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Posts Tagged ‘heavyweight’

STEVE CUNNINGHAM TO FACE JASON GAVERN IN HEAVYWEIGHT DEBUT

NEWARK, NJ – Former two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, 24-4, 12 KOs, will make his debut in the heavyweight division on September 8th against Jason Gavern, 21-10-4, 10 KOs. The 10-round fight is part of a big afternoon heavyweight triple header promoted by Main Events, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
Former two-time world champion, Tomasz “Goral” Adamek, 46-2, 28 KOs, and Travis Walker, 39-7-1, 31 KOs, fight in the main event, a 12-rounder for Adamek’s IBF North American Heavyweight Title, and emerging heavyweight star Bryant Jennings, 14-0, 6 KOs, and Chris Koval, 25-9, 18 KOs, faceoff in the third featured heavyweight contest.

It will be a night of firsts for Cunningham who recently signed a promotional contract with Main Events. Cunningham makes his first start under his new agreement with the promoter, and will fight for the very first time at the new weight.

After losing a bid to regain his IBF cruiserweight belt in February, Cunningham made the decision to move up in weight and try his luck in boxing’s most prestigious division. At six-feet, three-inches tall, Steve brings a heavyweight frame to the division, but will have to carefully add the extra pounds to become a true heavyweight.

“I’m probably looking to do my first fight at 208 (pounds),” Cunningham said recently. “And probably max out at 215 (for future fights). I’m not interested in getting up to 225.”

For his first heavyweight test, Cunningham will contend with Virginia-born Gavern, who now fights out of Orlando, FL. Gavern is an inch shorter than Cunningham, but will likely have at least a 20-pound weight advantage in the fight.

Where a move up to heavyweight was once thought to be a hopeless endeavor for smaller fighters, it is now considered more of a calculated risk with some real potential upside. After boxers like Michael Spinks and Evander Holyfield set the standard for the move, and cruiserweights like David Haye and Tomasz Adamek having more recent success as heavyweights, more and more fighters seem willing to take the challenge. On September 8th, Gavern will do his best to keep Cunningham from joining the others who have defied the odds.

In an interesting note, both fighters have history with the participants of the main event. Cunningham lost a war of a cruiserweight title fight with Adamek back in 2008, at the very same arena, and Gavern fought to an 8-round draw with a then-undefeated Travis Walker in 2005.

FIGHT INFO:

“Ironbound Throwdown” September 8th at Newark’s Prudential Center features Tomasz Adamek vs. Travis Walker. Tickets priced at $180 ringside, $105, and $55 are available through Ticketmaster: online at www.ticketmaster.com; Charge-by-phone: 1-800-745-3000; Ticketmaster Express 866-448-7849; and Ticketmaster ticket centers. Tickets are also available at Prudential Center’s Box Office and www.prucenter.com.

Prudential Center doors will open at 1:30PM, first fight is 2:00PM. The card is presented by Main Events in association with Peltz Boxing, and Ziggy Promotions.

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David Haye and Dereck Chisora are set for a huge clash on July 14th from Upton Park, home of West Ham Football Club

Over 40,000 fans will pack out the stadium, while many, many more will be watching live and exclusive coverage on BoxNationTV

Boxing’s Blockbuster @ Upton Park 14 July

David Haye: ”If you think he’s a real heavyweight because he’s got a gut then congratulations, he’s a big heavyweight.”

Dereck Chisora: ”You need to think of better punchlines.”

BoxNation Link Click Here

• Facts About This Fight

• Both boxers are licensed to fight via the Luxembourg Boxing Federation (LBF)

• The LBF is recognised by the British Boxing Board of Control and is a member of the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and EBU.

• The LBF has the absolute right under law to engage in the common practice of licensing bouts in other European territories outside its own national borders. This is by no means a precedent and has happened many times before.

• Frank Warren, Dereck Chisora’s manager, has 32 years’ experience in the industry and holds a licence with the BBBofC. Acting in the best interests of his client, he has ensured that the rules of the organisation have been completely adhered to.

• After the regrettable incident in Munich the BBBofC withdrew Dereck Chisora’s British licence. Dereck was never banned from boxing and the BBBofC was categorical in stating that Dereck Chisora was free to apply for a licence with any federation of his choosing.
• David Haye has come out of retirement to fight. He has never been banned or suspended from boxing at any time.

