Posts Tagged ‘Gloves’
Ireland’s Boxers At The Olympics
January 9th, 2012 | 
Author: By Bernard O’neill (IABA Public Relations Officer)
On the last occasion that the Olympic Games were held in London, Dubliner Mick McKeon (Crumlin BC) would have won bronze if the present rules governing the awarding of medals were in place.
McKeon, boxing at middleweight, won three bouts to reach to semi-finals at the 1948 Games in the English capital but lost out in the last-four to Britain’s Johnny Wight, who claimed silver.
McKeon was then forced to concede a walkover to Ivano Fontanta of Italy in the box-off for bronze because of injury.
Four years later at the 1952 Games in Helsinki - where the great John McNally won silver - it was decided to abolish box-offs and award all losing semi-finalists bronze medals.
The decision was taken because of concerns after three boxers, one of which included McKeon, withdrew from bronze medal box-offs at the 1948 Games because of injury.
Ireland’s Patrick Dwyer (1924), Frank Traynor (1928) and James J. Murphy (1932) also reached the semi-finals at the Olympic Games and would have secured bronze if the present rules governing the awarding of medals were in place.
Dwyer and Murphy conceded walkovers in their bronze medal box-offs because of injury, while Traynor was beaten by Harry Isaacs (South Africa) in the box-off for bronze in Amsterdam 84 years ago.
Meanwhile, Michael Conlan, John Joe Nevin and Darren O’Neill have already qualified for the 2012 Olympics in London.
Ireland will be aiming to add to that total at the final Olympic qualifier for European male boxers in Istanbul in April and at the 2012 AIBA World Women’s Championships in China in May.
Women’s boxing will make its debut at the 30th Olympiad in London this year over 100 years after male boxing was introduced at the 1904 Olympics in St Louis.
Ireland’s boxers at the Olympics
1924 - PARIS
Fly: Myles McDonagh (Army) bye in first series, lost to Ruperto Biete Berdes (Spain) in second series.
Bantam: Richard Hilliard (Trinity, Dublin) bye in first series, lost to Benjamin Pertuzzo (Argentina) in second series.
Feather: Michael Doyle (Army) lost to gold medallist Jackie Fields (USA) in first series.
Light: James Kelleher (AAA) lost to Benjamin Rothwell (USA) KO 2 in first series.
Welter: Patrick Dwyer (Army) beat Joseph Basham (Britain) in first series, beat Jan Cornelisse (Holland) in second series, beat Teodor Stauffer (Switzerland) KO 3 in quarter-finals, lost to silver medallist Hector Mendez (Argentina) RSC 3 in semi-finals, forced to concede walkover to Douglas Lewis (Canada) in box-off for bronze medal because of injury.
Middle: William G Murphy (Army) bye in first series, beat Eugeniusz Nowak (Poland) KO 1 in second series, lost to fourth placed Leslie Black (Canada) in quarter-finals.
L/heavy: John Kidley (AAA) bye in first series, lost to bronze medallist Sverre Sorsdal (Norway) in second series.
1928 - AMSTERDAM
Fly: Myles McDonagh (Army) bye in first series, lost to Barend Bril (Holland) in second series.
Bantam: Frank Traynor (St Paul’s, Dublin) bye in first series, beat Fuji Okamoto (Japan) in second series, beat Carmelo Ambrosio (Argentina) in quarter-finals, lost to gold medallist Vittorio Tamagnini (Italy) in semi-finals, lost to Harry Isaacs (South Africa) in box-off for bronze medal.
Feather: George Kelly (North City, Dublin) lost to Rickard Christian Madsen (Denmark) in first series.
Light: Willie O’Shea (Army) lost to Jorge Diaz Hernandez (Chile) in second series.
Welter: PJ Lenihan (St James, Dublin) beat Arne Sande (Denmark) in first series, lost to bronze medallist Raymond Smillie (Canada) in second series.
Middle: Jack Chase (Garda) bye in first series, beat Alfred Wilson (South Africa) in second series, lost to bronze medallist Leonard Steyaert (Belgium) in quarter-finals.
