This Saturday, Showtime will air one of the most intriguing cards so far this year. Two excellent match-ups are on tap in two exciting weight classes as Jose Luis Castillo and Jeff Lacy put their world titles on the line against the talented opposition presented by Julio Diaz and Rubin Williams respectively. Will the defending champions hold onto to their precious belts and move on to lucrative unification fights or, will we see a violent changing of the guard as the challengers rip away the glamour, prestige and wealth that comes with a world title crown? Obviously, we must all wait until Saturday when the smoke clears to see just who remains standing after twelve rounds of highly contentious combat, but until then Saddoboxing presents a brief examination of these two contests and the backgrounds of their participants. More...
By Boxing Press February 28th, 2005 All Boxing News
Former Olympian heavyweight Calvin Brock has got the high-profile fight he was looking for. Brock will face two-time heavyweight title challenger Jameel McCline in April. The fight represents Brock's first major step up in class and his first fight since soundly defeating Clifford Etienne by third round stoppage several weeks ago. McCline has failed to win portions of the world title on two occasions, the WBO to Wladimir
Klitschko and the IBF to Chris Byrd most recently. McCline was said to be scoping out future opponents and seemed to have shortlisted Samuel Peter and had one fight set then cancelled against Sergei Lyakhovich. Now against Brock, McCline has the chance to show the world that he deserves another title chance and Brock has a chance to shine in front of a world audience. Who will take their chance? Find out at SaddoBoxing.com as it happens.
By Boxing Press February 28th, 2005 All Boxing News
Clint Eastwood's boxing film "Million Dollar Baby" won several top honors at last night's Oscar ceremony. The film won best picture, best director in Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman took best supporting actor for his role in the film and leading woman Hillary Swank took best female actress for her central role in the film. It is a proud achievement for all involved and the film highlights the very human element present in the boxing world, full of trials and tribulations, some victories, some defeats and often, heartbreaking loss. Jamie Foxx took best actor honors for his portrayal of Ray Charles and Foxx is rumored to be preparing for the role of Mike Tyson for one of his future projects.
By Boxing Press February 28th, 2005 All Boxing News
Top Rank chief Bob Arum told the media that Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto will be back in the ring on June 18, against an opponent yet to be decided. As the backlash from Cotto's WBO title defence against DeMarcus Corley continue, the American fighter and his camp are calling for a rematch to be held and are claiming that local bias from the referee cost Corley the fight. Corley stunned Cotto early on with a right hook that scrambled his senses for a moment and it seemed that the young champion may be
stopped. Cotto came back to win and preserve his undefeated streak, albeit controversially thanks to the nature of the stoppage. If a rematch with Corley is not made, talks with WBA light welterweight champion Vivian Harris are a possibility for Cotto's camp. We will keep you updated to further developments.
Hello again fight fans. It is a busy week in the boxing world and we begin our overview of the coming action by looking at Thursday’s card in New York, where a pair of Russian cousins take the next step in their undefeated careers. Heavyweight Sultan Ibragimov will take on Al “Ice” Cole for the WBO Asia Pacific heavyweight title, whatever that is. Not to ridicule the achievements of these fighters, but even Ibragimov must confer with the fact that he should move on to compete for greater distinctions, while Cole can hardly argue that he has seen better times. Timor Ibragimov fights Ronald Bellamy in another heavyweight contest on the under-card. Will the Ibragimov's still be able to boast undefeated records at the end of the night? We will find out on Friday morning, but not before we also discover the exploits of come-backing heavyweight Shannon Briggs and featherweight Kevin Kelley, two former world champions aiming for those heady heights once again. More...
After Vassiliy Jirov and James Toney treated us to the fight of the year in 2003, the cruiserweight division since then has remained quiet. This is due partly to the abundance of fighters moving up north to fight at heavyweight. Also, some fighters in the process of moving up in weight skip the cruiserweight division completely (e.g. Roy Jones, Jr.). But still, something doesn’t even out. You have several talented fighters in this division, but yet it's overlooked. In my opinion there is no excuse, however the "powers that be" in boxing beg to differ. So, what’s the problem, you ask? I'll tell you what it is. Politics going on behind the scenes is what’s making the cruiserweight division remain unknown. The promoters are not making the fights that the boxing public wants to see. Keep in mind that the cruiserweight division lays in between the light heavyweight division and the heavyweight division. The promoters know it and they take advantage of it to the maximum. So with that in mind, marketing the cruiserweight division doesn't prove to be as lucrative as the light heavyweight or heavyweight division. Think about it, Australian light heavyweight Paul Briggs has gotten more coverage for his upcoming fight with Tomasz Adamek than American IBF cruiserweight champion Kelvin Davis. What makes this peculiar is that Briggs has yet to fight in the United States. More...
