RIVERSIDE, CA (July 20) – Earlier today World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver Welterweight Champion Josesito Lopez (30-4, 18 KOs) met with Riverside’s Mayor Ronald Loveridge to celebrate his recent upset victory over ‘Vicious’ Victor Ortiz.
Just under a month ago Mayor Loveridge and the mayor of Ventura, Mike Tracy, put up a friendly wager of their city’s home-grown fruits for the Victor Ortiz – Josesito Lopez fight. Mayor Tracy bet a flat of strawberries to Riverside Mayor Loveridge’s box of oranges that Ventura’s Ortiz would beat Riverside’s Lopez for the WBC Welterweight Silver Belt Championship. The Ventura resident did not succeed.
It was a stunning upset win for Lopez who took the fight on short notice after Ortiz’s original opponent, Andre Berto, tested positive for an illegal substance.
“We’re very proud to have Jose Lopez as a member of the Riverside community. He is a great athlete that showed his determination to achieve his goals. He represents the heart of Riverside. I have no doubt that he will continue being successful.”
Now, Lopez is scheduled to take on reigning WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 KOs) on Saturday, September 15 in front of thousands of fight fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The “Knockout King” card will also be televised on SHOWTIME Championship boxing – free to subscribers.
“Knockout Kings,” a tremendous evening of pure Mexican pride, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. The quadruple-header will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be televised live on SHOWTIME.
Although Mayor Loveridge has yet to receive his flat of fresh strawberries, it didn’t stop the two Riverside representatives from shaking hands over a strawberry shake. With the crowning belt proudly draped over Lopez’s shoulder, the pair discussed the dramatic upset victory and their future plans to keep their city on the map.
Stacked fight card in Belgium September 21st – Ouali in main event
On September 21st BFN GROUP will present the biggest fight card ever held in Belgium. The stacked card will present 3 title fights. 2 IBF title fights and 1 EBU title fight will be at stake in Belgium.
Said Ouali, who is the main event that night, will be fighting for the vacant IBF Intercontinental welterweight title against Karlo Tabaghua. Tabaghua holds a win over Sugar Jackson last year and has planned to do the same to Ouali in Antwerp. Ouali is currently preparing for his come-back in and eager to show to all his Belgium fans what he is made off. Ouali has big plans for the future and is ready to shock the welter weight division.
Delfine Persoon will fight for the vacant IBF Lightweight World Title against Erin McGowan. Erin McGowan who is the former WBO Lightweight champion, was stripped when she went up in weight and fought for a WBC title, is ranked #6 by the IBF. Delfine Persoon is determined that she will be the first Belgian who will hold 2 world titles and confident that she will go into the history books.
For his own public, Sugar Jackson will compete against Jimmy Colas for the vacant EU Super Welterweight Title. Jackson and Colas already met each other between the ropes in 2011 when Jackson won the hard battle over 8 rounds by UD. Colas the veteran from France is planning to not have the fight go over the full rounds. Jackson is set to show Colas that similar as the first fight, he is the better man and therefore will be victorious.
BFN recently released it’s official trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-iQoC6Af6g
Ayala ready to unleash
Ayala ready to unleash his inner ‘Lycan’ in Saturday night’s main event at Mohegan Sun
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (July 20, 2012) – He’s shown glimpses from time to time, but reigning World Boxing Council U.S. National Boxing Council (WBC USNBC) middleweight champion Elvin Ayala has yet to unleash the inner beast that earned him the nickname, “The Lycan.”
“I’m looking forward to being an animal,” Ayala (25-5-1, 11 KOs) said. “I know I have it in me.”
Ayala hopes to let it all out Saturday, July 21st, 2012 when he faces dangerous veteran John Mackey (13-7-3, 6 KOs) in the 10-round main event of “The Fire Within,” a fitting title for Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ latest live professional boxing event at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Mackey is no pushover; he recently fought to a draw against Providence, R.I., super middleweight Vladine Biosse and fought six hard rounds against undefeated prospect John Thompson. Ayala, now ranked No. 20 in the WBC, expects to have his hands full Saturday despite the fact Mackey took the fight on short notice.
“I’ve always said if you want to be a world champion you have to beat whoever they put in front of you, and this is no different,” Ayala said. “I’m in shape and ready for whatever.”
“He’s a heck of a competitor,” added Mackey. “He’s been in there with some big names. He’s used to the bright lights. I think his style will match well with mine. I’m still giving up some things, but I’m just blessed to be in a fight of this magnitude.”
The Ayala showdown against Mackey highlights another stacked card by Classic Entertainment & Sports. Fan-favorite Shelito Vincent (3-0) of New London, Conn., who now fights out of Providence, will return to the ring in a four-round female bantamweight bout against newcomer Ivana Coleman, and East Hartford, Conn., native Joseph “Chip” Perez (8-1, 2 KOs) will battle Akron, Ohio veteran Johnny Frazier (3-9-2, 2 KOs) in a six-round super featherweight bout.
Tickets for “The Fire Within” are on sale now at $40, $65 and $125 and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254 or Ticketmaster at 1.800.745.3000. Fans can also purchase tickets online at www.cesboxing.com, www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office.
Super middleweight Tylon Burris (2-0, 2 KOs) of Hartford, Conn., will face Luis Felix (0-2) of Providence in a four-round bout, and Jair Ramos (2-0, 1 KO) of Waterbury, Conn., will take on veteran Antonio Chaves Fernandez (0-7) of Brockton, Mass.
Welterweights Antonio Marrero of Hartford and Saul Almeida of Framingham, Mass., will make their professional debuts against one another in a four-round bout, and lightweight Christian Lao (4-1, 2 KOs) of New Haven will also return to the ring in a four-round bout against Boston’s Gabriel Duluc (5-0, 1 KO). Heavyweight Donnie Palmer of Boston will make his professional debut against fellow newcomer Moses Marshall of Springfield, Mass., and Bridgeport, Conn., lightweight Carlos Hernandez (2-2, 1 KO) will face Alan Beeman (0-2) of Newport, R.I., in a four-round bout.