L/heavy: Willie ‘Boy’ Murphy (Garda) beat Jose Montillor Pastor (Spain) in first series, lost to silver medallist Ernst Pistulla (Germany) in quarter-finals.
Heavy: Matt Flanagan (Garda) lost to gold medallist Arturo Rodriguez Jurado (Argentina) KO 1 in first series.
1932 - LOS ANGELES
Bantam: Patrick Hughes (St Patrick’s) lost to Carlos Alberto Pereyra (Argentina) in first series.
Feather: Ernie Smith (St Andrew’s, Dublin) bye in first series, lost to gold medallist Carmelo Robledo (Argentina) in second series.
Welter: Larry Flood (Army) lost to Robert Barton (South Africa) in first series.
L/heavy: James J. Murphy beat John Miler (USA) in quarter-finals, lost to silver medallist Gino Rossi (Italy) in semi-finals, forced to concede walkover to Peter Jorgensen (Denmark) in box-off for bronze medal because of injury.
1936 - BERLIN
No Irish entrants.
1948 - LONDON
Fly: Willie Barnes (Windsor, Belfast) bye in first series, lost to bronze medallist Frantisek Majdloch (Czechoslovakia) in second series.
Bantam: Willie Lenihan (Arbour Hill, Dublin) beat Roger Behm (Luxembourg) in first series, beat Olavi Ouvinen (Finland) in second series, lost to silver medallist Giovanni Zuddas (Italy) KO 3 in quarter-finals.
Feather: Kevin Martin (Mount Street, Dublin) beat Nicolaas Linneman (Holland) in first series, lost to gold medallist Ernesto Formenti (Italy) in second series.
Light: Maxie McCullagh (St Andrew’s, Dublin) beat Tauno Rinkinen (Finland) in first series, beat Ronnie Cooper (Britain) in second series, lost to third placed Svend Wad (Denmark) in quarter-finals.
Welter: Peter Foran (St Andrew’s, Dublin) beat Gareeb Afifi (Egypt) in first series, lost to silver medallist Horace Herring (USA) in second series.
Middle: Mick McKeon (Crumlin, Dublin) beat John Keenan (Canada) in first series, beat Hossein Toussi (Iran) in second series, beat Aime-Joseph Escudie (France) in quarter-finals, lost to silver medallist Johnny Wright (Britain) in semi-final, forced to concede walkover to Ivano Fontana (Italy) in box-off for bronze medal because of injury.
L/Heavy: Hugh O’Hagan (Corinthians, Dublin) bye in first series, beat Hans Schwarzmann (Switzerland) in second series, lost to fourth placed Adrian Holmes (Australia) in quarter-finals.
Heavy: Gearoid O Colmain (North City, Dublin) lost to Uber Baccilieri (Italy) in first series.
1952 - HELSINKI
Fly: Ando Reddy (Sandymount, Dublin) lost to Aristide Pozzali (Italy) in first series.
Bantam: John McNally (White City, Belfast) bye in first series, beat Alejandro Ortuoste (Philippines) in second series, beat Vincenzo Dall’Osso (Italy) in quarter-finals, beat Joon Ho Kang (Korea) in semi-finals, lost to Pentti Hamalainen (Finland) in final - SILVER MEDAL.
Feather: Tommy Reddy (Crumlin, Dublin) lost to Stevan Redli (Yugoslavia) KO 2 in first series.
Light: Kevin Martin (Mount Street, Dublin) beat Marcel van de Keere (Belgium) in first series, lost to bronze medallist Gheorghe Fiat (Romania) in second series.
L/welter: Terry Milligan (Shortt and Harland, Belfast) beat Ebraham Afsharpour (Iran) in first series, beat Pieter van Klaveren (Holland) in second series, lost to bronze medallist Bruno Visintin (Italy) in quarter-finals.
Welter: Peter Crotty (Clonmel) lost to Harry Gunnarsson (Sweden) KO 2 in first series.
Middle: Willie Duggan (Crumlin, Dublin) lost to silver medallist Vasile Tita (Romania) DSQ 3 in first series.
