Archive for the ‘Information’ Category

Both Wladimir Klitschko and up-and-coming heavyweight contender Tyson Fury spent time with one another training under the guidance of Emanuel Steward recently in their training camp in Austria. Fury had a few words to say about the encounter as he gets ready for an encounter against a TBA opponent on February 19th.

“It was a pleasure and a great honour spending time in camp with Wladimir Klitschko, it’s given me a great deal of confidence training alongside such a champion, he is definitely a fighter who is at the top of his game.”

“Wlad and his brother, Vitali are both modern day heavyweights who are not only very talented and athletic but also big heavyweights.”

“There has been all sorts of speculation flying around why David Haye isn’t fighting one of the Klitschko brothers, but in my honest opinion I believe it’s because David isn’t big enough to deal with the likes of Wladimir or Vitali.”

“But I’m going to change all that in the future, not only am I talented, athletic, have the determination and toughness but also I’ve I got youth on my side, plus I’m also bigger than the likes of the Klitschko brothers as you can see by the photo.”

“When i realise my dream and become unified heavyweight champion of the world I will avoid no one, I’m sure I will be a dominant heavyweight champion just like Lennox Lewis, only I will be representing the UK and Ireland.”

“I’m really looking forward to my next fight which is at the prestigious Wembley Arena on Saturday 19th February, this is going to be a big year for me, I’m going to give boxing the shot in the arm it needs.”
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WBC heavyweight champion - Vitali Klitschko has announced that he has started a blog on ‘Live Journal’, giving everyone an opportunity to communicate directly with him.

Vitaly promises to address different topics: sport, political and personal issues. “I am confident that readers will learn many interesting things. “A blog is good because it is possible to communicate informally. I hope that readers will not be bored - go to LiveJournal and add to friends “, - said Vitali Klitschko.

Vitali Klitschko’s first blog entry – 7^th February, 2011 - on ‘Live Journal’

So I started a blog on Livejournal. It is good that the blog you can chat informally. Boxing rivals, training, future plans, vacation … In general, anything that interests you. Inexhaustible range of topics. Although, from politics, I feel, too, will not go away:) I hope will not be bored.

From time to time we organize this blog and chat konferentsii.Zadavayte questions - I’ll try to regularly respond to comments, no one will try to deprive

Why do I need a blog? For me it is primarily an opportunity to personally interact with different people, to know their opinion. Besides, in my life I gave, perhaps, thousands of interviews, but I know that many of the themes have remained not disclosed. So we will talk about.

By the way, I know that social networks are many forms supposedly with my name. I advise people to simply ignore them. And if you want to chat - go to this blog.

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By Gianluca (Rio) Di Caro

London - 9th February 2011

Former IBO Light Welterweight Champion of the World Colin Lynes is set to make his welcome return to the ring this coming Saturday, the 12th February, against Bradley Pryce at the Matchroom Sports promoted John Watson versus Anthony Crolla vacant British Lightweight Title clash at Olympia, Liverpool.

What may surprise a few people is that Colin, a career long Light Welterweight, will now be campaigning in the Welterweight division.

To aid him with the transition Colin has enlisted father and son team Jimmy and Mark Tibbs as well as switching his training base to Johnny Eames’ excellent Ultrachem TKO Gym in Canning Town.

It’s at the TKO that I managed to not only watch Colin train and spar over the past couple of months, but also managed to get to chat with him on various occasions. The last in an official capacity which enabled me to get an insight into why he has chosen to change division, coaching team and training base after all this time. The full interview follows but first a brief history of Colin Lynes’ championship career.

Colin, who began his pro career with 1st round knockout of Lee Frost in June 1988. After compiling a perfect record of 20 wins and 0 losses Colin successfully challenged Richard Kiley for the vacant IBO Inter-Continental title in December 2002. His reign as champion was short lived as just three months later, on his first defense at York Hall on 8th March 2003, he was stopped in the eighth round by South African Samuel Malinga.

Undeterred by his first career loss Colin put together a three win run, beating Brian Coleman, Fabrice Colombel and Cesar Alberto Leiva, to earn the right to make a full scale challenge against Argentinian Pablo Daniel Sarmiento for his IBO World Title at Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham on the 8th May 2004.

