Don't Miss Matchroom Sports' Promotion of Cook - Voronin For the European Featherweight Title At The Goresbrook LC in Dagenham Tonight!
At twenty six years old with 25 wins and no blemish to his record, current British, Commonwealth and European Featherweight Champion Nicky Cook looks set to add to his perfect C.V. tonight as he defends his European title against Ukrainian Champion Yuri Voronin, 24-4-1 (17). After coming off a very good win versus the previously unbeaten European Champion Cyril Thomas, the last two fights of "Cookie" have been far from adventurous.
Cook's career started off solidly with a mix of KO and points wins over average opponents. His first big victories came first over ex-British Champion Gary Thornhill in 2002 and then in 2003 against Misheck Kondwani to win the Commonwealth title via twelfth round stoppage. These wins put the Dagenham body puncher firmly in the media frame. More...
Those of us who are true followers of boxing understand the difference between a skilled fighter and an unskilled one. Boxing technique is not merely throwing punches as hard as possible, but rather punch combinations, stances, head movement, defense, stamina, etc., all coordinated by intelligence. If a fighter has great punching power and technique to boot, there is a great advantage over his opponent. The first fighter that comes to mind is Mike Tyson, 50-6 (44), who had exceptional punching power and technique. He is arguably the most exciting former heavyweight champion ever. Inside the boxing ring he displayed speed, power, stamina, intelligence, and uncanny boxing skills. He also brought back excitement to the heavyweight division, which Larry Holmes, Tim Witherspoon, and Pinklon Thomas failed to do, after Muhammad Ali retired. He used his abilities under the guidance of mentor Cus D'Amato and trainer Kevin Rooney, to become the youngest heavyweight champion ever at the age of twenty one on November 22, 1986. At the beginning of his career, he was one of the most disciplined fighters in the ring boxing fans would ever see. More...
Fresh of his most impressive performance as a professional during which displayed lightning-like quickness, ice dancer dexterity and a lethal combination of punches, DiBella Entertainment's Paulie "The Magic Man" Malignaggi has thrown down the gauntlet at WBO World Junior Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto.
"Miguel Cotto has been getting his chin checked frequently," said the "Magic Man," who upgraded his record to 21-0 with his drubbing of Donald Camarena at Foxwoods Resort Casino on February 10. "He's been wobbling and going down. I have the speed and skills to finish the job. I will check his chin for good." More...
Universum Box-Promotion returns to the city of Kiel in the very north of Germany at the Baltic Sea with an event at the huge Ostseehalle - two years after the German promoter last hosted an event at that location.
Headlining will be four fighters of the Universum and Spotlight stables: Thomas Ulrich, Ina Menzer, Sinan Samil Sam and Alexander Dimitrenko.
Former two-time European light heavyweight champion Thomas Ulrich, 28-2 (19), will step into the ring for the first time since his dramatic WBC world title fight against Tomasz Adamek on October 15. In a highly spectacular battle Ulrich lost to the reigning title holder by sixth round knockout but gave an impressive display of guts and skills. More...
Great fights are made with action and could there ever be a more action packed fight than a potential middleweight showdown between Kassim Ouma and Sam Soliman? If the two boxers have their way, the bout will get made shortly and boxing fans can sit back and enjoy a non-stop Puncharama. "I take pride in those punch stat numbers and I know Soliman threw a crazy amount against Winky Wright," Ouma said. "Soliman proved he was world class, world class and awkward. If he would have been good enough for Jermain Taylor in his next fight, and he was up to fighting Winky, then he is the perfect fight for me proving myself at middleweight. More...
One night before Showtime Boxing offers the Jeff Lacy-Joe Calzaghe showdown, America’s No. 1 Boxing Network will continue to commemorate its 20th anniversary of televising world-class match-ups with an excellent world title fight Friday, March 3, on “ShoBox: The New Generation’’ (11 p.m. ET/PT on showtime, delayed on the west
coast). In a battle of hard-hitting, exciting flyweights, unbeaten IBF champion Vic Darchinyan (24-0, 19 KOs) will defend against IBF No. 4 contender Diosdado Gabi (26-2-1, 19 KOs) from Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif.