Heavy: John Lyttle (St George’s, Belfast) lost to Jean Lansiaux (France) in first series.
1956 - MELBOURNE
Fly: John Caldwell (Immaculata, Belfast) beat Yai Shwe (Burma) KO 3 in first series, beat Warner Batchelor (Australia) in quarter-finals, lost to silver medallist Mircea Dobrescu (Romania) in semi-final - BRONZE MEDAL.
Bantam: Freddie Gilroy (St John Bosco, Belfast) beat Boris Stiepanov (USSR) KO 3 in first series, beat Mario Sitri (Italy) in quarter-finals, lost to gold medallist Wolfgang Behrendt (East Germany) in semi-finals - BRONZE MEDALS.
Feather: Martin Smyth (Star, Belfast) lost to bronze medallist Pentti Hamalainen (Finland) in first series.
Light: Tony Byrne (Tredagh, Drogheda) beat Josef Chovanec (Czechoslovakia) DSQ 3 in first series, beat Louis Molina (USA) in quarter-finals, lost to silver medallist Harry Kurschat (West Germany) in semi-finals - BRONZE MEDAL.
L/welter: Harry Perry (British Rail, Dublin) bye in first series, lost to Claude Saluden (France) in second series.
Welter: Fred Tiedt (South City, Dublin) beat Tadeusz Walasek (Poland) in first series, beat Pearce Lane (USA) in quarter-finals, beat Kevin Hogarth (Australia) in semi-final, lost to gold medallist Nicolae Linca (Romania) in final - SILVER MEDAL.
Heavy: Patrick Sharkey lost to Thorner Ahsman (Sweden) in first series.
1960 - ROME
Fly: Adam McClean (Crown, Belfast) lost to Karimu Young (Nigeria) in first series.
Bantam: Paddy Kenny (Coventry Irish) beat Emile Anner (Switzerland) in first series, lost to Jerry Armstrong (USA) in second series.
Feather: Ando Reddy (Sandymount, Dublin) beat Andre Juncker (France) in first series, lost to Abel Bekker (Rhodesia) in second series.
Light: Danny O’Brien (Omagh) beat Esteban Aguilera (Cuba) in first series, lost to silver medallist Sandro Lopopolo (Italy) in second series.
L/welter: Bernie Meli (Immaculata, Belfast) beat Mihalis Demetre (Greece) in first series, lost to gold medallist Bohumil Nemecek (Czechoslovakia) in second series.
Welter: Harry Perry (British Rail, Dublin) lost to Kim Ki Soo (Korea) in first series.
L/middle; Mick Reid (Crumlin, Dublin) beat Helio Crescencio (Brazil) in first series, lost to Henryk Dampc (Poland) in second series.
Middle: Eamonn McKeon (Crumlin, Dublin) beat Mohamed Ben Gaudoubi (Tunisia) in first series, lost to Frederik Van Rooyen (South Africa) in second series.
1964 - TOKYO
Fly: Sean McCafferty (St John Bosco, Belfast) beat Rafael Carbonell (Cuba) in first series, beat Sulley Shittu (Ghana) in second series, lost to gold medallist Fernando Atzori (Italy) in quarter-finals.
Bantam: Chris Rafter (South City, Dublin) lost to Abel Almaraz (Argentina) in first series.
Feather: Paddy Fitzsimons (St Matthews, Belfast) lost to Piotr Gutman (Poland) in first series.
Light: Jim McCourt (Immaculata, Belfast) beat Bun Nam Suh (Korea) in first series, beat Ghulam Sarwar (Pakistan) in second series, beat Domingo Barrera (Spain) in quarter-finals, lost to silver medallist Vilikton Barannikov (USSR) in semi-finals - BRONZE MEDAL.
1968 - MEXICO CITY
Fly: Brendan McCarthy (Arbour Hill, Dublin) lost to gold medallist Ricardo Delgado (Mexico) in first series.
Bantam: Mick Dowling (Arbour Hill, Dublin) bye in first series, beat John Rakowski (Australia) DSQ 3 in second series, lost to bronze medallist Eiji Marioka (Japan) in quarter-finals.
