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MUNROE WARNS QUIGG: I’LL FINISH THE JOB

RENDALL MUNROE is desperate to get to grips with Scott Quigg in next month’s vacant interim WBA super-bantamweight title clash.

The pair meet again at Manchester Arena in one of several big undercard fights when Ricky Hatton (45-2) makes his return against Vyacheslav Senchenko (32-1) on Saturday November 24.

Their first meeting in June ended prematurely in a third round technical draw because of a horrific cut to Rendall’s right eye.

Such an inconclusive ending was a disappointment to both warriors and the Leicester southpaw (24-2-1) warned British champion Quigg (24-0-1) said: “I will finish what I started.

“Everything is going good and I am already fit. I am going to go out there and do what needs to be done.

“Scott will turn around and say he was going to knock me out last time and all that rubbish. Fair play to him for having those dreams.

“We were only two and a half rounds into the fight and I was confident I was going to do what I wanted. I hadn’t even started getting going.

“I live clean and healthy so that helped the cut heal up quickly. I have been in full training for more than four weeks now.

“It is good that so many people will see the fight on a big card, because it will show I am still hungry and climbing the ladder.”

Although Ricky’s return has grabbed global headlines, his show features the best of British on a magnificent undercard.

Sergey Rabchenko (21-0) defends his European light-middleweight crown against Frenchman Cedric Vitu (35-1), Martin Murray (24-0-1) will feature in a major contest and Gary Buckland (26-2) risks his British super-featherweight title against local idol Stephen Foster Jr (30-3-1).

Also in action are Hatton Promotions hopefuls James Dickens (12-0), Adam Etches (9-0) and Scott Jenkins (6-0).

All tickets are sold out and broadcast details will be announced shortly.

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AZ. Boxing News: Bad Boy Boxing, Rosado Visit, Iron Boy Boxing and much more

For 7 years, Felko Promotions and Fort McDowell Casino have teamed up to offer “Bad Boy Boxing”, an event that features amateur Boxing and amateur MMA action within the confines of a Hexagon Ring. Ironically, the presentation isn’t sanctioned by USA Boxing or the Arizona State Boxing Commissionbecause the Arizona State Boxing Commission doesn’t have a inter Governmental Agreement with the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation; therefore, a hands off policy is in effect. The next Bad Boy Fight Show is scheduled at Fort McDowell Resort Casino inside the Radisson Ballroom on Friday, September 28 at 8 PM. Championship Night follows on Friday, November 30 at the same venue starting at 7 PM.
Interested applicants between the ages of 18-40 are required to pay a $50.00 registration fee and pass physical requirements. All applicants must be amateurs and there is no previous fight experience required. If an applicant lies about his or her fight experience, he/she could be disqualified. All fighters are required to sell an allotted number of tickets. The September 28 show wont include women on the card but Bad Boy Boxing has included women in the past. Entertainment is provided by the “Bad Boy” dancers and the announcing chores are handled by two Felko Promotions associates. Don’t expect to see Jimmy Lennon, Ralph Velez or Michael Buffer on mike at center ring, if you go.

Bad Boy Boxing draws well but some local amateurs refuse to get involved because they see the show as gimmicky and unprofessional. According to these same critics, applicants are poorly screened and the officiating isn’t consistent even though some of the personnel received training from the Arizona State Boxing and MMA Commission. The other concern is safety; Bad Boy Boxing fans can get very rowdy after a few big gulps of beers….remember when local bars used to stage tough guy contests…you get the picture.
Before Felko Promotions assumed the role of promoter after Fort McDowell approached others to take the job;but they said no thank you. In light of the controversy surrounding Bad Boy Boxing, an attempt to contact the Arizona Department of Gaming is still ongoing. Interested men and women meeting requirements can contact Len Hayko at 480-772-6000 . Please, don’t jump into the ring blindly….read the fine print.

