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British and Commonwealth Super-Middleweight Champion George Groves will headline the Wembley Arena on Friday 14th September.

But first the Hammersmith star is US bound when he takes on tough Mexican Francisco Sierra in San Jose, California, on Saturday 28th July in a ten round contest which can be seen live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546).

This will be Groves’ second appearance in the America, his first was against Alfredo Contreras in Las Vegas in July 2010 who he stopped in the sixth round.

Providing he comes through unscathed, he could then face fierce Scottish rival Kenny Anderson at Wembley Arena which is subject to purse offers for Groves’ British title.

September will be a bumper month on BoxNation that will also feature the mouthwatering clash between WBO World Lightweight Champion Ricky Burns and Kevin Mitchell.

Unbeaten Groves put on a sensational performance at the famous London boxing landmark last November when he halted former British champion Paul Smith in the second round.

He was scheduled to face Anderson in March but had to withdraw because of a back injury and then his WBO World title fight against Robert Stieglitz in May had to be cancelled after he suffered a broken nose in sparring.

Groves is now raring to make up for lost time with two great performances in the coming months.

“It’s been a frustrating time with injuries, but I’m through that now and I’m really looking forward to getting back into action,”

“I’m excited to return to America next week which is a great opportunity to expand my American fan base with a hot performance against Sierra who will give me a tough fight,”

“Then on my return, if it’s going to be Anderson, then I don’t need motivating to destroy him,”

“He’s been mouthing off ever since the fight was cancelled in March, I’ll have great pleasure in giving him another beating.”

The Wembley card will feature two further big title fights: Billy Joe Saunders’ first defence of his Commonwealth Middleweight Championship that he won in quick time at the Royal Albert Hall, and unbeaten prospect Bradley Skeete goes for the first title in his career when he takes on Chas Symonds for the Southern Area Welterweight title.

An action packed undercard featuring the best in London talent with super-middleweight Frank Buglioni continuing his meteoric rise in a four round contest as he looks to take his record to 6-0, plus light-welterweight Gary Corcoran and featherweight Mitchell Smith.

Tickets, priced at £40, £50, £75 and £100, are available from the Wembley Arena Box Office on 0844 815 0815 or online at www.wembleyarena.co.uk

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By Don Smith

• August 3  is the date bandied about for the ring return of former IBF/NABF Super Middleweight Champion  Jesus “El Martillo” Gonzales. After his humiliating  1st round KO at the hands of Adonis Stevenson earlier this year , Gonzales became canon fodder for online SNL wannabes. Some of the verbal missiles were downright raunchy. Boxing fans , especially the crazies, are a special breed of ( for lack of a better word) people. Expect the event to be held at one of the Casinos in Arizona. Fan Base Promotions will produce the show if it happens. ESPN is well aware of the rating numbers their televised Gonzales vs. Sierra  event generated  on July 8, 2011. According to published reports, it was a fan favorite bout   of 2011 and the attendance was reported at 5,000 which is huge for a ESPN televised fight.

Gonzales hopes a main event appearance on ESPN Friday Night Fights  will prove to the boxing world that he is once again  a contender and not a pretender.  ESPN has nixed three potential  opponents including Albert “The Punisher” Onolunose.  Deal could be announced in two weeks or less.  Expect fellow Fan Base  stable mate Light Middleweight  Janks Trotter to be on the card, if Gonzales is inked.  Trotter, a fan favorite, has been inactive since his knockout  loss to fellow Canadian Adam Trupish. Both boxers are at the crossroads of their careers……a loss would be very damaging to the careers of both popular  pugilists.

• Phoenix Super Middleweight  Andrew “Hurricane” Hernandez aka “The Pride of Phoenix, turned down a rematch with  Canadian Steve Franjic.They fought to a majority draw  in Calgary, Alberta  earlier this year in a controversial Light Heavyweight contest.  Hernandez corner was upset when the referee stopped  the action in the first round and administered a questionable standing 8 count which allowed Franjic to survive the round and continue fighting.  At the start of the second round it  was obvious that “The Pride of Phoenix”  injured his right hand at the end of round 1 and for the next 5 rounds, he was a  one handed fighter.  Despite the handicap, Hernandez baffled and angered  his taller opponent with side to side   movement  and XXX  insults. At the end of the  6 round fight, Andrew owed the swear jar a lot.  When the  majority draw decision was announced; the crowd roared its’ disapproval…they were solidly behind the American from Phoenix, Arizona.  Hernandez said no to Team Franjic because he didn’t feel comfortable  fighting  as a Light Heavy.