By Boxing Press February 27th, 2005 All Boxing News
It is reported that a major British featherweight showdown may be signed for the near future between WBO champion Scott Harrison and former WBC title challenger Michael Brodie. Brodie, from Manchester in England, last saw action in a rematch with Injin Chi that saw him stopped in the seventh round. Brodie has been inactive ever since, and with the falling through of a high-profile bout with Naseem Hamed, Brodie needs to get back into top-level company and quickly. Harrison has performed well infrequently in his tenure as a two-time WBO featherweight champion. The Scotsman lost his title in a lacklustre showing against Manuel Medina, only to return to form and scorch Medina for the title. However, that same poor form returned in Harrison's last fight as he struggled to deal with challenger Victor Polo. As always, SaddoBoxing.com will keep you up to date with further developments as they happen, FREE.
Last night at the Casino du Lac Leamy, Hull, Quebec in Canada, light welterweight prospect Herman Ngoudjo won the NABF 140-pound title with an eighth round stoppage of Eloy Rojas. Ngoudjo has been on the rampage since turning professional late in 2003. Trained by Montreal's Howard Grant, Ngoudjo won the NABF title and secured his ninth win with eight stoppages to his credit. Keep an eye out for this latest hot prospect coming from the Island of Montreal.
In other action, Canadian heavyweight champion Patrice L'Heureux was stopped in the first round by Steve Pannell. Looking in bad physical condition, L'Heureux squared up to Pannell and was soon caught with a hard shot that put him down hard. L'Heureux rose on unsteady legs and was battered continuously by Pannell who had lost his last five fights by stoppage.
Tonight in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, WBO light welterweight champion Miguel Cotto remained unbeaten by scoring a fifth round stoppage of former champion DeMarcus Corley. It was a very good action fight with both fighters having great success. The ending was somewhat controversial due to what was perceived as the local referee's stoppage of Corley who appeared to have taken a knee and was not hurt. Read on to find out what happened
in this fight in front of 10, 000 loyal Puerto Rican fans as Miguel Cotto defeated DeMarcus Corley.
Round one: Cotto is officially seventeen pounds heavier than Corley in the ring and it shows. A big right from Cotto stuns Corley right away. It is not long before Corley is down on the canvas because of a Cotto right-left combination. Corley comes back with a good straight left hand. They trade shots with each other and Corley is hit with a lot of shots but he refuses to back up. Cotto hits Corley after the bell. More...
Big things are happening in the light welterweight division. In 2005, we will certainly see Kostya Tszyu fight Ricky Hatton in one of England’s richest and most significant fights. Meanwhile, stateside we now know that Arturo Gatti will meet Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a real super-fight. Preceding all of this is the WBO showdown in Puerto Rico this Saturday between champion Miguel Cotto and former champion DeMarcus Corley. If the initial significance of this fight does not inspire you,
the prospect of its winner competing against the previously mentioned combatants definitely should. Cotto will return to defend the title in the very place he took it with a devastating knockout of Kelson Pinto. Does Corley have what it takes to extend Cotto before his home support, or perhaps even defeat him? We will know the answer by the end of Saturday night, and what’s more, we will see who will have won the right to command a prime position to fight for the right to be called the best light welterweight in the world. Undecided as to whom you think will win? Allow the SaddoBoxing.com writers to assist you in making a decision. More...
Tonight at the Color Line Arena in Germany, WBA light heavyweight champion from France Fabrice Tiozzo thwarted the comeback of Germany's Dariusz Michalczewski. Tiozzo unleashed a vicious volley of punches to send Michalczewski down and out in the sixth round of a scheduled twelve for Tiozzo's WBA title. Michalczewski, once the WBO light heavyweight champion, a title of which he made twenty-three defenses, has now lost two fights back-to-back. Michalczewski lost his first fight to Julio Gonzalez and now that he has lost again, the aging former champion may be re-thinking his involvement in the boxing world.
Current WBO light heavyweight champion Zsolt Erdei kept his championship on the under-card by posting a split decision win over Hugo Garay while Wladimir Sidorenko won the WBA bantamweight crown with a unanimous decision victory over Julio Zarate.
Stay tuned for more results coming from Puerto Rico later tonight.
Omar Soto of Mexico took a 12-round unanimous decision over former world champion Daniel Reyes of Colombia in their IBF mini-flyweight title elimination bout Friday. The win puts Soto in a title bout later this year against IBF champion Muhammad Rachman of Indonesia. The 25-year-old Soto (15-2-1 with 10 knockouts) won by scores of 118-110, 118-110, 115-113. The 31-year-old Reyes, the IBF mini-flyweight champion in 2003 and 2004, is 34-3-1 with 29 knockouts.
Soto blunted Reyes' superior power with a steady barrage of combinations and timely counter-punches. There were no knockdowns in the bout, held at Orleans Hotel and Casino. Soto weighed 104 pounds and Reyes 105.
In the 12-round co-main event, undefeated Yusef Mack of Philadelphia retained his United States Boxing Association super middleweight championship with an unanimous decision over Richard Grant of Nee York. Mack, (19-0-2 with 12 KOs), beat Grant (16-11-1) by scores of 119-109, 119-109, 118-110. There were no knockdowns.