• There are numerous examples of fights taking place after unsavoury incidents between fighters. Legendary boxers such as Ali, Lewis, Tyson and Holmes, to name a few, have all been involved in incidents outside the ring they probably now regret.

• As with Haye and Chisora on the 14th July, these legends did what boxers do. They got in the ring and settled their differences.

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Jerry Belmontes vs. Ramesis Gil

TOTOWA, NJ – Main Events officially confirmed today they will bring a major boxing event, to be nationally televised on Univision Deportes’ TeleFutura Sólo Boxeo Tecate, to the Pharr Events Center in Pharr, Texas, on May 19, 2012. The show will be co-promoted by Main Events and Arena Promotions. Broadcast begins at 11PM ET/PT. Two excellent bouts top the card.

In the main event, which will be televised on TeleFutura Sólo Boxeo Tecate, undefeated Jerry Belmontes, 15-0, 5 KOs, takes on Ramesis Gil, 7-3-5, 5 KOs, in an 8 round lightweight bout. Belmontes, 23, known as the “Corpus Christi Kid”, was an amateur superstar in Texas, and has dispatched fifteen straight opponents since turning professional in 2008. He returns after almost one year away from the ring.

His opponent is the 29-year old Gil of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Gil has made a career of taking on young and upcoming prospects, usually in their backyards. He’ll have to do that again, this time before Belmontes’ big Texas fan base.

Belmontes is ecstatic to be back in the ring, ”Words can’t explain how excited I am to get back in the ring. Of course I was not planning on a 11-month layoff but I’m glad that its behind me. I’m overjoyed to be apart of this prestigious promotional company (Main Events). Needless to say, LET’S GET IT ON!” Belmotes added, ”Looking forward to training camp in Dallas and learning as much as possible from my new trainer Derrick James. Tune in on May 19th… I’m back.”

In a 12 round battle for the IBF Inter-Continental Heavyweight title, Odlanier Solis, 17-1, 12 KOs, returnning to the ring for the first time since his world title try, faces Konstantin Airich, 23-5-2, 17 KOs. Last year, Solis made a good start against WBC champion Vitali Klitschko before losing the title challenge on a freakish knee injury. After a long rehab, “La Sombra” is ready to fight again. Highlights of the fight will be shown on the Solo Boxeo broadcast.

Solis a six-time National Cuban Amateur Champion, who won Gold at the 2004 Olympics, defected along with Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2006, and now fights out of Miami. He defeated seventeen straight professional opponents, including Ray Austin and Monte Barrett, before his fight with Klitschko one year ago.

“It feels great to be finally back in action and working on my comeback˝, says Solis. “The last twelve months have been hell with a lot of setbacks but now I’m ready to go at it again. Of course, it adds some extra motivation to work with a great champion like Miguel Cotto. We have lots of fun at camp but, of course, we are both very focused and working hard on our goals.˝

Kazakhstan-born Airich, nicknamed “Sandman” for his tendency to put foes to sleep, fights out of the heavyweight hotbed of Germany. He will bring his punching power to Texas and try to add to his six-bout winning streak against Solis.

Pharr, TX has been making its mark as a southern boxing capital as of late, steadily hosting fight cards since 1995. Univision Deportes is a powerhouse in TV boxing with their regular “Solo Boxeo Tecate” fight broadcasts.

An exciting undercard and ticket prices will be announced shortly.

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HEAVYWEIGHT NAGY AGUILERA READY FOR ADAMEK

3/24 NBC Sports Network Fight Night 10pm ET

HOUSTON, TX – Heavyweight boxer Nagy Aguilera, 17-6, 12 KOs, is deep into preparations for his upcoming fight with former two-time champion Tomasz Adamek, 44-1, 28 KOs. Under the tutelage of trainer Bobby Benson, Aguilera, a former amateur NY Golden Glover, has been watching tapes of his experienced foe, training hard, and getting pumped for battle.

“I’m excited to go back to New York and to fight on NBC Sports Network,” Aguilera said.

Aguilera began his career in the “Big Apple”, but it has been years since he’s fought there. His chance will come in a 10-round bout on March 24, at the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn. The fight will be broadcast as part of the triple header on NBC Sports Network’s Fight Night show which begins at 10pm ET. He knows Adamek will pose a tough challenge, but he is ready for anything the former champ brings.

“He’s a hard worker and always comes ready to fight,” Aguilera said of the former light-heavyweight and cruiserweight champion.

Adamek is coming off a hard loss to WBC heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko, but Aguliera is not jumping to the conclusion that his opponent will be anything less than a top-notch Adamek.