It was a well chiseled Hernandez  who attended a car/wash raffle fundraiser, in Phoenix,  at Rips Ales and Cocktails  over the weekend to aid a dialysis patient who is also battling cancer. He signed autographs and washed cars  and promised  a win in his fight  on the Antonio Margarito under card,  May 26 in Tucson. He was scheduled to fight on the June 9 Vegas card but the boxing gods nixed it  and fortunately he caught a ride on the May 26 ticket.  He didn’t know the name of his  Tucson opponent but he said it didn’t matter, he was ready. Iron Boy Promotions publicist  Emily Pandelakis brought her two lovely young daughters to the event and their limited  car washing skills could help boost face book stock prices soar .  Zulma Figueroa, a Metro High School student, arrived early and stayed several hours as did former US Marine and  brain hemorrhage  victim Rick Favela and his wife Irene. As a result, Zulma and Mr. & Mrs. Favela were presented with donated gifts from the Bill Clinton Museum in Little Rock Arkansas for their volunteer effort. The presentation was made by social activist  and  event organizer Don Smith. Boxers Trevor McCumby (managed by Cameron Duncan), Abel Ramos and David Benavidez were  unable to attend due to prior commitments. Javier Loya cancelled because of “personal reasons”.  Special thanks to Rip’s for their genuine hospitality.  Almost $800.00 was raised for the ailing neighbor.

• WHERE ARE THEY NOW??  Several boxing fans want to know if  boxers  Rafael Valenzuela and Eddie Brooks are still boxing or have they retired?Neither has officially retired but they don’t seem to be in a haste to enter the ring. Rafael is working for a fast food concern in Phoenix and he looked  out of shape and rather lackluster when he last fought on July 8, 2011 in Phoenix. He lost to a a very short  journeyman who entered the ring with a record of 5 wins and 9 losses. A spokesperson for Fan Base Promotions said Valenzuela turned down a couple of good paydays because he didn’t like the match ups and he complained  the notice was too short. Fan Base denies his charge  about the short notice and they wonder if Rafael really wants to fight. There is a difference of opinion on whether or not Rafael is still under contract with Fan Base…Rafael and his Dad say no while Fan Base says yes….to be determined….possibly in court.

27 year old Eddie Brooks  has been stuck at 9-3 for some time  and in his last fight he didn’t make weight but signed a wavier and then proceeded to lose to a fighter with less talent. Since his last encounter, Brooks has passed on a couple of opponents that if he was ready…would have been easy prey for him. Apparently he isn’t hungry any more and when the hunger disappears; so does the career.

• Iron Boy Promotions next boxing show at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix is scheduled for June 16 and  rumors suggest  that 2 time world boxing Champion Louie Espinoza will be honored at the event. No confirmation yet! Espinoza is the first native born Arizonian to win a world title. According a few folks wo know him; Louie is a class act.  Tentatively scheduled for the card are Abel Ramos, David Benavidez, Victor Castor, Marcos Medinas and Carlos Castro. The previous two Iron Boy  shows scheduled ten bouts and it is safe to assume the previous format will remain intact. Abel Ramos and Victor Cruz are very entertaining. According to a Iron Boy, the security lapse at the last show will not happen again. There is no sport like boxing.

• Kelly Fenn, Arizona’s first lady of amaeur boxing, will  acknowledge several military and war veterans at her ” Amateur Boxing Fight Night” on June 2 in Tempe, Arizona. At press time, the list included 2-3 recent  Afghanastan war returnees,USA Boxing Official and military veteran Richard Soto, USA Boxing Official and military veteran Harvey Prezant  Boxing Writer and Vietnam War  Veteran and boxing columnist. Don Smith . Kelly is proud of her family’s military heritage and she always finds a way to salute the men and women in uniform. The Event is being held at William Bloys American Legion Post 2 , 2125 S. Industrial Park Drive in Tempe. Proceeds will benefit the PhoenixBoys and Girls Center and American Legion. Special thanks  to ” The Streets Don’t Love You Back”, a non profit organization and event sponsor.

