TORONTO (October 6, 2011) – Championship Boxing returns to the Hershey Centre on Saturday night, October 22, headlined by Fan Favorite Logan McGuinness as he takes on Quebec’s Benoit Gaudet in the toughest challenge of his young career. The stellar event is presented by United Promotions and Hennessy Sports Canada in association with Interbox.
McGuinness (15-0-1, 7 KOs), presently rated No. 11 by the World Boxing Association (“WBA”), is the reigning North American Boxing Association (“NABA”) Lightweight Champion, but the Orangeville, Ontario native will abdicate his belt in order to fight Gaudet for the vacant NABA super featherweight title in the main event.
Former world title challenger Gaudet (24-2, 10 KOs) is a former NABA super featherweight title-holder. The Quebec boxer Gaudet was stopped by defending champion Humberto Soto in their 2009 World Boxing Council (“WBC”) super featherweight championship match, which was the co-feature on the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton mega-fight card.
Unbeaten Colombian welterweight Samuel Vargas (7-0-1, 1 KO), fighting out of Mississauga, Ontario, takes on outspoken Montreal favorite Ahmad Cheikho (6-3-2, 5 KOs) in the 8/10-round co-feature.
Undefeated light heavyweight standout Lionell “Lonnie B” Thompson (9-0, 6 KO), coming off a stoppage win in Montreal last month, will make his Ontario debut in a 6 round contest against an opponent to be named.
In a six-round bout, former Canadian amateur standout Ibrahim “Firearm” Kamal (5-0, 4 KOs) puts his perfect record on the line against TBA, while a pair of Ontario lightweights – Jeremy Abbott (2-2, 1 KO) and Harrison McBain (3-3-1) – face each other in an expected 4/6 round brawl.
Also fighting on the undercard in four-round bouts are Ontario fighters Dillon Carman (1-0), a heavyweight prospect, light middleweight Brandon “Bad Boy” Cook (2-00, 1 KO), and super featherweight Natasha Spence (2-0-1, 2 KOs). All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets, starting at $30.00, may be purchased at the Hersey Centre Box Office, through Ticketmaster at (855) 985-5000 or ticketmaster.ca.
Go on line at www.HennessySports.com for more information McGuinness and the Oct. 22 show.
World Series of Boxing Boxers Draft opens 2011-2012 Season
Baku, Azerbaijan, 6 October 2011 – Today the World Series of Boxing draft was held during the rest day of the AIBA World Championships, which has already seen 12 WSB boxers qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games through the competition. The following 25 boxers were chosen by each Franchise for the 2011-2012 season:
WSB took this opportunity to welcome two new franchises, the Mumbai Fighters from India and the Leipzig Leopards from Germany. AIBA President and WSB Chairman, Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, signed a Declaration of Cooperation with Mr. Jürgen Kyas from the German Boxing Federation and Mr. Marco Schulze, General Manager of the Leipzig Leopards. “It is a great opportunity for us to be part of this fantastic product, WSB is the dawn of something special in the sport of boxing and we want to be part of it”, stated Mr. Schulze.
Fifteen months after the first international draft was held in London, where 87 international boxers were chosen to fill the required quota of non-national squad members, 25 more were again drafted from a list of 67 available athletes representing almost 30 countries from all five continents.
The teams satisfied with the current level of their respective squads only chose to make minor adjustments to their team rosters.
Amongst the 25 boxers drafted, there were World Champions, Youth Olympic Games Champions, World Youth Champions, World Junior Champions, Continental Champions and many National Champions.
The draft was presided by Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, AIBA President and WSB Chairman, in front of the National Federations and the international press.