Feather: Eddie Treacy (Arbour Hill, Dublin) beat Errol West (Jamaica) in first series, lost to gold medallist Antonio Roldan (Mexico) in second series.
Light: Martin Quinn (St John Bosco, Belfast) beat Bernard Essomba (Cameroon) KO 1 in first series, lost to silver medallist - and defending champion - Józef Grudzien (Poland) in second series.
L/welter: Jim McCourt (Immaculata, Belfast) lost to Gerd Puzicha (West Germany) in first series.
L/middle: Eamonn McCusker (St John Bosco, Banbridge) lost to silver medallist Rolando Garbey (Cuba) RSC 1 in first series.
1972 - MUNICH
Fly: Neil McLaughlin (St Eugene’s, Derry) beat Abaker Saed Mohamed (Sudan) in first series, beat Mohamed Selim (Egypt) KO 2 in second series, lost to silver medallist Leo Rwabwogo (Uganda) RSC 3 in quarter-finals.
Bantam: Mick Dowling (British Rail, Dublin) beat Ove Lundby (Sweden) in first series, lost to gold medallist Orlando Martinez (Cuba) 3-2 in second series.
Light: Charles Nash St Mary’s, Derry) beat Erik Madsen (Denmark) in first series, beat Antonio Gin (Mexico) RSC 1 in second series, lost to gold medallist Jan Szczepanski (Poland) RSC 3 in quarter-finals.
L/welter: Jim Montague (Star, Belfast) beat Nosrat Vakil Monfared (Iran) RSC 3 in first series, lost to gold medallist Ray Seales (USA) 5-0 in second series.
Welter: John Rodgers (Lisburn) beat Ib Boetcher (Denmark) RSC 3 in first series. lost to Anatoliy Khokhlov (USSR) in second series.
L/middle: Christy Elliott (Port of Dublin) beat Farouk Kesrouan (Lebanon) in first series, lost to Emeterio Villanueva (Mexico) RSC 3 in second series.
1976 - MONTREAL
L/fly: Brendan Dunne (Phoenix, Dublin) beat Noboru Uchizama (Japan) RSC 2 in first series, lost to bronze medallist Orlando Maldonado (Puerto Rico) in second series.
Fly: Davy Larmour (Albert Foundry, Belfast) beat Robert Musuku (SUA) walkover in first series, beat Agustin Martinez (Nicaragua) walkover in second series, lost to gold medallist Leo Randolph (USA) in quarter-finals.
Light: Gerry Hamill (Holy Family, Belfast) lost to bronze medallist Ace Rusevski (Yugoslavia) in first series.
Welter: Christy McLoughlin (British Rail, Dublin) lost to Colin Jones (Britain) in first series.
L/middle: Brian Byrne (Transport, Dublin) lost to Wilfredo Guzman (Puerto Rico) in first series.
1980 - MOSCOW
L/fly: Gerry Hawkins (Holy Trinity, Belfast) lost to bronze medallist Ismail Mustafov (Bulgaria) in first series.
Fly: Hugh Russell (Holy Family, Belfast) beat Samir Khiniab (Iraq) in first series, beat Emmanuel Mlundwa (Tanzania) in second series, beat Yo Ryon Sik (South Korea) in quarter-finals, lost to gold medallist Peter Lesov (Bulgaria) in semi-final - BRONZE MEDAL.
Bantam: Phil Sutcliffe (Drimnagh, Dublin) lost to Daniel Zaragoza (Mexico) in first series.
Feather: Barry McGuigan (Smithboro, Monaghan) beat Issack Mabushi (Tanzania) RSC 3 in first series, lost to Winfred Kabunda (Zambia) in second series.
Light: Sean Doyle (St Joseph’s, Dublin) beat Nelson Trujillo (Venezuela) RSC 2 in first series, lost to Florian Livadaru (Romania) RSC 1 in second series.
L/welter: Martin Brereton (Edenderry) lost to bronze medallist Jose Aguillar (Cuba) in first series.