Darchinyan has won six consecutive bouts by knockout. Gabi, who has never been stopped, has won 12 in a row (eight inside of the distance). Here is what the challenger had to say Wednesday. More...
Showtime continues putting on world-class, great fights on Saturday, March 4, when talented, undefeated, hard-hitting super middleweight world champions Jeff “Left Hook’’ Lacy and Joe Calzaghe collide in the main event on Showtime Boxing. The most significant unification world title bout in years will air live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast) from the MEN Arena in Manchester, England. The highly anticipated, long-awaited match up is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, in association with Frank Warren’s Sport Network.
Begin Opening Comments.
Jeff “Left Hook’’ Lacy
My training is going great. We are expecting a great fight on March 4. I am 110 percent ready for this battle between me and Joe. This is the beginning of my stardom as a professional fighter and I am taking Joe very seriously. I have not looked past him and I am doing everything I can in the gym, making sure I am staying healthy and everything else. So it is going to be a fight. From where I see it, it is going to be a really good fight. More...
This past Saturday at the Aladdin Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Antonio Margarito continued to back up his claim that he is ready for anyone (read: Floyd Mayweather) in boxing’s welterweight division. Many knowledgeable boxing observers figured a well prepared Manuel “Shotgun” Gomez to at least give the ever improving Margarito a few trying moments in the squared circle but that never materialized and this bout was over in a mere seventy four seconds. The hard punching Gomez came out aggressive as he had promised, with a few jabs and some wild whipping left hooks, but certainly fell short in the defense department and left himself wide open to the hard punching WBO Welterweight titlist Margarito. More...
2006 will be the last year for one of these fighters!
2005 brought a changing of the guard in boxing as longtime champions and top pound for pound kings either fell hard or had time finally catch up with them and 2006 so far has brought more of the same. 2005 cemented the end of Roy Jones' career, although his back to back KO losses had already told us that, with his final bout against Antonio Tarver nailing the coffin shut. Roy is no longer among the elite of the sport and never will be again. Bernard Hopkins was finally dethroned and lost again in his rematch with Taylor, the Executioner's heir apparent to the middleweight crown. Time finally caught up with the seemingly ageless Hopkins and after being on top for so long, there is nothing left for the record breaking middleweight legend to accomplish in boxing. The exit of divisional king Vitali Klitschko left us again with no dominate heavyweight champion. Longtime great Erik Morales was upset by Zahir Raheem, Kostya Tszyu was beaten into submission by his heir apparent Ricky Hatton and Felix Trinidad was sent again into retirement by Winky Wright.
Some of these departures or losses were shockers to us all. No one expected Morales to lose to Raheem, nor did we expect Tszyu to quit on his stool during his shock loss to Hatton. Vitali Klitschko, who seemed to be getting better with every fight, was forced to retire due to constant injuries to his back, a smart decision as some fighters don't know when to quit for their own good and end up permanently hurt. Trinidad once again showed what he was made of by quitting after a loss to Wright. More...
Joe Calzaghe, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Boxing at Champion University, invites all to attend his upcoming fistic lecture on the noble art of self-defense to be held at the Manchester Evening News Arena on Saturday, March 4th. Professor Calzaghe will be joined by second year student Jeff Lacy, upon whom the professor will apply his patented lightning fast southpaw technique. Those interested in the come forward roundhouse style of attack and it's resulting negative consequences will undoubtedly be interested in observing student Lacy, who will ably demonstrate all the stages of dismantlement, including collapse. Tickets to Professor Calzaghe's lecture are available at www.joecalzaghe.com. Those unable to attend this event in person can view the lesson on either ITV in the UK or Showtime in the US. Log onto www.joecalzaghe.com for more details.
