Boxing News

Author: Boxing Press

  • ‘Baby Bull’ Diaz Retains WBA Title.

    Thursday night in Texas, U.S.A. boxing’s youngest world champion Juan Diaz successfully retained his WBA championship as expected against French veteran Julien Lorcy by unanimous decision. The announcement told that Diaz retained his title by considerably wide margins on all of the judges scorecards.
    At just twenty-one years of age, Diaz stays in the reckoning for high-profile title fights and the possibility of exciting unification matches against WBO and consensus lightweight champion Diego Corrales or WBC champion Jose Luis Castillo.

  • Klitschko-Williams Plus Undercard Announced.

    A press conference to formally announce the upcoming Klitschko-Williams world heavyweight championship fight on Saturday, Dec. 11, at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on HBO Pay-Per-View (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) was held Thursday in Los Angeles.

    Klitschko (34-2, 33 KOs) will make his first World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title defense when he takes on contender and the man who knocked out Mike Tyson, Williams. K2 Promotions, Inc., and Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino will present the event. In the top undercard bouts on the HBO PPV telecast, unbeaten Miguel Cotto (21-0, 17 KOs) will defend his WBO junior welterweight crown against hard-hitting former WBA/WBO 140-pound champion Randall Bailey (28-4, 27 KOs), former IBF junior lightweight titleholder Carlos “Famous” Hernandez (40-4-1, 24 KOs) will box an opponent to be announced and former IBF lightweight kingpin Javier Jauregui (48-11-2, 34 KOs) will box FECARBOX 130-pound champion Carlos Navarro. The telecast is being produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View. (more…)

  • Tszyu, Mitchell, Guzman and Licona Speak.

    Two of boxing’s most talented pound-for-pound fighters will square off in a highly anticipated rematch when International Boxing Federation (IBF) “Super” 140-Pound champion Kostya Tszyu defends his title against interim IBF junior welterweight champion Sharmba Mitchell Saturday, Nov. 6, 2004, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.
    Marcos Licona (left) squares off with Joan Guzman
    Click for larger image
    © Tom Casino

    In the co-feature, World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior featherweight champion Joan Guzman will defend his title for the second time when he takes on WBO No. 13 contender Marcos Licona.

    KOSTYA TSZYU (30-1, 24 KOs)

    “I am happy to be fighting back on SHOWTIME in a place where there is a lot of personal history. It was in Phoenix that I beat the great, great Julio Cesar Chavez. I am very excited about Saturday night. Twenty-two months is a long time between fights. But life is all about challenges, and I like to challenge myself, which is why I am taking this fight now. To return to the ring after one injury, then two, in this type of match-up will not be easy but I am ready. I feel I do not have to prove myself to anyone. Expect to see a lot of interesting surprises from me. I have a lot of different strategies. You will see something from me you have never seen before. I hope a lot of fans who cannot be here tune in to SHOWTIME.’’ (more…)

  • Witter to Mayweather: “I’ll Beat You by the Big KO!”

    British, Commonwealth and European light welterweight champion Junior Witter has issued a no nonsense challenge to Floyd Mayweather Junior, arguably the world’s best pound for pound fighter.


    © Mike Cleary
    		 “Come on Pretty Boy, lets get it on,” said Witter, who defends his European title against Poland’s Krzysztof Bienias on the November 12th Hennessy Sports “Born To Do It’ promotion at the Wembley conference centre. “You have a HBO date in January but no opponent yet, so here I am. Come get me. If you want to be in a real, made for TV fight that will please the fans

    I am your only option. You may be WBC number one but you won’t be fighting champion Arturo Gatti anytime soon as he is defending against Leija. There is no fear of WBC number two stepping up to meet you either; Branco is scared of his own shadow. He has already turned down a fight against me. Not that I blame him; I wouldn’t fancy being on the end of one of my shots either. So who is next in line, who is the WBC number three? Oh yes, that’s me – the best light welterweight in Europe. I am about to prove I am the best in the world. If you want to play with the big boys at 140-pounds, lets go.” (more…)

  • ‘Baby Bull’ Defends Tonight.

    Twenty-one year old WBA lightweight champion of the world Juan ‘Baby Bull’ Diaz of Houston, Texas makes the first defense of his title tonight at the SBC Center in San Antonio, Texas. Diaz will meet French veteran Julien Lorcy who has been competitive with several respectable names in the super featherweight and lightweight divisions over the last ten years. Lorcy’s crowning glory came in 2001 when he travelled to Japan to defeat Takanori Hatakeyama by a unanimous decision for the title that Diaz now holds. Fighting often away from home in various European and American cities, Lorcy is unlikely to be intimidated by the partisan atmosphere that will accompany Diaz throughout the evening. Lorcy has been inactive for over a year and Diaz, who won the title with a scintillating performance earlier this year against Mongolia’s Lakva Sim, will be favored to retain his title successfully.

  • Walker and Barker on ‘Born To Do It.’

    Walker looking to get back into title picture.

