LOS ANGELES, January 26 – To round out the SHOWTIME Championship Boxing tripleheader headlined by the highly-anticipated rematch between Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto, Golden Boy Promotions and DiBella Entertainment have announced two more high-impact fights from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. on Saturday, Feb. 11.
In a 10-round junior middleweight showdown before the main event, Cuban star Erislandy Lara returns for the first time since his controversial fight against Paul Williams to battle fellow contender Ronald Hearns. Opening the SHOWTIME Championship Boxing broadcast will be a 10-round featherweight matchup which will see unbeaten Gary Russell Jr., the consensus 2011 “Prospect of the Year” award winner, look to continue his meteoric rise against Dat Nguyen.
“Repeat or Revenge: Ortiz vs. Berto II” is the highly anticipated 12-round welterweight rematch of USA Today and Ring Magazine’s 2011 Fight of the Year between former World Champions “Vicious” Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto which will take place Saturday, Feb. 11 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The co-featured fights will see top contenders Erislandy Lara and Ronald Hearns square off and 2011 “Prospect of the Year” Gary Russell Jr. take on Dat Nguyen. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and DiBella Entertainment and will air live on SHOWTIME at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). A special three-fight undercard telecast will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
Tickets, priced at $300, $150, $100 and $50, are on sale and are available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase atwww.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
One of Cuba’s greatest amateur boxers and the owner of three consecutive national championships and one world championship, Erislandy Lara (15-1-1, 10 KO’s) defected from his homeland in order to chase glory as a professional and he is well on the way to achieving that goal. Unbeaten in his first 16 professional fights, Lara was the victim of one of the most controversial decisions in recent history last July when judges awarded former World Champion Paul “The Punisher” Williams a 12 round decision win in a fight most observers believed the Guantanamo native won. Undeterred, the 28-year-old will be back in the ring on Feb. 11 and is determined to be the lone judge on fight night.
The name “Hearns” is royalty in boxing circles thanks to the exploits of soon-to-be inducted Hall of Famer Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns. The Hitman’s son, 33-year-old Ronald “The Chosen One” Hearns (26-2, 20 KO’s), is doing his best to continue the family business into the next generation. A professional since 2004, the lanky boxer-puncher has won five of his last six fights, with the only loss coming in a middleweight title bout against Felix Sturm in 2011. Now back at 154 pounds, Hearns feels stronger, faster and ready to issue Lara his second straight defeat.
Named the 2011 “Prospect of the Year” by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and The Ring Magazine, 23-year-old Gary Russell Jr. (19-0, 11 KO’s) earned those accolades the old fashioned way – by fighting. The Maryland southpaw was 6-0 last year, fighting as often as possible, dazzling fans and opponents alike along the way. Now ready to make his move on the featherweight elite, Russell can’t wait to surpass his 2012 campaign with even more big wins.
Vietnam native Dat Nguyen (17-2, 6 KO’s) is an ultra-tough competitor known for his straight-ahead style and willingness to go toe-to-toe with anyone who dares step into the ring with him. Winner of six of his last seven bouts, the 29-year-old, who now makes his home in Vero Beach, Florida, is hoping that a win over the unbeaten Russell will be the catalyst for a 2012 to remember for him.
SM Promotions presents International Rumble in Cicero Feb 17 at Cicero Stadium
Cicero, Illinois (January 26, 2012) – On Friday, February 17, 2012, boxing returns to the Cicero Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, when SM Promotions presents “International Rumble in Cicero”. Former super-middleweight slugger, Sammy Merza (16-1, 12 KOs), now full time boxing promoter, created SM Promotions with the goal of bringing boxing back to the” Windy City” in spectacular fashion.
“This is the night of undefeated fighters” said Merza. “I’m looking to showcase a plethora of young talent, fighters that want to remain undefeated. I want to kick off 2012 with a bang and this card has all the ingredients for a great show. Chicago’s boxing community is in for a treat.”
