Scottish middleweight Craig McEwan flew into Mexico City from Edinburgh this morning two weeks ahead of his 5th of November HBO televised showdown in Cancun with Brooklyn’s Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin. McEwan has agreed to spar with Mexico’s Alfredo Angulo who fights James Kirkland in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) light middleweight eliminator which tops the bill.
The Scot, who was ahead in his last fight in March against Irish contender Andy Lee when dramatically stopped in the final round, arrived with his new coach Gary Young and talked about his opponent Quillin.
“Peter now trains out of the Wildcard Gym in Hollywood where I spent the first five years of my pro career. I sometimes sparred with him when he first arrived but I only remember that he was heavy-handed and that he spent a lot of time on the back foot. Some of my old friends in the Wildcard have been calling me saying I’ll beat him and pointing out his weaknesses but I’ve seen his fights on line and he’s pretty good. I’ve already worked out my strategy and I hope to use the sparring with Alfredo to work on that. I’ve a good feeling about this fight. Its going to be fast and furious!”
He is delighted to be working with Young whom he fought as an amateur and who was his teammate in the Scotland international squad.
“Gary has really impressed me as a coach in the few weeks we’ve been working together. He combines his years of ring experience with a lot of academic stuff. He covers every aspect of preparation; strength, fitness, strategy, the lot.”
McEwan says he is particularly looking forward to the high altitude training camp in Mexico City. “Not only is Angulo there but I hear Marquez is there too preparing for his 12th November fight with Manny Pacquiao in Vegas. There’s a real magic about a Mexican training camp and I’m sure I’ll soon get into the spirit of it, especially as its in Mexico City itself with the likes of Marquez and Angulo there!” And he adds with a laugh “After weeks of early morning runs in cold, rainy Edinburgh even this dour, peely-wally Scotsman has got to be inspired that!”
Stewart Dredge.
Al Bernstein Returns to Canada for McGuinness-Gaudet Batter
Hall of Fame broadcaster Al Bernstein has joined the commentary team for the broadcast of the Logan McGuinness-Benoit Gaudet NABA super featherweight title match on Saturday, October 22. The match will be seen on Rogers Cable in Canada and on www.Boxingchannel.tv around the rest of the world.
The card is being presented at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario by Hennessy Sports, in association with United Promotions.
“This is the second time I’ve been able to go there to do a title fight involving Logan McGuinness, and I’m looking forward to it,” Bernstein said. “The venue is great, the fans are enthusiastic and Gaudet is a man who has challenged for a world title-so McGuinness will face the toughest test of his career,” he added.
McGuinness is 15-0-1 and is the reigning NABA lightweight champ, but he is going down in weight for this title fight. Gaudet is 24-2 and challenged for the WBC super featherweight title, but lost to Humberto Soot. For more information go to www.HennessySports.com.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Al Bernstein will be in Chicago on Friday, Oct, 21st to serve as MC for the annual fundraiser of the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement. HACE is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of Latino professionals. Through education, access and professional development it helps Latinos succeed in every phase of their careers. The organization was founded in 1982 and now has over 40,000 members. For more on HACE go to www.Haceonline.org .
Al’s next assignment as analyst on the Showtime Championship Boxing comes on Nov. 5th, when he calls the Lucian Bute-Glen Johnson super middleweight title match. That match can be see in the United States exclusively on Showtime Networks. For more go to www.sho.sports.com.
Lucian Bute vs. Glen Johnson on November 5th
LUCIAN BUTE VS. GLEN JOHNSON
IBF World Super Middleweight Title Bout
November 5th 2011, Colisee Pepsi, Quebec City
Doors open at 6:30 PM
First bout at 7 PM
IBF WORLD TITLE BOUT
Super Middleweight Division (12 rounds)
Fight scheduled at 9:20 PM ET
Lucian Bute vs. Glen Johnson
Montreal, QC, CAN Miami, Florida, USA
29-0-0, 24 KO 51-15-2, 35 KO
IBF Intercontinental Title Bout
Super Lightweight Division (12 rounds)
Pier-Olivier Côté vs. Jorge Luis Teron
Québec City, CAN Bronx, NY, USA
17-0-0, 11 KO 25-2-1, 15 KO
Super Bantamweight Division (10 rounds)
Sebastien Gauthier vs. Steve Molitor
St-Jerome, QC, CAN Toronto, ONT, CAN
21-2-0, 13 KO 33-2-0, 12 KO
Super Middleweight Division (10 rounds)
Sebastien Demers vs. Allan Green
Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, CAN Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
31-4-0, 11 KO 30-3-0, 21 KO
Super Featherweight Division (8-10 rounds)
Rances Barthelemy vs. Luis Ernesto Jose
Miami, Florida, USA Dominican Republic
13-0-0, 10 KO 28-7-2, 22 KO
Welterweight Division (8 rounds)
Kevin Bizier vs. Ivan Valle-Velazquez
Saint-Emile, QC, CAN Los Mochis, Mexico
15-0-0, 11 KO 30-13-3, 26 KO
Light Heavyweight Division (4 rounds)
Swing bout
Schiller Hyppolite vs. Dale Golden
Montreal, QC, CAN Quebec City, QC, CAN
1-0-0 1-0-0, 1 KO