Following an exceptional hard fought battle Colin lifted the coveted belt, albeit with a little controversy, as when the judges score cards were read out two showed 117-111 and 116-112 in favour of Colin and with the other judge seeing it 114-115 in favour of Sarmiento.

Colin successfully defended his title in February 2005 against Oakland, California’s Juaquin Gallardo. Again it was another very close fight, Colin had the better of the early rounds with Gallardo coming on stronger in the later part of the contest. This time two of the judges see it in favour of Colin with 116-113 and 117-113 scores and judge Artur Ellensohn see the bout dead even at 114-114.

On the 21st October 2005 Colin unsuccessfully challenged Junior Witter for his European, British and Commonwealth titles. A few months later, on the 20th January 2006 Colin and Lenny Daws clashed, in a British title eliminator, for the Southern Area title. After nine grueling rounds Colin hopes of challenging for the British title again faded as the fight was waved off as he sat in his corner.

Never one to be dejected Colin secured two nice wins, against Janos Petrovics (6th round stoppage), and Arek Malek (2nd round retirement due to hand injury) before successfully challenging Barry Morrison for his British title in his own back yard on the 8th June 2007 at Motherwell Civic Centre.

Just over a month later, on the 20th July, Colin defended his newly won British crown and at the same time challenged Young Mutley for his European title, again in his opponents home town.

Colin was oozing confidence, and it showed in his performance. Mutley was outclassed on the night, constantly getting caught by stiff jabs and bruising left jabs from the Hornchurch man. By round eight Mutley began looking dejected and it came as no surprise to the watching crowd when Colin sends Mutley to one knee with a solid left. Mutley gets up and accepts the count.

The moment the referee, Richie Davies, finishes counting Colin is all over Mutley like a rash, throwing big left and rights that send his crashing back to the canvas. Richie Davies instantly jumped in to end the contest. Colin is elated to have added the European Light Welterweight Belt to his collection.

Colin successfully defended his European crown against Finland’s Juho Tolppola on the 25th January 2008 by a convincing 120-108 (twice) and 119-109 points margin.

Four months later, in Torino, Italy, Colin’s European reign came to an end following an incredibly close fight against Gianluca Branco. At the end of twelve hard fought rounds two judges scored it 113-114 for Branco and judge Predrag Aleksic scored it 115-113 in favour of Colin.

Two championship losses followed in quick succession, the first against Paul McCloskey for the British title on the 5th December 2008 see Colin retire in the ninth round. The second, for the now vacant European belt, against France’s Souleymane M’baye went the full distance and see Colin again on the wrong side of a contentious split decision verdict.

Colin’s next outing was competing in the hugely successful Matchroom Sports promoted Prizefighter series. In the first round Colin secured a split decision victory over David Barnes and then see off Young Mutley with yet another split decision. On the other side of the draw Gavin Rees was storming through to the final.

The final was all out war, neither protagonist gave or expected any quarter. But in the end there is only one winner and this was Rees’ time.

Colin’s final fight as a Light Welterweight came just four months later, when Colin challenged Nigerian Ajose Olusegun for his Commonwealth title. Colin’s challenge came to an abrupt end, just one minute and twenty three seconds into the eighth round, after Olusegun landed a massive body shot that left Colin retching.

This coming weekend Colin Lynes - The Welterweight - makes his new division debut against Bradley Pryce at the Matchroom Sports promoted John Watson versus Anthony Crolla vacant British Lightweight Title clash at Olympia. Liverpool.

Following one of his training sessions, with Jimmy and Mark Tibbs at the Ultrachem TKO Gym, I asked Colin why he has decided to campaign at Welterweight amongst other things.

Rio - After almost a year out of the ring you’re back again, this time as a Welterweight. What made you decide to move from Light Welter?

Colin Lynes - I was winning fights but I wasn’t feeling great about it, you know. I remember beating a Finnish guy Juho Tolppola. I won every round hands down and even after that fight I didn’t feel great in myself. I went home and spoke with my trainer and it was down to championship fighting.

I was fine in the gym sparring at ten-ten and then coming down to sort of ten-four the week of the fight. Obviously you don’t spar any more and it was only when it came down to getting in the ring for real that my body was slowing down. I think I was tiring after eight or nine rounds initially, then it started coming down to six rounds and then the last fight was just the last one and I didn’t even go in there feeling good.

Rio - Your first title was an International, not a domestic title. What made you decide to go this route?