• Junior Middleweight Contender Gabriel Rosado, alias “King” started training at Busted Knuckle Gym (9/5/12) in Phoenix for his Friday, September 21 battle with Charles Whittaker of the Cayman Islands. 26 year old Rosado, 20-5 w/12 knockouts, is favored to best his 38 year old opponent (38-12-2 with 23 knockouts) and lay claim to the #1 IBF Junior Middleweight ranking. The Cayman Islands are best known for offshore investment and not producing high caliber pugilists; but, Whittaker is ranked #2 while Rosado trails at the #3 position…. winner is promised a title shot at IBF Junior Middleweight Champion Cornelius “K9″ Bundrage down the road. The televised bout (NBC Sports) is being broadcast from the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a hop, skip and long jump from Rosado’s hometown of Philadelphia. In actual driving miles, the distance is 61 miles or 98.169984 kilometers. For directions to the Cayman Islands ask Mitt Romney.

Gabriel Rosado turned pro at age 19 after a mere 17 amateur fights. Rosado has some intense supporters. One of them recently posted a boastful challenge to Saul Alvarez on behalf of the “King”…..be careful of what you wish for! Whittaker is a bit of an unknown despite his high ranking and he will face a hostile and skeptical crowd at the Sands on 9/21.

Rosado got the VIP treatment while he was in Phoenix; thanks to his marketing manager (Michelle Rosado) no relation to the fighter. She took her client over to The Phoenix Boys Center, a Arizona historical landmark, where he looked in awe at all the pictures and posters of more than 50 legendary fighters that adorn the walls of the Center made famous by its’ legendary owner and founder Al Fenn. After the tour, he climbed into the Center’s ring and worked out with tough Phoenix Middleweight Isiah McFadden. A few days later (9/11), Michelle arranged an open media workout and press conference for Rosado at the Phoenix South Mountain KROC Center at 1375 East Broadway in Phoenix. Despite the overcast weather (Monsoon warnings), 75-100 boxing fans and local members of the media showed up to watch the contender workout with his trainer Billy Briscoe. Phil Johnson (Phil The Grill Catering) feed everyone ,who got in line, a scrumptious plate of barbecued pork, baked beans and coleslaw . Phil, a Native New Yorker, knows how to quiet a hungry belly. Rosado posed for pictures and answered questions after the workout. Good way to connect with fans.

• 34 year old Albuquerque New Mexico welterweight boxer Hector Munoz has lost 7 of his last 9 fights; but, he is convinced that he can pull off the possible upset of the year when he meets undefeated 23 year old Sadam Ali (15-0- w/ 9 knockouts) in a 10 round bout scheduled for October 27 in Brooklyn, New York, Ali’s hometown. Hector (20-8-1 w/13 knockouts) attributes his new found confidence to a new radical high tech conditioning program and a supportive cast of sponsors (including KNUXX Media and Apocalyptic Sports Nutrition) who have helped restore his self confidence . Ali is ranked #8 by the United States Boxing Association (USBA) and #12 by the North American Boxing Organization (NABO). Ali is a huge favorite over the unranked Munoz ;but, Hector lies in waiting hoping to give Ali an early Halloween surprise.

• SHORT JABS: Congratulations to Muhammad Ali for his prestigious Liberty Medal of Freedom which was awarded to him in Philadelphia on 9/13…… Arizona favorites Javier Loya, Jose Benavidez Jr. and Trevor McCumby will fight on the 10/13 card at the Home Depot Center in Carson California . The trio must be delighted to be under card attractions on a show that features ” The Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire 29-1 VS. Toshia Nishioka 39-4-3 and Brandon Rios VS. rugged Mike Alvarado. Rios and Alvarado posses identical records; 33-0-w/23 knockouts. Rios will be making his debut as a welterweight and the event will be aired on HBO PPV…. Most boxing fans think Timothy Bradley got smoked with the announcement that Manny Pacquiao (54-4-2 w/38 Knockouts) will face old nemesis Juan Marquez (54-6-1 w/39 Knockouts) for a fourth time, December 8 on HBO PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas …Does Bradley feel a chill?….. Expect Jose Benavidez Jr. to be on the under card….14 year old Alfredo Escarcegar Jr.(Central Gym in Phoenix) is trained by his father Alfredo Sr. In a past column it was reported that Jr. is trained by Jose Benavidez Sr. who does work with the kid; but, Alfredo Sr. is the official trainer. Young Alfredo hopes to make the US Olympic team in 2016.