Kelly’s rental car was T boned on Cinco De Mayo Day in North Phoenix. She wants everyone to know she is okay. One of her two passengers was slightly injured.

Boxing Special….Topside Boxing, on 16th Street in Phoenix, is offering 1 free hour of boxing lessons to non club members . Pedro, manager and owner of the extablishment, has extended the offer to anyone between the ages of 7-100 and the timeline

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In another busy weekend for the World Boxing Federation, Women’s World Bantamweight Champion Renata Szebeledi retained her title and Attila Baran captured the vacant Intercontinental Super Middleweight crown in Hungary Saturday night, while Klara Svensson took home the female ditto at Light Welter on a show in Germany the day before.

Szebeledi, who won the WBF World title by going to Germany to defeat hometown favorite Pia Mazelanik in Lemgo last July, took on former foe Eva Marcu of Romania in Budapest, and once again the two women, both only twenty years old, gave each other a good scrap before the champion pulled home the victory.

The end came at 0:30 into round number eight when Szebeledi, at this point clearly on top of things, caught Marcu with some stinging blows, forcing the referee to intervene as the game Marcu seemed unable to defend herself. Having won ten of her last eleven bouts, Szebeledi improved her professional record to 16-9 (9), and Marcu fell to 7-4 (2).

On the same card, promoted by Feja Promotion, youngster Attila Baran (19) made short work of fellow countryman Janos Olah in their fight for the Intercontinental Super Middleweight strap. After a one-sided first round where Baran dominated his foe, the end came mercifully in the second of the scheduled twelve.

Baran put on an impressive performance, knocking down Olaf two times before referee Janos Baranyi had seen enough and waved off the onslaught at 2:55. In time, Baran, who is now 10-2 (5), could be an interesting name to follow, while the best days of 30-year-old Olah, 10-9-1 (3), are probably in his past.

On the previous night in Goeppingen, Germany, talented Swede Klara Svensson won her first professional title when she thoroughly dominated game but outclassed Hungarian Zsofia Bedo on a card put on by EC Boxpromotion for the vacant Women’s Intercontinental Light Welterweight title.

Svensson, now 5-0 (1) and managed by former European Champion Oktay Urkal, chased Bedo, 5-25-1 (1), for most of the ten rounder, and only guts and a big heart saved the Hungarian girl from going down or even being stopped. It was a flawless performance by the Malmo-boxer, who, if anything, lacks a bit of power in her punches.   In the end German judges Arno Pokrandt, Frank Michael Mass and Holger Wiemann all scored it the same: 100-90. Klara Svensson is undoubtedly one of the female stars of the future.

www.worldboxingfederation.net

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Tibor Feja and his Feja Promotion is staging a major WBF doubleheader on Saturday May 12 in Budapest, Hungary, featuring an interesting female world title defense, and two local boxers clashing for the vacant Intercontinental Super Middleweight strap.

World Boxing Federation women’s World Bantamweight Champion Renata Szebeledi, 15-9 (8), is making the first defense of her title against tough Romanian Eva Marcu, 7-3 (2), in a rematch.

The two fought last June, with Szebeledi coming out on top after a rough encounter, and now Marcu will get her chance at redemption and her first world championship.

In her first bout after defeating Marcu last year, Szebeledi travelled to Germany to capture the WBF World title with an inspired performance against local favorite Pia Mazelanik. Since then she has racked up three non-title victories, before dropping a close decision in an IBF Super Flyweight challenge against Simona Galassi in Italy.   Now back at her natural weight, Szebeledi is looking forward to defending her world championship in front of her local fans, and with Marcu coming off a fresh victory last month she is sure to be in for another hard challenge.

In the second WBF title fight of the night, Budapest-rivals Attila Baran, 9-2 (4), and Janos Olah, 10-8-1 (3), will duke it out for the vacant Intercontinental Super Middleweight championship. Both have mixed in minor championship territory in their careers, but Baran (19) has youth on his side, while Olah (30) is the more experienced and tested.

