LOS ANGELES, July 24 – With Kelvin Price forced to withdraw from his August 4 fight with unbeaten Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder due to a rib injury, Trinidad and Tobago’s Kertson “Warrior” Manswell has answered the call to face the 2008 Olympic Bronze Medal winner in a heavyweight slugfest at the Mobile Civic Center Arena Expo Hall in Mobile, Alabama that will be televised live on FOX Sports Net and FOX Deportes.
Wilder vs. Manswell is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and the Mobile Sports Authority. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. CT on fight night and the first bell rings at 7:00 p.m. CT. The FOX Sports Net and FOX Deportes bilingual simulcast will air live at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. PT. FUEL TV will telecast the fight on Sunday, September 30 at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT.
Tickets, priced at $77, $42 and $22, are on sale now and available for purchase at the Mobile Civic Center Box Office and by calling (251) 208-7906 or via Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or at ticketmaster.com.
26-year-old Deontay Wilder (23-0, 23 KO’s) put his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama on the boxing map in 2008 when he earned a Bronze Medal at the Beijing Olympics as the only United States boxer to medal at the games. Later that year, he turned professional with a second round technical knockout over Ethan Cox. Since then, no one has gotten out of the fourth round against the exciting knockout artist. He has gone 3-0 in 2012 thus far, with his most recent win over former world title challenger Owen Beck proving that he’s ready for prime time. Wilder is not about to let his fans in Alabama down on August 4 against Manswell.
A seasoned amateur who won several medals at the international level, Kertson Manswell (22-5, 17 KO’s) has power and tenacity in the ring, and he plans on using those tools as he looks to hand Wilder his first pro loss. The owner of nine first round knockouts, the hard-hitting 35-year old has faced off against Ruslan Chagaev, Cedric Boswell and Bermane Stiverne during his eight year career, making him confident that he has the experience necessary to emerge victorious on August 4.
IABA UPDATE (KATIE TAYLOR CHOSEN AS IRISH FLAG BEARER FOR OPENING CEREMONY FOR LONDON OLYMPICS)
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
Four-time AIBA World Women’s lightweight champion Katie Taylor has been selected to be Ireland’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The Olympic Council of Ireland confirmed this afternoon that the two-time AIBA World female boxer of the year will carry the Irish tricolour in front of Team Ireland on Friday night next.
Taylor,26, is the third Irish boxer to be chosen as a flag bearer for Team Ireland at the Olympics.
Wayne McCullough, who won silver at the 1992 Barcelona Games, carried the Irish flag at the 1988 Games in Seoul and Francis Barrett was the Irish tricolour bearer at the 1996 Olympiad in Atlanta.
Tommy Murphy, the President of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association, said that it was another proud moment for Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport.
“It’s a great honour for Irish amateur boxing and we are absolutely delighted that Katie has been chosen to be the flag bearer for Ireland for the opening ceremony for the London Olympics, he said.
“She is the first female boxer to represent this country at the Olympic Games and it is a good choice. Katie is a fantastic ambassador for our sport and her record in international competition speaks for itself.”
Women’s boxing will make its historic Olympic debut in London in three weight-categories – flyweight, lightweight and middleweight.
Irish 2012 Olympic squad
49Kg (Light-flyweight) Paddy Barnes (Holy Family BC, Belfast)
52kg (Flyweight) Michael Conlan (St John Bosco BC, Belfast)
56kg (Bantamweight) John Joe Nevin (Cavan BC)
60kg (Lghtweight) Katie Taylor (Bray BC, Wicklow)
69kg (Welterweight) Adam Nolan (Bray BC, Wicklow)
75kg (Middleweight) Darren O’Neill (Paulstown BC, Kilkenny)
Team Manager: Des Donnelly
Coaches: Billy Walsh, Zuar Antia, Pete Taylor
Physio: Conor McCarthy
Strength & Conditioning: John Cleary
Performance Psychologist: Gerry Hussey
Boxers to look out for at the London 2012 Olympic Games – Part II
London, Great Britain, 24 July 2012 – With just a few days to go until the biggest show on Earth gets underway in the British capital, we look at the men and women in each of the weight categories who can have a real impact at the London 2012 Olympic Games. In the second of this four part series, we examine the Light (60kg), Light Welter (64kg) and Welterweight (69kg) men.