Colin - Situation was you got Junior Witter, Ricky Hatton, Eamon McGee all active and champions and it was like a closed shop. The only sort of entry for me was to go the IBO inter-continental route and then win a full world title, which is what I did. You know, I didn’t look back after that.

Rio - You’ve had some fantastic fights during your career and lifted virtually every domestic title there is and of course the World crown. Which fight holds the fondest memories for you?

Colin - I think it was winning the British title in Scotland. I was up against it, it was in Barry Morrison’s home town. He had done a really good number on Lenny Daws, who had defeated me in a bad way for me.

Again another night when I wasn’t too well. My dad was ill at the same time so I was really up against it and to go in there and box as well as I did, again I don’t think I lost a round.

You know to pick the British title up and then four weeks later to then get the opportunity to fight for the European when the European fight between Mutley and Bami fell through I happily stepped in. I stayed in the gym and I won in emphatic style in Wolverhampton, again on away soil. It was a really good summer for me.

Rio - You recently switched trainers and are now with Jimmy and Mark Tibbs

Colin - I had to change, I had to change what I was doing. I had to take on board new information and I just had to change the whole preparation.

I was too stuck in a rut with the way I was getting trained for fights. You know I just needed to change what I was doing, take on board some new information, if it was out there - and I found that with Jimmy - and to go with my body.

That meant coming away from everything that I did do. New Gym, new me, new body and new information.

I didn’t realise when I joined the Tibbs camp it was Jimmy and his son Mark. I mean I’m really, really chuffed, when I started working with the pair of them the work that they put into you combined, with Jimmy being the mentor and Mark being conditioning and putting all the nice tuning into your body.

I’m not used to that and really enjoy that. My body at my age is getting proper stretching, getting into the niggles and piggles and all the pains that get into your legs it’s brilliant. They’re a fantastic team it’s really, really good. I’m really looking forward to this year

Rio - So it really is out with the old and in with new and that includes a new gym, so how is that working out for you?

Colin - It’s great here at the TKO gym. I moved here to be in a busy gym, to have fighters from all different promotions, all different weights, walks and sizes and shapes and you get that here.

I enjoy the buzz, if it’s a day time or an evening session, don’t matter what time of day if you come in this gym there’s something happening, there’s a buzz.

At my age you need the youngsters to get you buzzing and get you feeling like your young, and that is how I’m feeling.

Rio - I was here when you sparred Kevin Mitchell the other day, It was an awesome session. I suppose it helps having quality sparring like that in-house?

Colin - Yeah you’ve got the likes of Kevin Mitchell but you’ve also got some new guys coming through that keep you on your toes.

They are raw talent. They know who you are but you don’t know who they are. They always up their game and you sometimes show respect, but you’ve got to be careful and don’t get caught out because you’re being too lacksy-daisycall.

I’ve been sparring two young guys, Chris Evangelou and Ricky Boylan, both novices but really fancy the job, which is great for me and great for them, and I get rounds done.

As we touched on I’ve been sparring Kevin. We’ve know each other from old, we’ve been in the same gym before and we both know each other and know our flaws so we both know that if you lose that concentration for any second of any round you’re gonna get found out and caught. So it keeps us on our toes, both sharp and that’s without us going toe to toe really.

If I was helping him with a title fight or vice versa we’d have to up our game again and that’s nice to know that we can go to another level as well even though that was serious sparring.

Rio - OK, you’re fighting on Saturday - again it’s away turf being in Liverpool, how do you feel about that?

Colin - Yeah, it’s never fazed me, sometimes it’s nice to get away from your area. My family come with me but it’s nice to get away for your little bubble you’ve been used to and just get to the hotel and think about the task ahead. I enjoy it, I like it like that.

Rio - So now you’re at a new weight what are your championship plans?

Colin - The British ranking system has carried me over, without me having this fight this weekend, they’ve accepted that now I’m a Welterweight and they’ve ranked me # 5.

Get this weekend, get a good win, out of the way and there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be in for a title shot. I thought it would be two or three fights to make a point but people seem to listening to the feedback they get from what I’ve been doing in here and you boys. I’m quite pleased that after this weekend there’s no reason why I can’t get a challenge in.

Matthew Hatton’s looking for an opponent for his European, Denton Vassell is looking for an opponent for his Commonwealth and I’m always up for the Southern Area or British title so it’s all there.