• Local boxing announcer Ralph Velez is the subject of a short documentary which has been submitted to the Sundance Film Festival. With one in the can, film talk, Ralph is working on another cinematic project and details are forthcoming. Next boxing gig for Velez is the Celebrity Theatre Show for Iron Boy Promotions On October 6. He will also emcee Iron Boy’s September 29 Press Conference at the Filiberto’s Restaurant located at 3220 E. Baseline Road in Phoenix. The event is open to the public and fighters are very accessible and happy to sign autographs and pose for pictures. Here is the lineup for the October 6 Celebrity Show produced by Iron Boy Promotions. Doors open at 6 PM.

Main Event: 135 lb contest Victor Castro (6-0) Phoenix, Arizona VS. Ephrain Martinez (4-2) La Cal, Mexico
128 lb contest Chris Lopez (4-0) Phoenix, Arizona VS. Diamond Baier (2-2-1) Phoenix, Arizona
122 lb contest Emilio Garcia (6-0) Phoenix, Arizona VS. Jensen Ramirez (2-1-1) Tucson, Arizona
135 lb contest Thomas Valdez (3-0) Tucson Arizona VS. Jesus Aguinaga (0-0) Tucson, Arizona
7 Pro Fights 122 lb contest Carlos Castro (1-0) Phoenix, Arizona VS. Angel Gonzalez (0-2) Phoenix, Arizona
168 lb contest Lanell Bellows (2-0) Phoenix, Arizona VS. TBD
190 lb contest Keith Bush (0-0) Phoenix, Arizona VS. Douglas Jackson (0-0) Phoenix, Arizona

3 Amateur 122 lb Contest Francisco D De Vaca VS. Aron Lopez Mexico
122 lb contest Edgar Brito Phoenix, Arizona VS. Andrew Duran Phoenix, Arizona
Bouts 175 lb contest Anthony Sims Las Vegas Nevada VS. TBD

• Iron Boy promotions may make a major announcement at their 9/29 press conference if not here is the scoop. Iron Boy will open a gym in the near future and the fledgling boxing company will soon announce future plans for future shows. Roberto Vargas (CEO) has no plans to pick up stakes and run. The October 6 show is the fourth of five planned shows at the Celebrity Theatre. Click on www.ironboypromotions.com for the latest news…UNTIL NEXT TIME!

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WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO REFEREE WARD-DAWSON

By Steve Smoger as told to Doveed Linder

Top BB Referee Steve Smoger discusses his experiences as the third man in the ring for the Andre Ward-Chad Dawson super middleweight world championship fight, which Ward won via tenth-round technical knockout.

STEVE SMOGER: As a referee who normally works on the east coast, I was delighted that the California Commission selected me to work the Andre Ward-Chad Dawson fight. It was a dual title fight, as Ward’s WBC and WBA [168-pound] titles were both on the line. Everything was handled beautifully by everyone involved. Kathi Burns and chief inspector Che Guevara with the California Commission treated me with a lot of respect and professionalism, as did [sanctioning body supervisors] Peter Stucki with the WBC and Bob Mack with the WBA. Being that I was being licensed as a professional referee in the state of California for the first time, I had to get a complete physical which was conducted by Dr. Smithson, the chief physician of the fight. The weigh-in and pre-fight ceremonies took place in downtown Oakland. Andre Ward had a strong crowd out there to support him. It was his first fight back in Oakland since he won the Super Six, so this was something of a homecoming. The Dawson camp was very happy to see the involvement of east coast officials like myself and Julie Lederman, who was one of the judges. They commended the California Commission for their fairness.

