz. Also included on the company’s roster are top contenders Librado Andrade, Abner Mares and Daniel Ponce De Leon as well as highly regarded prospects Adrien Broner, Danny Garcia, Frankie Gomez, Erislandy Lara, Seth Mitchell, Carlos Velasquez and Deontay Wilder.
Glen Johnson to bring THE HEAT to his Super Six Semifinal and WBC super middleweight title clash with Carl Froch
MIAMI, FL (May 18, 2011) – To show his love for NBA team the Miami Heat and their ongoing effort to win the NBA Championship, Glen “The Road Warrior” Johnson (51-14-2, 35 KOs) will be wearing one of their official home uniforms when he enters the ring for his Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinal clash against World Boxing Council (WBC) super middleweight champion Carl “Cobra” Froch at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom at historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday, June 4.
Carl Froch vs. Glen Johnson is presented by DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing, in association with Matchroom Sports and Caesars Atlantic City. The bout will be televised live on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing starting at 9 PM ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
Johnson, a season ticket holder and a super fan of the team, will be wearing an official warm-up uniform with breakaway pants, which he will remove in the ring to reveal an authentic team uniform. When the action starts, he will fight with Heat shorts as his trunks.
Additionally, Johnson’s corner men will all wear Heat warm up outfits on fight night.
“It was all Glen’s idea to show his love for the team,” said Johnson’s manager, Henry Foster. “He rarely misses a game when he’s home.”
Foster says he took Johnson’s idea to Heat representatives, got their approval and then contacted Adidas and also got their ok.
“Everyone I spoke to was very accommodating,” added Foster. “I’m told that several of the players on the team know about Glen and his love for the team and are also fans of his.”
Not wanting to show a favorite because he loves the entire team, Johnson will wear #42 in reference to his age.
Tickets, priced at $300, $150, $100, and $50, can be purchased through the Boardwalk Hall ticket office and Ticketmaster. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, at any Ticketmaster retail outlet or in person at Boardwalk Hall box office.
MIDDLEWEIGHT PROSPECT NINOS ABRAHAM MAKES UIC PAVILION DEBUT THIS FRIDAY!!!!!!!
CHICAGO, IL (May 18, 2011) Popular undefeated middleweight prospect Ninos Abraham makes his UIC Pavilion debut this Friday night, May 20th in one of the featured undercard bouts at Windy City Fight Night 17.
Windy City Fight Night 17 is presented by Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING.
The 25 year old Abraham, a three-time Chicago Golden Gloves champion, sporting a record of 140-25 over his standout amateur career brings a record of 6-0-0 with two knockouts into the four round battle against South Bend, Indiana’s Cesar Martinez.
A proud Assyrian American, Abraham is coming off a four round shutout victory over Nathan Wilkes on April 9, 2011.
“We’re very excited to have Ninos on the undercard at Windy City Fight Night 17. He was a sensational amateur fighter and wants to stay active as a professional. Our fans are going to love his aggressive style” said Pesoli.
Commenting after a late night training session, Abraham was confident and excited to return to action.
‘I haven’t fought as often as I’d like, hopefully that will change going forward. I’m more focused now because I have a great team behind me.”
“Because I haven’t stayed as active as I’d like, I’m fighting heavier than I should. My goal is to work my way down to 147 eventually.”
Discussing Chicagoland’s boxing scene, the Sam Colonna trained Abraham was emphatic about one fight he was looking at, “‘I want to fight ‘Bazooka Joe Linenfelser.’ It’s a grudge match between us and I want to fight him by the end of the summer.”
“I’m very happy to be fighting on this 8 Count Productions event and want to thank Dominic Pesoli for the opportunity. I’m bringing a big crowd on Friday night and can’t wait to get in the ring.”
Windy City Fight Night 17 is headlined by a ten round light heavyweight bout between Chicago’s Polish Prince, Andrzej Fonfara and Anthony Russell for the vacant WBO NABO title.
Tickets for Windy City Fight Night 17, priced at $100, $75, $50 and $30 are now on sale through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com, the UIC Pavilion Boxing Office (312-413-5740) and the 8 Count Productions’ Office (312-226-5800).
Doors on the evening of the event will open at 7pm with the first bell at 8pm. The UIC Pavilion is located at 525 S. Racine , just one block south of the Eisenhower Expressway. For further information, please visit their website at www.uicpavilion.com. The UIC Pavilion is now serving alcohol at all boxing events.
8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland.
Fighters currently under the 8 Count Productions banner include; super middleweight contender Donovan George, light heavyweight Andrzej Fonfara, junior welterweight prospects Ivan Popoca, Adrian Granados and Ramiro Carrillo along with welterweights Achour Esho and Jaime Herrera.
For more information on 8 Count Productions please visit www.8countproductions.com. Also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.