Rio - talking about titles, Jimmy Tibbs recently went on record saying you could go for another world title shot. Now we all know Jimmy doesn’t do B.S.- so is that also on the cards?

Colin - I’m really, really chuffed about that. I don’t let anything get to my head but Jimmy’s been there, done it. Not just once but two or three times over and to hear that from Jimmy, that’s the belief, that’s one of the reasons I joined Jimmy and that to see it myself and if Jimmy believes it and I believe it there’s no reason why I can’t win another world title.

Rio - Colin, thank you so much, and good luck this Saturday.

Colin - Thank you and thanks to boxing fans everywhere.

Colin Lynes, against Bradley Pryce, will feature on the undercard of the Matchroom Sports promoted John Watson versus Anthony Crolla vacant British Lightweight Title clash at Olympia. Liverpool, on Saturday 12th February 2011.

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Colin Lynes, against Bradley Pryce, will feature on the undercard of the Matchroom Sports promoted John Watson versus Anthony Crolla vacant British Lightweight Title clash at Olympia. Liverpool, on Saturday 12th February 2011.

PHOTOS:

Colin Lynes with his IBO World and European Championship belts

Jimmy Tibbs looks on as Colin Lynes and Kevin Mitchell spar at the Ultrachem TKO Gym in London

L-R Jimmy Tibbs Colin Lynes, Kevin Mitchell and Mark Tibbs

Jimmy Tibbs unwraps Colin Lynes’ hand after sparring at the Ultrachem TKO Gym in London.

Ricky Boylan, Chris Evangelou and Colin Lynes after sparring.

PHOTO CREDIT:
Gianluca (Rio) Di Caro

“Elite Weight Loss Program”

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Former Russian, world WBA heavyweight boxing champion Nikolay Valuev will be ready to enter the ring in June of this year, according to coach Alexander Zimin.

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Colorado Springs to Host the USA Boxing National Championships for the Second Straight Year

Julie Goldsticker February 08, 2024

(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – The USA Boxing National Championships, amateur boxing’s premier national championship event, will return to Colorado Springs, Colo., for the second straight year. The 2011 event, which is being co-hosted by the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation for the fourth time in the past six years, will be contested June 20-25. The event holds special importance in 2011 with the top four boxers in each of the 13 Olympic weight divisions claiming a berth in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Boxing.
“We are excited to bring the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships and the nation’s top Olympic-style boxers to Colorado Springs in this important Olympic qualifying year,” said USA Boxing Interim Executive Director Anthony Bartkowski. “Our collaboration with the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation has consistently showcased outstanding results and we look forward to working with them again to put on a first class event in June. It is fitting that the USA Boxing National Championships will coincide with the national Olympic day celebration as this tournament will showcase many of the top hopefuls for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.”

The six days of tournament action will feature over 300 of the nation’s top male and female Olympic-style boxers, culminating in final round action on June 25.

“The Colorado Springs Sports Corporation is proud to partner again with USA Boxing to bring this premier event to the city and our superb 2011 calendar of events,” said Sports Corp President and CEO Tom Osborne. “We will soon announce our plans for the gala June 25 Championship night at the City Auditorium, and we look forward to another sellout crowd with something for all sports fans and families to enjoy as they see our best boxers one year before the Olympic Games in London.”

The first five days of competition will be contested at the Colorado Springs Christian School with tournament action moving to the historic City Auditorium for the Final Round bouts. With high stakes and the best boxers in the country showcasing their skills, the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships promises six full days of outstanding Olympic-style boxing action. Preliminary competition will be contested on Monday and Tuesday before the event moves into quarterfinal action on Wednesday. Semifinal boxing will kick off on Thursday and the consolation bouts will take place on Friday afternoon. The event will conclude with championship round bouts on Saturday at the City Auditorium.

The pre-Olympic year edition of the USA Boxing National Championships consistently showcases future Olympians as evidenced by the fact that five of the nine members of both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Teams won gold at the event in the pre-Olympic years, including all three Olympic medalists.

Local and regional qualifying tournaments are currently taking place throughout the nation to determine the athletes that will represent the 14 geographical regions and military squads.