    Former two-weight Southern Area champion David Walker is looking to get back amongst the titles in 2005. “Kid Dynamite’ appears on the Hennessy Sports “Born To Do It’ promotion on November 12th at the Wembley conference centre in just his third fight since his unsuccessful challenge for the European Title against Roman Karmazin last year. He feels it is the last tune up he needs before getting back into Championship action. “I am itching to get back amongst it – the sooner the better as far as I am concerned,” he said.

    “I have to be honest; I don’t really enjoy these warm up fights. I find them a bit hard to get up for. I love the big occasion.” (more…)

  • BARNES TARGETS HARE.

    British welterweight champion David Barnes is confident that he will retain his title against James Hare on the 12th of November at the Northbridge leisure centre in Halifax. Barnes and Hare face each other in a real ‘trade’ fight that is sure to excite the capacity crowd in attendance and produce the expected fireworks between the two best 147-pounder’s in Britain. This will be the Manchester stars third defense following victories over Kevin McIntyre and Glen McLarnon and a win will earn him ownership of the prestigious belt. Barnes said, “I have not underestimated Hare one bit. I have prepared for this fight like no other and firmly believe I will be the winner,”

    “I respect Hare, he’s a qood fighter and nice fella out of the ring but I’m going in there to do my job which is to win the fight and if the knockout comes then all the better,” (more…)

  • Mario Veit: “I Have to Counter and Out-box Brewer.”


    (c) Fabian Weber, www.boxing.de

    		On November 6th German super middleweight contender Mario Veit, 44-1 (22), will be facing one of the strongest opponents of his career. The thirty-year-old man from Hamburg will defend his WBO 168 lb. interim world title against American Charles Brewer, 40-9 (28), a former IBF world champion now ranked number one by the World Boxing Organization. Brewer and Veit have a common opponent:

    Welshman Joe Calzaghe who beat them both. The winner of the duel between Veit and Brewer would be in line to face Calzaghe again.
    (more…)

  • Calzaghe and Warren Ink A New Deal.

    WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe of Wales celebrated the latest successful defense of his title, a points win over Egyptian Kabary Salem by signing a new contract that will keep him with promoter Frank Warren for the forseeable future.

    Calzaghe has long yearned to test his skills and power in the light heavyweight division and was set to do so earlier this year against the IBF champion at that weight, US based Jamaican, Glen Johnson. However, Calzaghe had to endure a double dose of misfortune after being ruled out of the Johnson fight and having to watch Johnson step up and knock out Roy Jones Jr. this past September. Latest developments have seen Johnson sign to fight fellow Roy Jones conqueror Antonio Tarver in the true battle for the light heavyweight crown, leaving Calzaghe in the shadows once again. Calzaghe could save face by engaging newly crowned IBF super middleweight champion, America’s Jeff Lacy in a unification fight that would be a headline affair on either side of the Atlantic. Stay tuned to saddoboxing.com for developments as they happen.

  • Freitas Return Ensures an Explosive December.

    Former undefeated super featherweight and lightweight champion Acelino Freitas will reassume his career in his native Brazil on December the 11th. An opponent for Freitas is yet to be determined but the appearance will give the boxing world an opportunity to gauge exactly how affected he has been by his dramatic loss to Diego Corrales earlier this year. Furthermore, Freitas’s reputation as an entertaining and aggressive puncher may have been tainted considerably by the way he walked away from the fight with Corrales after being floored several times by the American. Fan reaction to Freitas in Brazil will not likely be an accurate measure of his current popularity but the reaction from American and European audiences and the mainstream boxing press could weigh heavily in his future ventures. (more…)

  • Miguel Cotto: “I Will Be Fighting For My People.”

    NEW YORK (October 29th, 2004)

    Undefeated, hard-hitting Puerto Rican sensation Miguel Cotto will be featured as the top undercard attraction of the Vitali Klitschko-Danny Williams world heavyweight championship fight on Saturday, December the 11th, live on HBO Pay Per View from The Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Cotto will make the first defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight title against former world champion Randall Bailey. The bout will be presented by Top Rank, Inc. in association with K2 Promotions and featured live as part of the Vitali Klitschko vs Danny Williams pay-per-view telecast, which is being produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View. It begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and carries a suggested retail price of $49.95.

    “I am a champion and it is an honor to be fighting on the same card as the heavyweight champion of world,” said Cotto. “On December 11, I will be fighting for my people and all the boxing fans who give me the extra strength to keep winning.” (more…)

  • Ward to Tour With U.S. Marines Boxing Team.

    BOSTON, Mass. (October 28, 2004).

    One of boxing’s most popular fighters of all-time, ‘Irish’ Micky Ward, has been selected as the official goodwill ambassador for the U.S. Marines boxing team “Great Northeast Tour,” commencing November 9th at The Roxy in Boston and continuing that week at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Philadelphia. The Semper Fidelis Society, comprised of former United States Marines, two years ago presented Ward with the inaugural Ted Williams Globe and Anchor Award, presented to a non-Marine for his commitment and dedication to excellence that Williams demonstrated in his life, as well as the hard work and guts Ted showed as a fighter pilot. (more…)