Brian Magee is quietly confident after watching Carl Froch’s lacklustre performance in retaining his Commonwealth title against Australian Dale Westerman at the York Hall in Bethnal Green on Friday night.
Magee who was ringside on Friday as a guest of Sky TV allowed himself a few smiles and feels his style and determination will be enough to beat the unbeaten Froch in front of his raucous supporters in Belfast. More...
Rex Walker and the North American Boxing Federation are excited about the NABF Women's Division. The NABF wants to fill their Championship Titles with the best women boxers around. They intend to support their current and future title holders completely; as well as reach out to new and upcoming women athletes. The NABF will reaffirm their belief in Women's Boxing at their convention in on, May 24th, 2006 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. We welcome all those interested to join us for this important event.
The NABF wants to make this an Knockout year for Women's Boxing!
Making a rare London appearance, British and Commonwealth Super Middleweight champion Carl “The Cobra” Froch overcame a ponderous start to grind down Australian journeyman Dale Westerman in nine tougher than expected rounds at the prestigious York Hall arena in Bethnal Green. Headlining the Hennessy Sports show, screened live on Sky Sports, Nottingham based Froch struggled to find any sort of rhythm in the early going and it was only when his fleshy opponent began to fade that he was able to assert himself and eventually force an unspectacular stoppage.
When referee John Keane called a halt to the action, it was to save a fighter who wasn’t so much being battered as he was plain old knackered. Despite not being seriously hurt, the huffing and puffing Aussie actually looked relieved when the fight was waved off. No doubt he was more than satisfied with his showing up to that point, and appreciated the chance of an early shower. More...
Manuel "Shotgun" Gomez started his professional boxing life eighteen years ago as a super featherweight and struggled through eight losses before meeting Shane Mosley for the IBF Lightweight crown in 1997, getting stopped in the eleventh by a prime "Sugar" Shane. Since then Gomez had lost only one of fourteen contests but on a diet of solid but unspectacular competition. Tonight in Las Vegas, WBO Welterweight Champion Antonio Margarito brutally showed Gomez the error of his ways, mugging the popular Nuevo Laredo, TX slugger in a sheer street fight and crushing the challenger within the very first round. It was classic Margarito as the much taller Tijuana terror unleashed a torrent of leather from the bell, led by a withering right hand that reduced the championship aspirations of the shorter Gomez into basic instinctive survival mode. As the barrage went on, Gomez was no longer able to defend himself from the willful Margarito which inspired referee Richard Steele to stop the bout at just 2:19 of the first round. After the bout, Bob Arum, head of Top Rank and promoter of Margarito, now 33-4 (24), expressed an interest in setting up the WBO Champion to face the winner of the upcoming Floyd Mayweather - Zab Judah IBF Welter title contest in July.
By Curtis McCormick February 19th, 2006 All Boxing Results
"Amazing" Alex Arthur walked into Meadowbank Stadium in his hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland as the reigning British, Commonwealth and European Super Featherweight Champion but needed every bit of his overflowing confidence and experience to walk out the same after the stern challenge of previously unbeaten prospect Ricky Burns. Arthur threw subtlety to the wind as the lanky East Coast man sought to pressure the less seasoned Burns and embarked upon a campaign to maximize what was perceived to be a potential lack in stamina in the challenger. Despite the triple champion's spearing body shots and the fact that Burns had yet to go past eight rounds in prior bouts, the twenty two year old Glasgow area man never lost his composure and rifled well timed counter right hands and left hooks off the skull of his antagonist, preventing Arthur from running the table. Burns' skillful application of the sweet science wasn't enough however to make up for the fact the Arthur was the busier and more aggressive of the two fighters over the course of the twelve round affair and as such, the hometown hero retains his titles via ringside scoring of 117-111, 118-110 and 116-112.