First round
Mumbai Fighters – Abbos Atoyev (UZB – Middleweight 73kg)
Leipzig Leopards – Balazs Backsai (HUN – Middleweight 73kg)
Pohang Poseidons – Victar Zuyeu (BLR – Heavyweight 91kg)
Beijing Dragons – Joseph Parker (NZL – Heavyweight 91kg)
Dynamo Moscow – Anvar Yusunov (TJK – Bantamweight 54kg)
Istanbulls – decided to pass
Mexico City Guerreros – Tervel Pulev (HUN – Heavyweight 91kg)
Dolce & Gabbana Milano Thunder – Veaceslav Gojan (MDA – Bantamweight 54kg)
Los Angeles Matadors – Siarhei Karneyev (BLR – Light Heavyweight 85kg)
Baku Fires – Madadi Nagzibekov (TJK – Lightweight 61 kg)
Astana Arlans – Joe Ward (IRL – Light Heavyweight 85kg)
Paris United – Ljubomir Marjanovic (SRB – Lightweight 61kg)
Second round
Mumbai Fighters – Damian Hooper (AUS – Middleweight 73kg)
Leipzig Leopards – Aleksandr Riscan (MDA – Bantamweight 54kg)
Pohang Poseidons – decided to pass
Beijing Dragons – Mirzokit Abdullayev (UZB – Light Heavyweight 85kg)
Dynamo Moscow – decided to pass
Istanbulls – decided to pass
Mexico City Guerreros – Hurshid Tajibaev (UZB – Lightweight 61kg)
Dolce & Gabbana Milano Thunder – Romaric Ngoulla Tangoum (CMR – Heavyweight 91kg)
Los Angeles Matadors – Zaal Kvachatadze (GEO – Middleweight 73kg)
Baku Fires – decided to pass
Astana Arlans – decided to pass
Paris United – Luke Boyd (AUS – Bantamweight 54kg)
Third round
Mumbai Fighters – Patrick Gallagher (IRL – Middleweight 73kg)
Leipzig – decided to pass
Pohang Poseidons – decided to pass
Beijing Dragons – decided to pass
Dynamo Moscow – decided to pass
Mexico City Guerreros – decided to pass
Milano Thunder – decided to pass
Los Angeles Matadors – decided to pass
Baku Fires – decided to pass
Astana Arlans – decided to pass
Paris United – decided to pass
Fourth round
Mumbai Fighters – Sardor Begaliyev (UZB – Light Heavyweight 85kg)
Leipzig Leopards – decided to pass
Dolce & Gabbana Milano Thunder – decided to pass
Los Angeles Matadors – Levan Guledani (GEO – Light Heavyweight 85kg)
Fifth round
Mumbai Fighters – Raymond Moylett (IRL – Lightweight 61kg)
Los Angeles Matadors – decided to pass
Draft procedure
The draft begins with a draw between the new franchises to determine the order of picks. The remaining draft order is then based on the previous season’s ranking.
The first round of the draft starts with each franchise having the opportunity to choose a boxer from the ‘Boxer Draft List’. Each taking turns, the franchises have a strict maximum of five minutes to choose an athlete per round. Franchises are allowed to pass their turn. Once the franchise representative announces the drafted boxer, the next team repeats the process. Surpassing the allocated time means a forfeit of the round.
The draft ends once all franchises have passed their turn twice.
Fan-favorite Starnino returns Friday
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Oct. 6, 2011) – This isn’t about earning a few extra dollars or making one last run at an elusive title.
Richard Starnino – more commonly known as “Bobo The Bull” among New England boxing fans – is stepping back into the ring Friday night to prove a point.
“I can box circles around these young bucks,” said Starnino, 39, who will fight Friday, Oct. 7, 2011 for the first time since February of 2009 on the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Rhode Warriors” professional boxing show at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.
“They think it’s going to be easy because of my age, but whoever steps in the ring with me is going to be in for the fight of his life.”
The first test of Starnino’s comeback will come against veteran super middleweight Reynaldo Rodriguez (5-2-1, 2 KOs) of nearby Woonsocket, R.I., who dealt with a long layoff of his own for more than six years before he returned to the ring in June of 2010. Starnino, a Providence native, has a little less tread on his tires; his last bought was a thrilling, back-and-forth slugfest against Joey McCreedy for the vacant Eastern Boxing Association title, which ended in a majority-decision win for McCreedy.
While Starnino admits he’d like to take home a regional title before it’s all said and done, his comeback has more to do with quenching his inner thirst for boxing and proving he still has something left in the tank. A title would be icing on the cake.
“I miss it a lot,” said Starnino, who enters Friday at 9-5-2 with two knockouts. “It’s in my blood. I can’t wait to get back in the ring. Everyone is going to be in for a big surprise, because I’m a lot stronger now. Some people lose their touch when they get older. For me, it’s different. I don’t think 39 is old in boxing.”
Originally scheduled to face Providence’s Vladine Biosse, Starnino was forced to make a last-minute adjustment and will now lock horns with Rodriguez on the undercard of Friday’s show, but “Bobo The Bull” hasn’t ruled out a future showdown with Biosse, or any young, up-and-comer willing to step in the ring.
“He’s going to have his day with me, too,” Starnino said of Biosse. “He got lucky this time. Now I’m going to go through [Rodriguez] and go on to him. He’s going to be my prey. He’s not going to get off so easy the next time.”
As for Rodriguez, Starnino said, “I don’t know anything about him, and I don’t care to,” but don’t think for a second he’s looking past Friday’s opponent. Since he made the decision to return to the ring, Starnino has taken his training and conditioning to a new level. He feels stronger, faster and even a bit smarter than he was in the past.
