World Boxing Organization (WBO) number three ranked Cruiserweight B.J. Flores is looking for a world title shot and may have just received it….with a catch. Flores (27-1-1, 17 KO’s) was extended an offer by K2 Promotions to face number-ranked Ola Afolabi (18-2-3, 8 KO’s) on March 3rd (25 DAYS AWAY) in Germany on the Wladimir Klitschko – Jean Marc Mormeck world Heavyweight title card.
Flores is ready and able to take on Afolabi but the timing seems to be a bit dubious.
“I want this fight badly and this is a GREAT opportunity for me to fight a big fight against a very good opponent. I look forward to facing you for the WBO interim world title!”
Flores is coming off his 3rd fight in the last 6 months, a very active schedule nowadays and wants at least 45 days, as the WBO rules state before this important fight is to take place.
“I want this fight!!!! I have been very active lately and ready for this type of challenge. But on twenty-six days notice? And having to go to GERMANY? This is a very serious fight for a very serious title and I demand my full 45 days of preparation, especially considering I just fought last Saturday. It’s only fair”
“I have worked very hard for this opportunity and combine that with a very very low 25,000 offer, it doesn’t seem like they really want this fight. This is a great chance for the Cruiserweight division to put on a great fight and they want to stick it on an undercard where no one will see it, for very low money with only 26 days notice and I would have to travel to Germany”, continued Flores
“I have just had three successful shows in Springfield, Missouri and with the cash streams we can generate, we could do the fight there and bring in a network TV station and both of us can not only make more money but it could re-energize the Cruiserweight division in the States. This fight deserves to be on TV and I deserve the regulated 45 day preparation time as I am the highest rated contender. Ola, I will pay you more money than you have offered me and we can definitely get American TV to cover this event. I demand the proper amount of time and I want everyone in America to see this fight as it is good for the division. Fighting on the undercard in Germany is with 25 days notice is not the right way to win a WORLD title”
“Have your promoter get in touch with Don King and we can set this up EASY!! I want this fight!”
Undefeated Michael ‘The Brazilian Rocky’ Oliveira making Canadian debut Saturday night in Mississauga
MIAMI (February 6, 2012) – Undefeated middleweight prospect Michael “The Brazilian Rocky” Oliveira will make his Canadian boxing debut this Saturday night (Feb. 11) on an explosive card, presented by United Promotions in association with Hennessy Sports, at Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.
The exciting 21-year-old Oliveira (16-0, 12 KOs), rated No. 14 by the World Boxing Council (“WBC”), will fight Sergei “Baltic King” Melis (18-7, 7 KOs) in an eight-round Special Middleweight Attraction.
Oliveira, a Brazilian native who was raised in lives in Miami, was supposed to make his Canadian debut back on December 17 in Quebec City, but he was forced to withdraw from fighting on that show due to a stomach virus, high fever, and dehydration.
Melis is a battled-tested veteran fighter from Estonia who has been in the ring with the likes of World Boxing Organization (“WBO”) middleweight champion Dmitry Pirog.
“We’re looking forward to showcasing Michael to a large Brazilian community in Canada,” said Michael’s father and promoter, Carlos Oliveira (president of MO Productions). “We’re expecting a very warm welcome from Brazilians there who have already started purchasing VIP packages.”
Oliveira’s last fight was impressive win on ShoBox last November in El Paso (TX), in which he defeated veteran Xavier “The X-Man” Tolliver (23-8, 15 KOs) by way of an eight-round disqualification that was on the verge of stoppage.
Michael is a two-time defending Brazilian International Press Award’s Athlete of the Year (2009 and 2010) and a strong candidate for 2011 honors (vote at http://www.pressaward.com/votacao/).
Saturday’s entertaining event is headlined by unbeaten welterweight Samuel Vargas (8-0-1, 2 KOs), a native of Colombia living in Mississauga, against former Canadian light welterweight champion Manolis Plaitis (17-1-1, 8 KOs), of Quebec, in a 10-rounder for the vacant Canadian welterweight title. The popular Vargas is coming off of the 2011 Canadian Fight of the Year, in which he battled Quebec arch-rival Ahmad Cheikho, who was unable to continue fighting after five of the scheduled 10 rounds last October.
