LOS ANGELES, September 7 – The night before the biggest boxing event of 2011, the welterweight championship bout between Floyd “Money” Mayweather and “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, the “STAR POWER” weekend will get into gear during the September 16 edition of TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” which will also air live on Fox Sports Network from the Dallas Events Center in the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Fight fans will get to see top heavyweight contender Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell take on Hector Ferreryro in a 10-round main event that will be sure to get fight fans amped up for the big boxing weekend in Sin City.
The evening’s co-main event is also expected to be a memorable one, as 2008 Olympic Gold medalist Felix Diaz puts his perfect record on the line against Dallas’ Larry Smith in a welterweight matchup scheduled for eight rounds. Plus, Las Vegas’ own Tyler Lawson will have the local crowd on his side as the Texas Station employee makes his professional debut in a four round junior welterweight fight against an opponent to be determined.
The unprecedented dual-network, bi-lingual broadcast, which will also contain exclusive “STAR POWER: Mayweather vs. Ortiz” preview material, will be available in over 63 million TeleFutura homes in Spanish and will be broadcast live to over 50 million homes on Fox Sports Net in English.
“STAR POWER FRIDAY” is presented by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. The TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:30pm ET / PT (10:30pm CT) and the Fox Sports Net broadcast will begin at 10:30pm ET / 7:30pm PT.
Fans at home can also be part of the action by participating in Cinturón Tecate and voting for the fighter in the main event who displayed the most character in the ring by sending a text message to 55333. Voting will be open through the end of the weekend.
Tickets, priced at $25 and $50, are on sale now and available for purchase at the Texas Station Rewards Center or online at www.stationcasinos.com/concerts.
A former stand-out linebacker at Michigan State University, Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell (22-0-1, 16 KO’s) found his way to the boxing ring after injuries ended his gridiron career. Little did he know that he would become one of the heavyweight division’s top prospects, a devastating puncher who has 12 knockouts in two rounds or less. Hailing from Brandywine, Maryland, 29-year-old Mitchell, who is considered by many to be the United States’ best prospect for heavyweight world champion, has stepped up his game since 2010, finishing off veterans Johnnie White, Derek Bryant and Taurus Sykes in short order. In his most recent win, he needed less than one round to knock out Evans Quinn on May 13 and looks forward to another tough test in Ferreyro on September 16.
Laredo, Texas’ “Hurricane” Hector Ferreyro (21-10-2, 12 KO’s) just celebrated his 10th year as a professional fighter and he can think of no better way to kick off his second decade in the sport than by taking the “0” from Seth Mitchell’s record. Winner of multiple regional titles over the years, the rugged veteran has gone the distance in championship contests four times and he knows that if he can survive Mitchell’s initial attack, he can bring the prospect into deep water on September 16.
A two-time Olympian for the Dominican Republic who struck Gold in 2008, Felix Diaz (9-0, 6 KO’s) became a national hero after the Beijing Games as the only athlete from his country to win a Gold Medal. In 2009, he turned professional with a first round technical knockout over Hugo Pacheco. He has traveled the globe during his boxing career having fought in all over the world including the Dominican Republic, Germany, Russia and the United States. Most recently, the 27-year-old southpaw handed Andrey Berdyshev his first professional loss on March 26. Now, he’s looking forward to September 16 and thrilling fight fans in town for Mayweather-Ortiz.
Hard-hitting Larry Smith (10-5, 6 KO’s) has kept busy since his professional debut in 2009, building a solid reputation in the South as a hard-nosed competitor who always comes to fight. In 2011 alone, the Dallas native has already fought four times and in his last bout, on August 20, he scored a fifth round knockout over Calvin Pitts. Now he’ll look to keep that momentum going against a tough test in Olympic Gold Medalist Felix Diaz.
MEN OF STEEL TO DO SHEFFIELD PROUD
SHEFFIELD boxing’s best talent will fly the flag for the Steel city when Hatton Promotions roll into town later this month.
Impressive prospects Adam Etches, Scott Jenkins, Richard Towers and Jezz Wilson are among the local hopefuls boxing at Ponds Forge Arena on Saturday September 24.
Richard Towers and massive ticket seller Adam Etches face Belarussian opponents. Heavyweight Towers is up against Yuri Bihoutseu while light-middleweight Etches boxes Yauheni Abdurazakau.
Another local fighter Scott Jenkins who has sold 300 tickets bids for his second professional win against a selected opponent. Wilson boxes Deeside’s exciting light-middleweight Tom Doran boxes over eight rounds.
The show is heading towards a sell-out and Etches’ followers have even erected a 20 foot banner supporting the unbeaten prospect at one of Sheffield’s busiest road junctions.
Top of the bill is Dewsbury’s Gary Sykes who risks his British super-featherweight crown against Cardiff’s Gary Buckland.
Hatton Promotions President Ricky Hatton said: “It is our first show in Sheffield for more than a year and I am delighted with the card so far.
“Buckland against Sykes will be thrilling and all the local fighters on the undercard fill me with such excitement.
“Richard Towers is one of the best heavyweight prospects about and there can’t be youngsters who generate the excitement of Adam Etches.
