TORONTO (MAY 10, 2012) – 24 year-old NABA Super Featherweight champion, LOGAN COTTON McGUINNESS (16-0-1, 8 KO’s), has handled the potentially treacherous transition from boxing prospect to boxing contender with brutal flair.
No longer simply punishing foes while honing his craft, Orangeville’s McGuinness has spent the past two years winning boxing’s hardened critics over with career-best efforts in a succession of fights put forth by promoter Hennessy Sports designed to test his will, as opposed to merely showcasing his skills.
As a result McGuinness has honed his style into a well-rounded blend of polish, poise, and power, combining nimble footwork, fluid combinations, and a crowd-pleasing style, all with fight-ending force.
All of those attributes were there for the world to see last October at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, when McGuinness took the biggest step of his professional career, dropping down from 135 to take on one of the best pure boxers in the world, former world title challenger Benoit Gaudet for the vacant NABA 130 lb. title.
Despite being behind on the judges score cards throughout the first half of the fight, McGuinness was nonetheless unyielding in applying pressure from the opening bell, and finally got to Gaudet in round 11, staggering him along the ropes before flooring the renowned veteran for the count.
Now a full fledged contender on the world boxing scene (WBA’s 8th ranked Super Featherweight) McGuinness has to prove once again that he belongs in the shortlist of top fighters at 130 lbs. when he defends his title against Buffalo, New York’s KO merchant MEACHER “MAJOR PAIN” MAJOR (20-4-1, 17 KO’s) in the main event of SEE THEE RISE, another stellar boxing card promoted by United Promotions and Hennessy Sports this Saturday, May 12th at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga..
After being stopped by rock-fisted veteran Dorin Spivey in November of 2009, Meacher has rebounded in devastating fashion, notching stoppages in three of his four consecutive wins heading into the battle with McGuinness.
Wielding a blazing two-fisted arsenal, and a track record of facing some of the best in business, including a decision loss to pound-for-pound entrant Lamont Peterson in August of 2005, Meacher’s hand speed and unique punching angles make him a bonafide threat to end McGuinness’ undefeated run, and NABA tile reign.
It’s the kind of challenge that separates prospects from suspects, and contenders from pretenders. And it’s one that McGuinness must overcome to maintain his status as one of boxing’s true young lions.
Such is life on the road to boxing excellence.
STACKED UNDERCARD:
Saturday’s card features a huge lineup of some of Canada’s best undefeated prospects.
Undefeated Canadian Welterweight Champion and fan favorite SAMUEL VARGAS (10-0-1, 4KO) will once again step into the ring in what is sure to be another crowd-pleasing performance as he takes on the veteran spoiler ARVYDAS TRIZNO in a six round welterweight battle. Vargas is fighting for the third time already in 2012, coming a huge 1st round stoppage over highly rated prospect Manolis Plaitis to win the title in February and a 5th round TKO over Ferenc Zold only 3 weeks later.
Trizno, a true road warrior, has fought 18 times in the past 12 months against top notch opposition, going the distance in a tough battle with former WBC World Champion Junior Witter and dropping a highly disputed split decision to undefeated Rory Coveney.
Undefeated Cruiserweight prospect and former Canadaian Amateur Champion DENTON DALEY (5-0, 2KO) of Kitchener, ON, moves up to his first scheduled eight-round bout versus the always dangerous former Cruiserweight title challenger FRANK WHITE (7-6-2, 5KO).
Fan favorite BRANDON “BAD BOY” COOK (5-0, 2 KOs) faces ZOLTAN SURMAN in a six-round middleweight fight.
STEVEN WILCOX (1-0, 1 KO), a lightweight from Hamilton, Ontario who is the oldest of five fighting Wilcox brothers at their father’s Steeltown Boxing Club, meets DAVID AUCOIN (2-5, 1 KO) in a scheduled four rounder.
Junior middleweight Junmar Emon, of Toronto, makes his pro debut in a four-rounder against Hamilton’s Daryl Peron (0-1), and DILLON CARMAN takes on MATT WHITE in a 4 round Heavyweight contest. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets, starting at $30.00 are still available through Ticketmaster at (855) 985-5000 or ticketmaster.ca, and additional tickets allocated for walk-up traffic have just been released at the Hershey Centre Box Office.
Go on line at www.unitedpromotions.ca for more information.
REMINDER!