The USA Boxing National Championships has a long history in the Pikes Peak region with Colorado Springs hosting the event in 21 of the last 23 years with Las Vegas in 2002 and Denver in 2009 being the only exceptions. The City Auditorium is a familiar venue for the event as well as with 2011 marking the 10-year-anniversary of the last USA Boxing National Championships held in the historic facility.

USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC)

Source: USA Boxing

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W.B.F. Names Alan Santana as Regional Representative to California, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona

By Dan Hernandez

“Our immediate goal is to promote fights that are world class bouts and to have champions that will represent the W.B.F. well.”…..

Alan Santana

W.B.F. Regional Representative

Congratulations go to Alan Santana for being named the new World Boxing Federation Regional Representative for the Western United States. The W.B.F., established in 1988, is a force in the boxing industry and to hold one of its coveted belts is a powerful addition to any championship affair.

Alan, a friend, is well qualified as an expert in boxing, having fought, trained, and managed top-notch fighters. Santana has also aided in boxing promotions and worked ringside as a punch-by-punch analyst and on-air commentator. A stickler for seeing each task taken to a successful completion, Alan is enthusiastically and energetically approaching this new venture. He is encouraging a group effort of the promoters, managers, and of course, the fighters of these areas to contact him to enhance their productions by offering a W.B.F. title as its prize.

Santana was eager to meet for this interview and tell the world about the W.B.F. experience.

DH: Please explain the background of the W.B.F., your title, and the goals you share.

First of all Dan, thank you and I am very honored to be part of the World Boxing Federation. I did my homework on this organization before I decided if I would accept the position or appointment that was offered to me. My title is Regional Representative for the Western United States, which includes California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona. The W.B.F. was founded in 1988 by Larry Carrier in Bristol, Tennessee, and is growing rapidly. After reading the presidents message (Howard Goldberg) for 2011 and the standard that he has set for the W.B.F., I felt comfortable moving forward. We do have the same goals in mind here and that is to promote the organization and make it stand out against all of the competition.

DH: What were your qualifications for this post?

My duties are as follows: To promote the W.B.F. with the same class, dignity and passion as I fought with, inside the ring back in the 1980’s as a professional boxer, under the name Alan “The Matinee Idol” Santana. I have spent most of my childhood and adult life in and around boxing. I had over 100 amateur fights, both with the AAU and USA Boxing, and was trained by the late, great, Fabela Chavez. I had won numerous titles with the AAU and USA sanctioned bouts here in California. In addition, being involved in the family paving business for over 30 years, and running my own business since I was 27, provides me the life experience and edge I need to succeed in my role as a representative for the W.B.F. I will be in charge of all title matches, world, state, etc.; appointing judges, referees, and supervising each event. I will work with the local boxing commissioner in the state that the event is being held and make certain that all the paper work is in order before the production takes place.

DH: What is the immediate goal of the W.B.F. in order to reach the ultimate goal?

The immediate goal is to provide fights that are excellent bouts and to have champions that will represent the W.B.F. well. One thing that I see in the sport of boxing today is that it seems to have lost its way with everything that is going on in today’s world. We have to compete with the MMA and we have lost a lot of our audience to the MMA. Years ago, you could ask almost anyone in the United States who was the heavyweight champion of the world, and 9 out of 10 people could tell you who he was. Today, I think that is totally the opposite; nine of 10 people don’t know who the champion is. The quality of fights that are being promoted by the other organizing are, I feel, sub standard and that is what the W.B.F. is trying to do, promote world-class fights. Fights that will make people want to come back for more, again, and again. The other thing that separates us from all the other organizations is that we use computerized rankings for our fighters and our title-holders. That is huge to me…It sets us apart from everyone else. If you want to succeed in any business you need to be different and stand out from everyone else, and that is what we are doing.

DH: How do you plan to coordinate your efforts?

To accomplish the goals that I have set for myself, I will need to surround myself with good quality people who also have knowledge of the game, and are business savvy. In this game, you need that in your corner or you will be knocked off your feet. I will build a solid group of officials and top promoters to make the W.B.F. a household name.

DH: How do promoters, referees, trainers, etc. get involved?

In order to be involved with the W.B.F. as an official, or a promoter, I will look for a few things, one is experience in boxing and the other qualities are honesty and integrity. It will not match-up unless all three ingredients prevail.

DH: Why the W.B.F. as opposed to the other organizations?