The main event of the Friday Night Fights card in Oklahoma tonight culminated in the heavyweight clash between Terry Smith and Fernely Feliz. The following is a thorough account of all the round by round action as it happened in this intriguing heavyweight showdown.
Round one: Smith looks in better physical condition than when he fought Calvin Brock in his last
television appearance. There is not much action in the early going, both fighters have a low left hand in defense, inviting an attack. They exchange some untidy jabs that glance off one another. Smith gets through with some good looking lefts and rights towards the end of the round.
Round two: Some good rights from Smith get through early. A sneaky left from Feliz lands. They both go at each other to some effect. Feliz is holding a lot. Smith begins to find some success with his jab and it is a good action fight so far. More...
The prelude to the main event of the Friday Night Fights card in Oklahoma featured undefeated welterweight Carlos Quintana in against Nurhan Suleyman. Quintana was touted as a good prospect before a contractual dispute with former promoter Don King had him sidelined for a considerable stretch of his career. Read on to find what happened as Quintana looked to extend his undefeated streak against the tough Suleyman.
Round one: Quintana is a southpaw and has good success with quick, multiple jabs. Quintana does well in setting up his straight left which looks like it has some power to it. Suleyman stays in the centre of the ring, being circled by Quintana who clocks him with a good straight left hand. Quintana is using a lot of good movement, using the ring and staying out of the way while landing some of his own good punches. More...
Before the main event of the Friday Night Fight card held at the Buffalo Run Casino in Oklahoma tonight, we have a couple of fights to report on. Firstly, a light heavyweight bout took place between undefeated contender Allan Green and veteran Sebastian Hill. Green took the win with a third round stoppage, moving his record to fifteen wins with eleven stoppages. The following is the round by round account of this fight as it happened.
Round one: Green is a straight-up boxer looking to set things up behind his jab. Hill is mobile and much the smaller man. After a barrage of shots, Hill finds himself on the canvas suddenly. He gets up to survive the round but begins to fight negatively as a result of being knocked down by Green who looks like he carries some decent power. More...
British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Matt Skelton lit up the Wembley Conference Centre in London, England tonight by stopping Argentinean challenger Fabio Moli in six rounds. Skelton, who has only sixteen professional fights to his credit since joining boxing from the mixed martial arts world, now owns the WBU heavyweight title. Moli, whose previous career highlight was being stopped in a round by Wladimir Klitschko sees his record fall to thirty-two wins with four losses. As reported earlier this week exclusively by SaddoBoxing.com, Skelton, managed by Frank and Eugene Maloney will seek out a big British showdown with former WBC title challenger Danny Williams.
In other action, British lightweight champion Graham Earl lost his first fight against unknwon opponent Ricky Burns. Burns is undefeated with ten wins and took the verdict over Earl by a margin of 79-75.
Finally, lightweight Steve Murray won his fight on the under-card when opponent Jeff Thomas retired after three rounds. Murray had threatened to retire if he lost the fight.
Stay tuned for more boxing results from America tonight.
Once again, Zab Judah has managed to get his name to pop up in all conversations regarding boxing. The only difference is, this time it is for the right reason. With his back against the wall, and in a must win-situation, he delivered in the clutch. In what was a very close fight against Cory Spinks, Zab closed the show with a ninth round TKO. I had written an article a little less than a year ago titled, " Zab Judah: Pretender or Contender." In it, I clearly stated that his potential is limitless, if he got serious and exorcised his inner demons. With that in mind, I shouldn't have been surprised to
witness what took place on the fifth of February. However, I was. I was not sure "which" Zab Judah was stepping into the ring. Now you guys should all know by know that I am objective and I give credit when credit is due. Zab delivered a sensational performance. But this sensational performance, was extrinsically motivated, I'll explain. More...
By Richard Eberline February 25th, 2005 All Boxing News
Trainer Johnny Eames told SaddoBoxing in an exclusive that British super featherweight Kevin Lear had to pull out of his scheduled contest tonight in London with Paul Halpin due to breaking a hand in training. Eames expects Lear to be sidelined for six weeks as the injury heals. This comes after the former WBU champion was forced to take two years off as he recuperated from a severe shoulder injury.
Stay tuned to SaddoBoxing.com for more exclusive updates.
After three brave challenges for a world title, Clinton Woods hopes fourth time will be the charm when he takes on feared Detroit puncher Rico Hoye for the vacant IBF light-heavyweight title at the Magna Arena, Rotherham, in a bout fittingly called "Destiny," the exciting encounter will be broadcast delayed on boxing broadband channel www.SecondsOut.tv on March 5. Tall, rangy and full of heart, Woods, 36-3-1 (22KOs), is seldom in a dull fight and battled 24 championship rounds with the world's premier light-heavy Glen Johnson in two spirited bids for the title (one loss and one draw), having already faced an on-form Roy Jones in a previous title tilt. More...