McGUINNESS-MAJOR FACE-2-FACE
TOMORROW (FRIDAY) AT 1:00PM
AT THE HERSHEY CENTRE
MAIN EVENT FIGHTERS TO TAKE PART IN CHAMPIONSHIP WEIGH-IN FOR THE NABA SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE
CO-MAIN EVENT AND ALL UNDERCARD FIGHTERS TO TAKE PART IN UNOFFICIAL PUBLIC WEIGH-IN AND MEDIA OPPORTUNITY
UNITED PROMOTIONS and HENNESSY SPORTS will hold a public weigh-in and fighter face-off for fans, friends, and the media TOMORROW (Friday) afternoon, May 11th, at 1:00PM at THE HERSHEY CENTRE in Mississauga in advance of this Saturday’s NABA Super Featherwight Title Clash.
WHO:
LOGAN COTTON McGUINNESS (CHAMPION)
Orangeville, Ontario
16-0-1 (8 KOs)
AND
MEACHER MAJOR (CHALLENGER)
Buffalo, New York
20-4-1 (17 KOs)
ALSO FEATURING:
Toronto’s own undefeated welterweight sensation SAMUEL VARGAS (10-0-1, 4 KOs), who fights in the co-feature on Saturday Night.
PLUS ALL UNDERCARD FIGHTERS INCLUDING DENTON DALEY, BRANDON COOK, STEVEN WILCOX, AND JUNMAR EMON.
WHEN:
Friday, May 11th, 2012 – 1:00 PM
WHERE:
HERSHEY CENTRE
5500 Rose Cherry Place
Mississauga, ON L4Z 4B6
905-502-9100
WHY:
To provide fans, friends, and members of the media with an up close and personal opportunity to see the fighters face-off before entering the ring on Saturday night. Logan Cotton McGuinness and Meacher Major will take part in a NABA Championship Weigh-In. Other fighters will participate in unofficial weigh-ins for the public. All Fighters present will be available for one on one Interviews.
Refreshments will be served beginning at 1:00PM.
SEE THEE RISE: McGUINNESS vs MAJOR is Presented by United Promotions and with Hennessy Sports.
Tickets, starting at $30.00 are still available through Ticketmaster at (855) 985-5000 or ticketmaster.ca, and additional tickets allocated for walk-up traffic have just been released at the Hershey Centre Box Office.
Go on line at www.unitedpromotions.ca for more information.
YUDEL JHONSON & WILLIE NELSON, BADOU JACK & ALEXANDER BRAND FINAL QUOTES & WEIGHTS
LAS VEGAS (May 10, 2012) – All four fighters participating in an eagerly awaited doubleheader on ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow/Friday, May 11, live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) made weight on their first attempts Thursday at Texas Station Gambling Hall & Hotel in Las Vegas.
In the ShoBox main event at Texas Station, former Cuban amateur standout and 2004 Olympian Yudel Jhonson (12-0, 8 KOs) of Miami, Florida, will take on Willie “The Great’’ Nelson (17-1-1, 11 KOs), of Youngstown, Ohio, in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.
The co-featured bout will match six-time Swedish national champion and 2008 Olympian, Badou Jack (10-0, 8 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev., and Alexander Brand (17-0, 15 KOs) of Bogota, Colombia, in an eight-round super middleweight bout.
WEIGHTS: Jhonson and Nelson each weighed 151½ pounds. Jack tipped the scale at 167 pounds; Brand 166½.
What the fighters said Thursday:
YUDEL JHONSON
“Thank you to the United States for the freedom to fight professionally. Thanks to SHOWTIME for making me able to show my talents. I’m in great condition. I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in and I had the best training camp of my career.
“This is a great opportunity and I won’t let it pass me by. I’m dedicating this fight to all the mothers in the world, especially my mother in Cuba.’’
WILLIE “THE GREAT” NELSON
“I want to thank everybody for coming to this fight. The only thing I can say is Yudel is a great fighter, but I’m better. Tomorrow night I will be the better man.
“I’m not taking anything away from him, but I will win. Watch tomorrow night.’’
BADOU JACK “THE RIPPER”
“Thanks to my promoters and SHOWTIME for this opportunity. I can’t wait for the fight. I wish it was today. I will win by a knockout. He’s in with a real fighter now. You could tell he was nervous.
“I’m going to beat him up tomorrow night.’’
ALEXANDER BRAND
“This is only the beginning. I will definitely be victorious tomorrow night. He talked too much before the fight. He never beat anyone, so why is he talking like a world champ?
“I’m going to shut his big mouth.”
Tickets for “Shootout at Texas Station” are priced at $27 and $52 and on sale at Ticketmaster, any Texas Station rewards center or at SCLV.COM/CONCERTS. A few VIP seats are available at a price of $102 can be purchased by calling (954) 985-1155. The event is promoted by Warriors Boxing.
Mike Crispino, known for his work on the MSG Network in New York, will call the blow-by-blow action on ShoBox with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. Gordon Hall is the executive producer of ShoBox with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com