Before the fight, I went into the fighters’ dressing rooms to give instructions. Andre Ward was all business, but he was very respectful. I congratulated Andre and his trainer Virgil Hunter on winning the Super Six. I had the privilege of working Andre’s last fight with Carl Froch and I told him that I was looking forward to working with him again. The last time I worked a Chad Dawson fight was in 2005 when he defeated Carl Daniels. [Trainer] John Scully, who reunited with Dawson somewhat recently, was in Dawson’s corner for that fight. I actually worked a few of John Scully’s fights in New England back when he was a youngster coming up, so I was very familiar with everyone involved.

For this fight, HBO requested that both referees wear ‘ref cams’, meaning we were going to wear a small camera throughout the fight that was supposed to show the referee’s perspective of the action. I tentatively agreed to wear the camera. My only concern was that I didn’t want anything to impede my ability to move around the ring. As it turned out, there was no need for concern, because I didn’t end up wearing it. Before Ward-Dawson, I took a seat in the official’s dressing room to watch [the preceding bout] Antonio DeMarco- John Molina. That fight, of course, ended in forty-four seconds. HBO only had one ‘ref cam’, which was worn by referee Jack Reiss who was working DeMarco-Molina. I thought we would have a little time between fights so I could put the camera on, but before I knew it, the chief inspector told me it was time to get in the ring.

When I got into the ring, the whole atmosphere had a certain intensity about it. I attribute that to the fact that we were in Andre Ward’s hometown. When I worked the Ward-Froch fight in Atlantic City, it didn’t have the same electricity as Ward-Dawson. The bell rang and both fighters were focused and determined. Chad gave a good account of himself in rounds one and two. In the third round, Andre caught him and dropped him. It was a good clean punch. Chad popped right up and shook his head, letting me know he was able to continue. In round four, Andre caught him again and Chad went down. As Andre was circling away, he tripped over Chad’s feet and he went down as well. However, I saw his punch land, so of course, I ruled it a knockdown. This time when Chad got up, he didn’t have the same energy and eagerness that he did in the third round. I could see that he was dazed by the punch.

In round five, I saw a change in strategy from Chad. When they got close, he started clinching. I’m used to Andre working inside with one hand free, but Chad was clinching with both hands. I stayed out of it as much as I could, but I had to break them a few times, because Chad was using the clinches to stall the action. From rounds six through nine, Andre imposed his will and his skill and he began to wear Chad down. There were certain energy bursts from Chad where he would open up and throw a combination, but Andre would stifle Chad’s aggressiveness with moves of his own. The beginning of the end came in the tenth round when they were along the ropes. Andre let go with a series of uppercuts at close quarters and I could hear the impact of the punches. Chad went backwards, got caught, and dropped to a knee. He got up at the count of three and I continued to give him an eight-count. At the count of six, I asked him how he felt. At that point, he told me he was done. I told him I was going to stop it and he nodded in agreement.

I am a referee who does everything he can to allow a fight to come to its natural conclusion. That being said, I can tell you with absolute certainty that Chad gave me everything he had. This was not an instance where he quit or said “no mas”. He did his best and when he got up from the third knockdown, he didn’t have a realistic opportunity of winning the fight. I embraced him, walked him back to his corner, and called the doctor in. I then went over to Andre’s corner and congratulated him. I said, “Let me raise your hand before HBO gets you.” He smiled and we took a walk with his hand in the air. As Andre said before the fight, the last piece of his puzzle was to work on finishing his opponent and that was apparent. He did a beautiful job and it’s a pleasure to watch him perfect his craft.