I feel there is room for the W.B.F. and the reason for another boxing organization currently is that we need to restore the sport back to its glory days, to bring back the stature of what a world champion should be and how that champion should carry themselves both inside and outside the ring. We also have championship titles for all weight classes and for women as well. Most boxing organizations do not even recognize the women of the ring, and here at the W.B.F. we do. Remember, kids look up to these athletes and the organizations that back them. The sport is sorely missing something today and we aim to get it back.

DH: What do you think of all the ABC Championships?

I feel that there are way too many titles or as you call them ABC titles. The existing organizations have lost all their luster with all of the pettiness that goes on between them. Many of the title fights that are staged and the fighters being displayed are not championship caliber. Back in the 1940’s and 50’s you could not even think of fighting for a world title if you had less than 50 fights under your belt. Guys like Ike Williams who had 180 bouts, and the likes of the great Sugar Ray Robinson, would not be able to fight for a title unless they were well prepared. We want to restore boxing back to the glory days of the 1940’s and 50’s.

DH: World Boxing Federation sounds like you are recognized and sanctioned worldwide, is that valid?

The W.B.F. is recognized around the world, however we have not reached every part of the world. We will accomplish that goal soon. The one thing that I really like about the W.B.F. is that we are truly worldwide, just take a look at our president and everyone else that is involved with the organization. We have people from all over the world working with us, not just in the USA. I feel that makes us a vary valid entity. Our champions also come from every part of the world, the USA, France, Mexico, Europe, Germany and many other countries. I feel the W.B.F. is here to stay and we will become a force with all of the promoters and fighters around the world. We will give all the other boxing organizations a run for their money. The W.B.F. is here to stay!

Source: BoxingRepublic

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By AIBA

08-02-2024

London’s Calling for Ireland’s boxing stars as the eagerly anticipated Irish Daily Star sponsored Elite Senior Championships gets ready to rumble at the National Stadium - the only purpose built boxing venue in the world - in Dublin.

The 2011 Championships, which glove off next Friday, arrive in the Irish Amateur Boxing Association’s Centenary year but have a further significance as the winners will be part of the Irish men’s squad going forward toward the AIBA World Senior Championships and Olympic qualifiers in Baku, Azerbaijan in September.

There will be one final Olympic qualifier for European boxers in Istanbul in April 2012, the exact qualifying criterion of which will be determined by the percentage of European boxers that secure Olympic qualification from the AIBA World Championships.

Katie Taylor will get one opportunity to book her ticket for the London Games at the May 2012 AIBA Women’s World Championships in Qinhuangdao, China, where the Bray woman will be targetingfour-in-a-row.

The World Series of Boxing (WSB) has five Olympic places up for grabs in its Individual Championships. Six Irish boxers, Ken Egan and John Joe Joyce (Miami Gallos), John Joe Nevin (Paris United), Tommy McCarthy and Eamon O’Kane (Milano Thunder) and David Oliver Joyce (Istanbulls) are competing in the WSB Team Championships.

The 2011 Elite Senior Championships, meantime, will feature Olympic medalists, World, European, European Union, Commonwealth, and Olympic Youth champs, European medalists, Multi-Nations and Irish champions, and Taylor, who claimed the AIBA 2010 World female boxer of the year award.

Ireland head coach Billy Walsh, who along with Zuar Antia and Peter Taylor and the IABA’s coaching staff, has worked the corners of the all of the above champions and medalists believes that the Elite Championships is in effect the first qualifier for London.

“The road to the London Olympics begins at the 2011 Elite Senior Championships, said Walsh, a former Irish Olympian and senior champion. “The Championships has a massive significance this year because of the World Championships and Olympic qualifiers.

“The 2011 Championships has the potential of being a high-quality tournament. We will have some of the top boxers in the world taking part and our defending champions are aware that they cannot afford to take anything for granted, not with the chance to qualify for the Olympic Games at stake.

“The talent is coming through our Youth system all the time and our younger boxers hungry for success. They want those places on the Irish team and our established boxerscannot afford any complacency.”

Two of those young guns include Joe Ward, the current AIBA World Youth champion, and Ryan Burnett, who claimed an historic gold medal for Ireland at the2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore and a silver medal at the 2010 World Youths in Baku.

Ward, from the Moate BC in Westmeath, will enter the seniors at light-heavyweight, a move which could see him come up against Ken Egan, who will be aiming for an unprecedented 11th Irish Senior title in a row.