Also on the Sheffield bill, former European super-bantamweight champion and recent world title challenger Rendall Munroe boxes a ten rounder against a selected opponent.
And the Steel city’s former Commonwealth light-heavyweight challenger Billy Boyle faces Welsh banger Justyn Hugh.
Manchester’s former amateur star Tommy Stubbs makes his pro debut when he faces, tricky Kuwaiti Anwar Alfadi, who boxes out of Brendan Ingle’s stable.
There are some tickets left priced £35, £55 and £75 VIP from 01925 755222. Be quick, this show WILL sell-out.
Two Time World Champ Choi Headlines ‘This Is Hard Knocks’ On October 7th
London – Thursday, 8th September 2011 – Two time World Featherweight Champion Choi Tseveenpürev is set to headline Spencer Fearon’s Hard Knocks Boxing Promotions latest offering ‘This is Hard Knocks’, which takes place at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on Friday 7th October 2011 and broadcast live on Premier Sports.
Choi won his first World Crown, the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) version, in 2006, with a spectacular third round stoppage of Kenyan WBF International Champion David Kiilu at the Tara Leisure Centre in Shaw, Lancashire and successfully defended the title twice in 2007.
He vacated the WBF title a year later, in order to challenge Liverpool’s ‘Dirty’ Derry Matthews for his WBU crown. On the fifth of April 2011, at the Bolton Arena in Bolton.
Choi won his second World crown in spectacular fashion, for five scintillating rounds Choi battered Matthews, sending him to the canvas no less than five times, three times in the third and twice in fifth.
Choi, who never got the chance to defend the WBU crown, has longed for another title shot and following his sensational ‘Fight of the Year’ nominated victory over former IBO World Champion Jackson Asiku in June this year looks set to have his dream come true in the very near future.
On making the event announcement an elated Spencer Fearon said, “Yeah, Choi Tseveenpürev, we’re looking at two opponents.
We had him originally for the WBA Pan Asian title, but you know, everyone is frightened of Choi.
When we did the last show and Gary Logan, the former British title challenger, who was doing the commentary said Choi’s retained his title, and I said what title is that and he said the Champion of the nobody wants to fight club.
He’s right nobody wants to fight Choi, as soon as you get a phone call you see some astronomical money asked for. You know what I mean, guys that would be willing to fight Choi are asking me to pay 90% more than they usually get on TV shows. That’s crazy but Choi’s coming back and he’s gonna do his thing. It’ll be another fight of the year for sure.”
The main support for Choi, against whichever big name Spencer can get to put their record on the line, is a rematch, or is that grudge match, between Southern Area Light Welterweight Champion Darren ‘Mr R&B’ Hamilton and Midlands Area Light Welterweight Champion Dave Ryan.
Back in June, when the pair first faced each other, their fight came to a very premature end, after just one minute and forty two seconds of the first round. Hamilton, who had been controlling the first round easily, backed Ryan to the ropes and as the red mist descended lunged forward, head first. The referee, Ken Curtis, instantly stopped the bout and disqualified Hamilton for head butting.
Hamilton has vowed that this time he will not let Ryan’s constant head butting make him respond in kind, this time he’s going to punish any indiscretion by boxing his head off instead.
To add even more international flavour to ‘This Is Hard Knocks’ Spencer was quick to sign high flying London based Dutch Cruiserweight prospect Mitchell Balker for the show, following Balker’s sensation victory over World #45 ranked Richard Turba a few ago.
The TRAD TKO Boxing Gym fighter will face another super tough opponent, and another member of the ‘no one wants to fight club’, Wales’ Hari Miles.
Hard Knocks/The Real Fight Club unbeaten rising star Joe Catchpole will take on Balker’s TRAD TKO team mate Daryl Setterfield in a Light Middleweight contest.
Young Joe will have his hands full, as Redhill’s Setterfield is a renowned battler with a big right hand, as Catchpole’s team mate Darren Hamilton can attest, as Setterfield knocked him out cold when they went to war back in March last year.
Aylesbury Welterweight Nathan Graham will also be back in action, against Hayes, Middlesex’s Robert Lloyd Taylor. Graham will be looking to get back to winning ways, after the close loss to former World Champ Junior Witter at Prizefighter – Welterweights in June and his prior loss to Adil Anwar, when they fought for the International Masters Welterweight title in March.
Also making his return to York Hall on the 7th October is exciting young Croydon Light Welterweight Danny Davis, who made his debut at the Hard Knocks ‘Shamrock Showdown’ back in March.
Finally Spencer’s prodigy James Wallace will be making his debut at ‘This Is Hard Knocks’.
Hard Knocks Boxing Promotions ‘This Is Hard Knocks’ event, which will be headlined by Choi Tseveenpürev, takes place at York Hall, Bethnal Green, on Friday 7th October 2011 and broadcast live on Premier Sports.
Tickets for ‘This Is Hard Knocks’ – priced £35 (Unreserved) and £60 (Ringside), are available now on-line at www.tkoboxoffice.com or in person at The TRAD TKO Gym, Gillian House, Stephenson Street, Canning Town, London E16 4SA. For further information please call 07960 850645.