“I take my career seriously,” Starnino said. “There aren’t too many fighters out there like me. I’m one of the oldest active fighters in Rhode Island and I run circles around these kids.
“I’m a lot meaner – a lot stronger. To me, it’s getting easier now. I’m not afraid to take that chance and get hit. Sometimes when I get hit, it lets me know, ‘OK, I’m in the fight.’ I stalk my prey. I know when he’s beat up and I’ll take him to the next round and break him down. That’s how I fight. If he throws three punches, I’ll throw four, five, six …
“I’m all heart. It’s do-or-die for me. It’s as simple as that. I’m a crowd pleaser. That’s what I do.”
During his layoff, Starnino remained active, which has made his comeback a seamless transition. A former sparring partner for five-time world champion Vinny Paz – “I learned a lot from him,” Starnino said – “Bobo The Bull” is also leaning on his experience both in and outside of the ring to keep him on track.
“One thing I’ve been doing is staying in shape, because it’s so easy to get out of shape, but much harder to get back in shape,” Starnino said. “At my age, you have to work twice as hard as the other guy. I don’t just go to the boxing gym; I go to the fitness center and do cardio as well, and at night when everyone else is sleeping, I run. I fight at night, so I train at night.
“A lot of people don’t know the dedication it takes to get in the ring and stay in shape. The training itself is actually harder than the fight. The fighting is the easy part.”
Starnino has high hopes for himself as he looks to rewrite history, but the future depends on the outcome of Friday’s fight against Rodriguez. No matter what, Starnino will always be remembered as a “warrior” who was willing to fight any opponent put in front of him regardless of the circumstances.
“I don’t pick and choose my fights,” he said. “I fought Brian Macy [in 2008 in a majority-decision loss] on eight hour’s notice because his opponent fell out, and I ran circles around him.”
That never-say-die, no-nonsense attitude could be the driving force behind Starnino’s comeback. Only time will tell. For now, New England boxing fans can sit back and enjoy the ride Friday night as a longtime favorite makes his long-awaited return.
“To be honest, I can go pretty far,” Starnino said. “I want to have a good run, just get it out of my system and let it all out. I can’t wait to get back in there. That’s my backyard. That’s my home. That’s what I do best. I’ll fight anyone. I’ll take anyone on, and I’ll go as far as I can go with this until I can’t go anymore.
“There’s always a time in this sport when you say, ‘Hey, I’ve had enough.’ Some fighters get knocked out and don’t recover – young fighters, too. I never got knocked out like that. It’s up to me to say when it’s enough. No one knows you better than yourself.”
“Rhode Warriors” features 10 action-packed bouts. Biosse (11-1, 6 KOs) will star in Friday’s eight-round super middleweight main event against John Mackey (13-6-2, 6 KOs) of Montgomery, Ala. Thomas Falowo (4-0, 4 KOs) of nearby Pawtucket will face Borngod Washington (2-8) of Queens, N.Y., in a four-round super middleweight bout, and Johnathan Vazquez (4-0-1, 3 KOs) of New Bedford, Mass., will put his unbeaten record on the line against welterweight Bryan Abraham (4-7, 4 KOs) of Schenectady, N.Y., in a six-round bout.
“Rhode Warriors” will also feature the return of Warwick, R.I., super middleweight Benny “The Boss” Costantino (6-0, 6 KOs), fighting for the first time since 2001, against Winter Haven, Fla., veteran Odias Dumezil (3-6, 1 KO), who now trains in Cranston, R.I. Lightweight Agustine Maurus (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Lawrence, Mass., who fought Vazquez to a draw in July, will battle newcomer Christian Rivera of Gloucester in a four-round intrastate bout; Kevin Cobbs (1-0, 1 KO) of Burlington, Vt., will face Steven Chadwick (0-1) of Jacksonville, Fla., in a four-round light heavyweight bout and fellow light heavyweight Alex Amparo (1-0, 1 KO) of Providence will take on Nicholas Lavin (2-1, 2 KOs) of Shelton, Conn., in a four-round bout.
Red-hot prospect Chris Chatman (9-1-1, 4 KOs) of San Diego, Calif., who battled former U.S. Olympian Demetrius Andrade of Providence at Twin River in October of 2009 in a controversial loss, will take part in a special six-round light middleweight attraction against Rahman Yusubov (11-4, 9 KOs) of Dallas, while bantamweight Shelito Vincent of Providence will make her debut against veteran Karen Dulin (2-9, 1 KO) of Mystic, Conn., in a four-round bout.
Tickets for “Rhode Warriors” are $35.00, $50.00, $75.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.
(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Rhode Warriors.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance.)