The six-round co-feature finds local fan-favorite Brandon “Bad Boy” Cook (4-0, 2 KOs), taking on upset-minded middleweight Chris Aucoin (4-5-1).
“We’re thrilled to be adding Michael Oliveira to an already exciting card that will air on Rogers Television,” co-promoter Adam Harris (Hennessy Sports) commented. “We are expecting a good turnout from the many Brazilians living in the Greater Toronto area.”
Also fighting on the undercard is unbeaten Kitchener cruiserweight prospect Denton Daley (4-0, 2 KOs) versus former Mexican National Boxing Team invader Benito “El Asesio” Quiroz (6-1, 6 KOs) in a six-round bout, as well as pro-debuting Hamilton lightweight Steve Wilcox vs. TBA in a four-round bout.
Whitby super middleweight Phil “The Assassin” Rose (3-1-1, 3 KOs) will be in action vs. Coteau-du-Lac’s cagey Francis Lafreniere (1-2-1, 1 KOs), along with undefeated Toronto prospect Ibrahim “Firearm” Kamal (6-0, 5 KOs) vs. Danish lightweight Tommi Schmidt (6-4, 3 KOs).
Tickets, priced at $30.00 and $50.00, are available at the Hersey Centre Box Office, through Ticketmaster at 855.985.5000 or ticketmaster.ca.
Go on line at www.UnitedPromotions.ca for more information about the Feb. 11 show.
For more information about Oliveira, visit his website at www.MichaelOliveira.com
Paul David Moves To London And Signs With Johnny Eames
English Super Middleweight Champion Paul David has upped sticks and moved to London, after signing management papers with renowned manager/coach Johnny Eames and switching his training to the TRAD TKO Gym in Canning Town.
Paul, who won the English title via a seventh round knockout of Tyrone Wright in December 2008, is without doubt one of the most talented, as well as the most avoided, Super Middleweights on the European circuit and is clearly hopeful that the move to London may present him some new opportunities.
“I’m really enjoying being part of the TRAD TKO team. I’ve been coming here for a few weeks now and it’s been going well.
I’ve been sparring the Cruisers here, you know Leon Williams and the other big guys here, Mitchell Balker, from the Netherlands, and Paul (Menay) Edwards.
There’s a lot of the bigger guys up here but I’m just using my elusive style to get my way around the ring. So it’s good and the training’s like hard and physical and I’m going to have no problem getting down to Super Middle.
I should have been fighting Patrick Mendy but there were no purse bids so Johnny is looking for other fights for me. I don’t care who or where I fight so hopefully it wont be too long before my next fight.
I’m just ready to the business.”
Johnny Eames is more than a little aware of the problems of getting fights for such a feared fighter, but seems confident that he may be able to get Paul in contention to challenge the likes of current British and Commonwealth Champion George Groves, European Champion James DeGale, even if it means via a title eliminator against his close friend, former British Champion Paul Smith, as he made clear when he spoke earlier.
“I came across Paul a couple of years ago, I was offered him as an opponent for Tony Oakey, but I see him beat a fighter who became one of my fighters, Peter Haymer, so I didn’t fancy him as the right fighter for Tony at the time – he may have beat him, he may not, we’ll never know.
He’s a very awkward fighter, typical Ingles style, but better than a lot of Ingles fighters. He’s a Ryan Rhodes type of Ingles fighter who can do it. There’s a lot of the boys that come out of Sheffield that imitate the style but can’t perfect it, but Paul is certainly one of those that has perfected it and I can understand why so many fighters avoid fighting him.
He’s been sparring with Leon (Williams), Mitchell Balker and Paul Edwards amongst others and seeing him in sparring has changed my opinion on that style, I normally don’t like that style, it’s not the sort of style you want your fighters to fight against.
But he’s already got a little bit of us in there, so I really think we can really do something with this kid, if we are allowed to. There’s a lot of promoters out there that aren’t willing to put their top fighters in with Paul because they know he’ll beat them.
He’s English Champion and the usual follow on from being English Champion is the British title. I’d like to think he is more than capable of going in with Georgie Groves, James DeGale and a very good friend of mine Paul Smith.
That aside, it’s business and as Paul’s manager it’s my job to see that he gets the opportunity to go in with these kids and I will be doing everything I can to see that he does.”
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