“I don’t know how he’ll be after that fight,” Aguilera said. “But he’s always there. He never backs off. He’s a fighter. That’s what we do for a living. So I won’t know until we get in the ring what he brings or what he doesn’t bring. If he’s ready, then we are going to fight, because I’m ready.”

Aguilera knows a thing or two about rebounding from a tough loss. Nagy has lost four of his last five, and two of those by knockout. However, Aguilera takes his underdog role in stride.

“I don’t blame him if he comes right at me, but I’ll be there,” Aguilera said.

Aguilera is the physically bigger fighter and will have advantages of about two inches in height and at least ten pounds in weight over Adamek. A big puncher, Aguilera is prepared to test Adamek’s chin early and often in the hope that all the big shots taken by the Pole in his September heavyweight title fight with Klitschko will have taken their toll.

“We are both fast, but I’m stronger and I’m a real heavyweight,” Aguilera said. “But size doesn’t matter. The thing with this fight is that I cannot let him relax. When he relaxes, that is his game. I can either bring the fight to him or I can box. I just have to be better than him that night.”

If Aguilera can be better than Adamek on March 24th, it will be quite an upset. And a win over Adamek looks like the exact thing Aguilera’s career needs right now.

“If I beat him, it puts me back in a really good position to fight the tough fighters,” Aguilera said. “But I have to keep training harder every day to be available to fight for a world title… and to win a world title. I really want a chance at the Klitschkos. I really want a world title. I know I can do it. I just have to work hard and be focused.”

Be sure to tune into NBCSN for all the action following the NCAA basketball tournament!

To find the location of the NBC Sports Network on your local cable, satellite or IPTV provider, click here:http://www.nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30092015/ns/sports/

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Heavyweight boxing makes a return to the Bavarian capital for the first time in almost five years on February 18, 2012 at the Olympiahalle, Munich, when Vitali Klitschko defends his WBC championship belt against British boxer Dereck Chisora.

Chisora has had a tough year.  In 2011 he suffered the first defeats of his career.  First he lost his British and Commonwealth titles to Tyson Fury following a troubled preparation, which saw him fight in the worst physical condition of his career and then in his last fight on December 3rd he lost to Finnish Robert Helenius in Helsinki in a controversial result for the (vacant) European title which had Chisora a winner on everyone’s card except the judges. This fight redeemed Chisora’s reputation.

Derek “Del Boy” Chisora, seems to be a man in a perpetual balancing act, he can be a world class heavyweight in one fight and mediocre in the next. His hands and combinations are faster than Klitschko’s – In this fight he will be bobbing and weaving, looking to penetrate and get inside of Klitschko’s long reach to hammer away at body and head.

Vitali “Dr. Ironfist” Klitschko will undoubtedly be making good use of his long reach and renowned powerful punches. Klitschko has an exceptional chin and will not be easy to take down. With an 88.89% knockout percentage rate, he holds the best knockout-to-fight ratio of any champion in heavyweight boxing history, and has never been on the canvas in any professional boxing bout.

Klitschko has suffered two defeats in his career due to injuries. Firstly, against Chris Byrd when he was ahead on all scorecards before suffering a shoulder injury, and secondly, against Lennox Lewis when he suffering a serious eye injury that stopped the bout. The 40-year-old Ukrainian is aiming to fight at least two bouts in 2012, before considering retirement.

Chisora’s has arecord of 15 wins in 17 fights, including nine knockouts. Klitschko has 40 knockouts in 43 wins and two losses. Even so the Ukrainian boxer is not taking the British fighter lightly.

“I’m warned by his excellent performance against Helenius and will, as always, prepare myself intensely and meticulously,” said Klitschko.

A confident Chisora was quoted as saying “I’ll show Vitali Klitschko that his time has expired, and send him into retirement. Then when his younger brother Wladimir wants a rematch against me, I’m ready and I will then bring all the championship belts of the Klitschko brothers to London. “

Chisora has a formidable task ahead of him; Klitschko’s record in the heavyweight division is the stuff of legends and is right up there along such names as Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis. On the other-hand Chisora to his merit has proven that he can take on and deal with larger men in the ring, has shown himself a credible fighter, not afraid to mix it with excellent qualities when in-fighting.

While Chisora may be the underdog in this fight, it will be no walk-over for Klitschko and Chisora has more than an outside chance of pulling this off, if he can find his balance and get into the rhythm on the night.

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