It shapes up to be an interesting night of championship boxing in Budapest on May 12, and while Szebeledi and Baran must be considered slight favorites, it is bound to be competitive action in both fights.

www.worldboxingfederation.net

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Steward Legacy Hangs On The Smudged And Controversial Cape Of “Superman”

Submitted By Boxing Fan

Boxing Fans, At 67, Boxing Trainer Emanuel Steward  is a legend and his  work in developing boxing  champions  made him an easy selection for Boxing’s Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, legends  aren’t infallible  and his decision to train  Super Middleweight Boxer Adonis ” Superman”  Stevenson  may tarnish his well manicured image of being a first class gentlemen and a boxing scholar and teacher. In less than two weeks since the announcement, a firestorm of criticism has been leveled at Steward for “stealing” Stevenson from Howard and Otis Grant, his loyal mentors and trainers. The brothers , owners and founders of Grant Brothers Pro Boxing Club and Gym in Montreal ,Quebec, issued  the following statement in addressing the sudden and recent transition  allegedly initiated  by Adonis Stevenson:

“We are done with Adonis Stevenson…he is not an honorable guy. We put him out of the gym over some issues.Reporters can direct their questions to whoever is preparing him for Jesus Gonzales.” Howard and Otis Grant, quoted on  2/26/2012 during a telephone conversation . The whoever is Emanuel Steward, one of the  boxing world’s most recognizable trainers. It would be safe to say that only fellow Hall of Fame  Trainer  Angelo Merena aka Angelo  Dundee is better known.

It is not clear whether or not Emanuel Steward  lured Stevenson to his storied boxing den , aka Kronk’s Gym in Detroit, or was it coincidence? According to Stevenson, he sought a new trainer to take him to the the next level. The Boxer then called Steward who told Stevenson he was headed for California and would take a look at the 34 year old fighter  and decide whether or not he would work with the Haitian born pugilist who now fights out of Longueuil, Quebec. Steward stayed five days, instead of the planned two days, and agreed to work with Stevenson . The Grant Brothers who were   instrumental in guiding Stevenson to a 16-1 professional  ring record after leaving the amateur ranks in 2006 were shocked and obviously hurt at hearing the news, second hand.

Most boxing observers labeled the transition as a good “business” move and saw the decision as a win, win situation for Stevenson who is preparing for  a title eliminator  bout with Gonzales on  2/18  in Montreal at the Bell Centre with the winner getting a shot at IBF Super Middleweight Champion  Lucian Butte  The always nattily attired Steward, except in the gym, will no be flogged or dissed for his questionable act of   agreeing to handle  another trainer’s fighter without requesting permission…it’s business stupid!

The larger and more important issue to be addressed is what did Emanuel Steward knew about his new client before he promised him boxing immortality  in the form of a  future championship? Did the glib Steward know that his new client is a convicted sex peddler  or did he forget to ask? In 1998 , Stevenson was arrested and convicted of pimping underage girls in Montreal. At the time,  he was a member of a violent street  gang who swore allegiance to a leader that  advocated violence and intimidation  toward women as means of making money.  Adonis wasn’t a child at the time and his crime wasn’t a misdemeanor like stealing beer from a convenience store or joyriding in a stolen car.   At his trial, witnesses testified that Adonis  doubled his fists and punched his female victims when they refused to do what he asked. For his unforgivable  sins, Mr. Stevenson was fined and spent time in prison. Some of his victims and their  friends continue to protest the verdict as evidenced by the number of people who go to the Internet and infiltrate boxing sites with stinging remarks aimed towards Stevenson. A number of sites are refusing to allow  bloggers  to post negative comments about  Adonis Stevenson. In explaining why, one site described the charges and conviction as “hear say”. A perfect example of why bloggers aren’t confused with journalists.

As a Hall of Fame Trainer,Emanuel Steward  owes an obligation to boxing  fan to explain why he is training someone who was accused and convicted  of prostituting women.  His poor judgement mirrors Joe  Paterno’s failure to ask questions after learning that one of his coaches allegedly  raped a student. How difficult would it be for Steward to ask Stevenson to address the public and alleviate  any tension or apprehension  they might have over Stevenson’s past.   Natalie’s House, A non-profit organization supporting sexually abused girls, sent their logo to Jesus Gonzales  a few days ago and he will wear it on his boxing trunks during his fight with Stevenson.   This is an early indicator of how  explosive the issue of crimes against women has become. Emanuel Steward can defuse   or calm some of that  fear by simply going to the airways and explaining why he standing in  the corner of Adonis Stevenson. The longer he waits to explain…the less enduring his legacy becomes.

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