In my view, Chad Dawson’s next bout is crucial. He needs to successfully defend his light heavyweight title [which was not on the line vs. Ward] and I believe he can do it. If he gets a win, people will easily forget this fight at 168 and he will be right back where he was after the Hopkins fight. At the weigh-in, I thought Chad looked a bit gaunt. I don’t want to say he was drained, but he didn’t look quite as healthy as I’ve seen him in the past. It could be that the seven-pound difference from 175 to 168 made a big difference. However, I don’t want to take anything away from Andre Ward’s victory, because he is clearly one of the best fighters in the game. No question. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are at the tail-end of their careers, but we have a lot to look forward to with fighters like Andre Ward and Chad Dawson who are now making their mark. There are no warriors like the warriors of our sport and it was an honor for me to share the ring with them.

Interview on the BOXINGTALK

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GABRIEL ROSADO AND TRAINER BILLY BRISCOE WATCHING CANELO FIGHT CLOSELY

PHOENIX, AZ - Rising Philadelphia junior middleweight contender Gabriel Rosado and his trainer Billy Briscoe will be intently watching WBC 154-pound champ Saul “Canelo” Alvarez defend his title against Josesito Lopez from their Phoenix, AZ training camp on Saturday night. Of course they are generally interested in the two big Vegas cards happening this weekend, but Rosado & Briscoe have a vested interest in the Canelo bout.

Next week at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, on the NBC Sports Network ‘Fight Night’ broadcast, Rosado, 20-5, 12 KOs, fights an IBF title elimination fight against Charles Whittaker, 38-12-2, 23 KOs, for the #1 spot in the IBF junior middleweight rankings. Although Team Rosado has its sights firmly set on Whittaker, they can’t help but keep an eye on Canelo, knowing that one day their paths may cross.

“We’ll be watching the Canelo fight,” said Briscoe. “He’s a perceived superstar in this game, but I think we can stop Canelo. You beat a perceived superstar, and suddenly you’re a superstar. The way I look at it is that we’ll just keep beating whoever they put in front of us and eventually we’ll have to fight him.”

Canelo faces Lopez after a round-robin of other foes fell out of the high-profile bout, and although Lopez beat Victor Ortiz to earn his shot at the title, many feel that his size disadvantage may make the fight a mismatch.

“I think Canelo is just going to be too big for him,” Briscoe said. “Josesito is a real 140-pounder. He moved up to 147 for the Victor Ortiz fight, and he won. He found a way to win. But I think that Canelo, a true junior middleweight, is just too big. Later on in the fight, the size and the pressure of the bigger man will break him (Lopez) down. Yeah, break him down in the later rounds, maybe the 10th or the 11th round. ”

But Rosado would not have such a size disadvantage if he ever got the chance to face Alvarez.

“No! Gaby is too big for Canelo,” Briscoe said.

Rosado, a big junior middleweight, is three inches taller than Alvarez, and has 7 inches more reach than the budding superstar. And given that star status, there is probably no one that Rosado would like to fight more. However, he does have other options.

“Canelo really doesn’t make Gaby or he doesn’t break Gaby,” Briscoe said. “At the end of the day, Gaby’s going to make a name for himself - with or without Canelo. But if the time comes, we’ll fight him. Maybe we’ll fight him in the next fight. Hell, if Josesito falls out, we’ll fight him on Saturday.”

ABOUT SEPTEMBER 21

The Smith-Cruz, Kovalev-Thompson and Whittaker-Rosado fights top a seven-bout card at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. First fight is 7.15 pm (ET). Tickets priced at $80 and $55 can be purchased through the offices of Peltz Boxing( 215-765-0922 ), all Ticketmaster outlets( 800-745-3000 ) or at the box office at the Sands Event Center(610-297-7414 ).

Tickets at www.peltzboxing.com, www.SandsEventCenter.com andwww.Ticketmaster.com. Luxury suite tickets at $130 apiece also are available.

In Bethlehem, tickets are available at Deja Brew, Inc., 101 West 4^th Street(610-865-2739 ) and at Pronto Insurance Notary, 232 East 3^rd Street( 610-419-6790 ).

NBC Sports Network will televise the Cruz-Smith, Kovalev-Thompson and Rosado-Whittaker fights, beginning at 9 pm (ET).

The card is being promoted by Main Events and Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

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