Men Lightweight (60kg)
2008 Olympic Title holder: Alexey Tishchenko (RUS)
2011 AIBA World Champion: Vasyl Lomachenko (UKR)
It is hard to look beyond arguably the world’s best Olympic pound for pound boxer, Ukrainian superstar Vasyl Lomachenko (photo), for this one. After taking the Featherweight (57kg) gold in 2008, the last four years have geared up towards the London 2012 Olympic Games for the powerful 24-year-old. He was the leading light in Beijing where he took the Val Barker Trophy, awarded to the outstanding fighter in the whole tournament. Last year, he was crowned AIBA World Champion for a second time so many expect him to once again take centre stage. Cuba’s Yasnier Toledo Lopez will be the main challenger, along with Italy’s 2009 AIBA World Champion Domenico Valentino and Brazilian Robson Conceicao, who pushed Lomachenko all the way in the Round of 16 in Baku. Road to London II participant Evaldas Petrauskas from Lithuania created the sensation in 2011 when he took bronze in the Azeri capital and could have a major say in what happens in this weight category. Belarus’s elegant southpaw Vazgen Safaryants is a clever operator and can surprise a fair few. So if Lomachenko wants to take gold, he will not have it easy, guaranteed.
Lomachenko
Men Light Welterweight (64kg)
2008 Olympic Title holder: Félix Diaz (DOM)
2011 AIBA World Champion: Everton Dos Santos Lopes (BRA)
22-year-old Everton Dos Santos Lopez made history at the AIBA World Boxing Championships Baku 2011 by becoming the first ever Brazilian to claim a boxing gold medal. The lightening-quick southpaw’s array of combination punches make him a fearsome opponent so he will be the one to look out for in London. Ukraine’s Denys Berinchyk made his big breakthrough last year and will be hungry for more success; he is also backed by the formidable national team coaching set-up so expect him to come out all guns blazing when the action gets underway. The experienced Cuban Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo took bronze in Beijing so will now be targeting the top of the podium this time around. Thomas Lee Stalker from Great Britain has always been a promising talent and there is no better time than to turn potential into medals when the Olympic Games are on your home soil. Kazak star Daniyar Yeleussinov looked calm and composed after taking first place at the AIBA Asian Olympic Qualifying Event in Astana and could come of age in London. Puerto Rican 18-year-old Francisco Vargas Ramirez is one of the rising stars in this category and his style will cause a lot of problems for his rivals. Finally Sweden’s Anthony Yigit is also another who cannot be taken for granted.
Men Welterweight (69kg)
2008 Olympic Title holder: Bakhyt Sarsekbayev (KAZ)
2011 AIBA World Champion: Taras Shelestyuk (UKR)
The AIBA World Champion will be the man to beat in this category, the 26-year-old was part of the fearsome Ukraine team that topped the rankings in Baku and he will once again be one of the favourites for gold in London. But with so much talent set to take to the ring at the ExCeL, it promises to be completely unpredictable. Bronze medallist at the Beijing Olympic Games, Alexis Vastine knows that the XXX Olympiad in London is his last opportunity to take the top prize, he will have high hopes however after having built-up to these Games with the French team. Germany’s Patrick Wojcicki is an emerging talent with an extremely calm demeanour that could surprise a few. European Champion Freddie Evans is also primed to go all the way in London. AIBA Road to Dream program active participant Egidijus Kavaliauskas from Lithuania’s looks better and better every time he steps onto the canvas and his thunderous right hook could spell danger for his rivals. Ireland’s Adam Nolan announced his arrival on the international stage by taking first place at the AIBA European Olympic Qualifying Event Trabzon 2012 and looked classy throughout so could be a dark horse in the British capital. One man who will certainly want to make an impact is 28-year-old Brazilian Myke Ribeiro De Carvalho who looked in tremendous form at the AIBA American Olympic Qualifying Event Rio 2012 where he won all his five fights to take the title. All eyes will be on fleet footed counterpuncher Serik Sapiyev of Kazakhstan, also recently signed up to APB, a double AIBA World Champion at Light Welterweight and silver medallist at the last edition in Baku, who has the know-how to go all the way.
Tomorrow we will have a look at the men in the Middle (75kg), Light Heavy (81kg), Heavy (91kg) and Super Heavyweight (+91kg) categories.