By Curtis McCormick February 19th, 2006 All Boxing Results
Humberto "La Zorrita" Soto dazzled the 6,000 fans in attendance at Estadio Emilio Ibarra in Los Mochis, Mexico, on Friday by berating Colombian southpaw Oscar "El Artista" Leon with a calculated two fisted shelling to defend his WBC Interim Featherweight title. It was a difficult night for the man from Cartagena as he simply could not sustain an effective offense in the face of Soto's educated pressure. The champion, from Tijuana, Mexico put Leon down early in the fight and then really turned it on in the ninth, canvassing the challenger once and again, forcing a stoppage from referee Jose Cobian. Soto moves to 39-5-2 (23) and likely into the frame for one or more featherweight unification matchups while Leon, who mounted two failed world title bids in 2003, drops to 27-5 (18).
Super feather Kevin Kelly, "The Flushing Flash", rolled back the years Friday night on a shared Top Rank/8 Count promotion bill from Cicero Stadium near Chicago by knocking out seasoned veteran Juan Carlos "Ranchero" Ramirez in the second round. Kelly, 58-6-2 (39), a highly respected former WBC and WBU Featherweight Champion, wasted no time in hunting down his tough Mexican opponent and by the second round the New Yorker was detonating huge left hands off the jaw of Ramirez. "Ranchero" never made it out of that southpaw firestorm and Kelly gets his fourth consecutive win since losing to mulit-weight legend Marco Antonio Barrera almost two years ago. At thirty eight years of age, Kelly has been trading leather in the paid ranks since 1998 and won his first forty one contests without a loss. Aside from the Barrera reversal, Kelly has only come up short against Erik Morales, Naseem Hamed, Alejandro Gonzalez, Derrick Gainer and Benito Rodriguez.
WBO Welterweight Champion Antonio Margarito puts his crown up for grabs tonight at the Aladdin Casino in Las Vegas, facing seasoned Mexican slugger Manuel "Shotgun" Gomez
on Top Rank Promotions' exciting three title fight card. The undercard features such lighterweight luminaries as WBC Light Fly kingpin Brian "The Hawaiian Punch" Viloria, hoping to retain against well seasoned ex-minimum weight world champ Jose Aguirre and the "Ironboy", Ivan Calderon, who will seek to defend his WBO Minimumweight title
from the bad intentions of former WBC beltholder Isaac Bustos of Mexico City. Rounding out the bill are light welter Almazbek "Kid Diamond" Raiymkulov and welter prospect Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Tonight on a Sports Network card at the Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland, flashy British, Commonwealth and European Super Featherweight Champion Alex Arthur risks all against the highly accurate boxer and fellow Scotsman Ricky Burns. The heavy handed, charismatic Arthur is calling this his British swan song as he has big post-fight world class plans but the serene, tattooed Trappist monk Burns has laughed off the Edinburgh man's larger ambitions, pledging to knock out the triple champion whom he calls weight drained and of inflated ego.
While having just two stoppages to go along with his thirteen victories against no losses, the Coatsbridge based Burns will likely be hard pressed to carry out his boasts of starching Arthur. But Burns does have a shocking victory already under his belt after outpointing British Lightweight Champion Graham Earl last year in a non-title catchweight bout and as such represents the greatest threat to Arthur's career since the former Golden Boy of UK boxing was gunned down in five rounds of fury by Michael Gomez in 2003. More...
By Curtis McCormick February 18th, 2006 All Boxing Results
Reigning British and Commonwealth Super Middleweight Champion Carl Froch defended the latter title last night on a Hennessy Sports bill against an older, smaller but very willful Australian, Dale Westerman, at London's historic York Hall. But the brash Nottingham native was shocked by the hard Melbourne man for the first half of the contest as Westerman clanged an alarmingly large number of two handed shots off Froch's chin.
This surprising assault came to a halt by round seven however as the thirty six year old tourist began to tire and the skills of Froch came into play. Westerman could no longer continue his forward drive and paid the price as the double champion began a painful payback in rounds seven and eight before the third man in the ring John Keane ceased the one sided hiding, declaring Froch the winner in the ninth. More...