Egan, who won silver for Ireland at the last Olympics, says he wants to qualify for the London Games and go one better than Beijing, where his compatriots Darren Sutherland (RIP) and Paddy Barnes won bronze and John Joe Nevin and John Joe Joyce reached the last 16.

However, if Egan drops his 81Kg title - and Tommy McCarthy and Davey Joe Joyce, both 2008 AIBA World Youth bronze medalists, are also strong contenders in this class - then the door could be slammed shut on his Olympic dream.

Meanwhile, Gerry Storey, coach at the Holy Family BC in Belfast, has two of the best light-flyweights in the world operating out of his club in Paddy Barnes, the current European and Commonwealth champ and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, and Burnett.

However, both boxers will enter the Elite Championships at different weights, with Barnes set to defend his light-flyweight title and Burnett moving up one notch to flyweight.

European silver and bronze medalist Darren O’Neill, Eric Donovan and Tyrone McCullagh will also be taking part in the tournament, along with 2009 World bronze medalist John Joe Nevin, and EU champs David Oliver Joyce and Con Sheehan.

Dominic O’Rourke, the IABA Director of Boxing, believes that the Elite Championships could produce a few surprises.

“There is quality in every weight division and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few shocks as the Championships unfolds. Everyone knows what is at stake here. The defending champions will be looking to retain their titles, but they will be facing stiff competition in every weight category. It promises to be a very exciting Championships.”

The finals will be held on Friday February 25th and the winners can look forward to the World Championships and Olympic qualifiers in Baku in September.

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By Rio

London - Tuesday, 8th February 2011

Erick Ochieng - Easy Win Over Noble Leads To Title Shot.

On Saturday night Stoke Newington’s exceptional Light Middleweight prospect Erick ‘The Eagle’ Ochieng easily secured his sixth win, albeit not in his usual all action style.

Ochieng’s opponent, the reigning British Masters Light Middleweight Champion Lee ‘Lightning’ Noble, clearly didn’t come to fight, instead he just closed up shop and pulled down the shutters, in a similar way that he did against Ochieng’s Ultrachem TKO Gym mate ‘Phat’ Pat McAleese back in September.

‘The Eagle’ had been ringside when Noble knocked out a tiring McAleese - who had thrown a hundred plus punches for over eight rounds - in the ninth with more or less his first real punch of the fight.

On Saturday Ochieng showed a maturity that belied his tender years, by choosing a more patient route than McAleese, by using his jab to good effect and waiting for the opportunity to open up Noble’s fortress like defense.

After six rounds no real opportunity had arisen and judge Ken Curtis rightfully declared the fight a shutout 60-54 points victory to ‘The Eagle’.

Earlier today Ochieng popped into the Ultrachem TKO Gym in Canning Town, whilst there he gave his view of the fight as well as announced the exciting news regarding his next fight. “I thank God for the victory man. Lee was quite heavy, he was eleven-eight and I was eleven-three.

First round I just kept showing him my jab. He was covering up a lot so all I could do was hit him with the jab. Eventually he come forward a bit so I’d hit him with my jab. He was eating my Jab all the time. There wasn’t much I could do he just wasn’t throwing, so I kept jabbing.

That’s all he did was cover up and sometimes used his jab. He’s quite strong but he didn’t want to give me any openings or make a fight of it.

I was in great shape and was ready for any opportunities. He should have opened up and come to fight. I came to fight but he didn’t want to know, he just covered up and stayed out of trouble.

At the end of the six rounds I won, I still won. I feel good, that’s six in a row. Yeah and now my next fight will be for the Southern Area title.

I have such great fans, they were standing shouting ‘Eagle, Eagle, Eagle’ throughout. I was disappointed for them that he didn’t want to make a fight of it. They still kept chanting though.

I have such great fans and can’t thank them enough for the great support. Thanks, you guys are the best fans in the world.”

It is expected that an announcement will be made soon on the date and opponent for Erick ‘The Eagle’ Ochieng’s challenge for the Southern Area Light Middleweight title - Watch this space.
PHOTOS:
Erick ‘The Eagle’ Ochieng earlier today at the Ultrachem TKO Gym in London

PHOTO CREDIT:
Gianluca (Rio) Di Caro
JustListen2This Publicity and Promotions

London, UK & Philadelphia, USA

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