The 10 round main-event will showcase, undefeated IBF female super featherweight champion, Amanda Serrano (13-0, 9 KOs) vs. TBA. In the co-feature, lightweight sensation, Joel Diaz Jr. (7-0, 6 KO’s), fresh off his spectacular performance on ShoBox, returns to action. Polish native and heavyweight amateur standout, Joey Dawejko (6-0, 2 KOs), looks to extend his winning streak. Local talent stepping into the ring are Chicago’s hometown fighters, middleweight Ramon Valenzuela (6-0, 1 KO), middleweight Ninos Abraham (6-0-1, 2 KOs), and Ricardo Chavez (Pro Debut). Washington’s super middleweight Mike Gavronski (5-0, 4 KOs), New York’s lightweight Bryan Akaba (2-0, 1 KO) and Mexico’s Sergio Montes de Oca (5-1) round out the card. Bouts subject to change.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling (773) 716-9111.
JOHN RYDER CONCENTRATING ON ITALIAN JOB
Hotly fancied Middleweight John Ryder will be making his ninth professional appearance at York Hall on Saturday night (January 28), live on Sky Sports HD1 and Sky Sports 1.
A Twitter war broke out over the Islington local’s potential clash with fellow young gun Billy Joe Saunders following an impressive 2011 which saw ‘The Gorilla’ win all six of his bouts catapulting him into the spotlight.
But Ryder says he is happy to take his time and remains one of the most level-headed fighters considering his age and massive talent. And while the rival promoters and Saunders were talking about the fight, Ryder remained silent.
“I just let them get on with it really,” said Ryder, who faces Italian Matteo Rossi on Saturday (5-1-1). “I don’t think there’s any appeal to the fight at the moment really. It needs to build a bit and get some more interest first because when we do eventually fight, it should be a really big occasion. But I have no need to go out and chase a fight with him and he’s the same – it is the sort of fight that needs to have titles on the line as it could be a real classic British title fight one day.
“I’d fight Saunders tomorrow and I’d be confident of winning but as Eddie (Hearn, Ryder’s promoter) said to me, you don’t just take fight just because someone is calling you out and he’s right. I’ve got Eddie and Tony (Sims, Ryder’s trainer) to guide me and I trust them completely so when the time is right for a big fight like that, I’ll know because it will be on the table in the right way. My job is to train and learn in the gym and Eddie and Tony take care of business.”
Ryder picked up his first belt in his last outing, claiming the vacant International Masters title with a clinical third round stoppage win over Zoran Cvek in December, the sixth victory in a great year for ‘The Gorilla’.
“It was a nice early night again and a good stepping stone towards the English title really – and it was also a great way to end a really good year,” said Ryder. “I’d like to think by the end of 2012 I will have passed the Southern Area stage and I’d be in line for an English or British title shot.”
The Middleweight scene in Britain is particularly vibrant at the moment, led by Ryder’s stablemate Darren Barker, Matthew Macklin and Martin Murray, and Ryder believes that he could gatecrash the top-ten very soon.
“It’s a great division to be involved in, the boys at the top are miles in front but from four downwards they are real pick ’em fights,” said Ryder. “The winners of them would make real progress in the division so it makes them exciting fights. But I am in no rush and I’m still learning – you never stop learning and every fight, sparring session and day in the gym is a learning curve. You cannot be in a gym with the likes of Darren and Lee Purdy and the rest of the boys and not improve.”
If Ryder comes through Saturdays fight unscathed with win number nine, his next fight will be on the undercard of Kell Brook’s domestic dust-up with Matthew Hatton in Sheffield on March 17. Ryder hopes that will be the night his win column moves into double figures, and it will be a special occasion for the half-Irish fighter.
“That’s going to be a massive night and Kell’s fight with Matthew is going to be a belter so it’s great to be on the undercard and hopefully I’ll be picking up my tenth win there on St. Patrick’s Day,” said Ryder. “My Dad is Irish so it’s a great day to be in action, I’ll have good support there and some of the family will be there too so it promises to be a great night.”