Welter: PJ Davitt (Phoenix, Dublin) lost to Ion Budusan (Romania) in first series.
1984 - LOS ANGELES
L/fly: Gerry Hawkins (Holy Trinity, Belfast) bye in first series, lost to silver medallist Salvatore Todisco (Italy) in second series.
Bantam: Phil Sutcliffe (Drimnagh, Dublin) lost to gold medallist Maurizio Stecca (Italy) in first series.
Feather: Paul Fitzgerald (Arklow) beat Tobi Pelly (Sudan) in first series, beat Steve Pagendam (Canada) in second series, lost to Charles Lubulwa (Uganda) in third series.
Welter: Kieran Joyce (Sunnyside, Cork) beat Basil Boniface (Seychelles) RSC 2 in first series, lost to Joni Nyman (Finland) in second series.
L/middle: Sam Storey (Holy Family, Belfast) lost to Romolo Casamonica (Italy) RSC 3 in first series.
Middle: Tommy Corr (Clonoe, Tyrone) beat Arigoma Mayero (Zimbabwe) in first series, lost to Jeremiah Okorodudu (Nigeria) in second series.
1988 - SEOUL
L/fly: Wayne McCullough (Albert Foundry, Belfast) beat Fred Muteweta (Uganda) in first series, lost to Scott Olson (Canada) in second series.
Fly: Joe Lawlor (Darndale, Dublin) beat Archibald Fausto (Mozambique) KO 2 in first series, lost to bronze medallist Timofey Skryabin (USSR) in second series.
Bantam: John Lowey (Ledley Hall, Belfast) beat Mustafa Saleh (Iraq) in first series, beat Mohamed Sabo (Nigeria) in second series, lost to Nyama Altankhuyag (Mongolia) in third series.
Feather: Paul Fitzgerald (Arklow) beat Emilio Villegas (Dominican Republic) in first series, lost to David Anderson (Britain) in second series.
Light: Michael Carruth (Drimnagh, Dublin) beat Satoru Higashi (Japan) in first series, lost to silver medallist George Cramme (Sweden) KO 1 in second series.
Welter: Billy Walsh (St Joseph’s, Wexford) lost to Song Kyung Sup (Korea) RSC 2 in first series.
Middle: Kieran Joyce (Sunnyside, Cork) beat Filipo Palako Vaka (Tonga) RSC 1 in first series, lost to Francis Wanyama (Uganda) in second series.
1992 - BARCELONA
Fly: Paul Buttimer (Sunnyside, Cork) lost to Moses Malagu (Nigeria) 12-8 in first series.
Bantam: Wayne McCullough (Albert Foundry, Belfast) beat Fred Muteweta (Uganda) 28-7 in first series, beat Ahmad Ghanim (Iraq) 10-2 in second series, beat Mohamed Sabo (Nigeria) 31-13 in quarter-finals, beat Lee Gwang Sik (Korea) 21-16 in semi-finals. lost to Joel Casamayor (Cuba) 14-8 in final - SILVER MEDAL.
Feather: Paul Griffin (Drimnagh, Dublin) lost to Steven Chungu (Zambia) RSC 2 in first series.
Welter: Michael Carruth (Drimnagh, Dublin) bye in first series, beat Maselino Tuifao (Samoa) 11-2 in second series, beat Andreas Otto (Germany) 35-22 in quarter-final, beat Arkom Chenglai (Thailand) 11-4 in semi-finals, beat Juan Hernandez (Cuba) 13-10 in final - GOLD MEDAL.
Heavy: Paul Douglas (Holy Family, Belfast)) beat John Pettersson (Sweden) 8-1 in first series, beat Alexey Chudinov (USSR) 15-9 in second series, lost to bronze medallist Arnold van der Lijnde (Holland) RSC 1 in quarter-finals.
S/heavy: Kevin McBride (Smithboro, Monaghan) lost to Peter Hrivniak (Czechoslovakia) 21-1 in first series.
1996 - ATLANTA
Fly: Damien Kelly (Holy Trinity, Belfast) beat Yulian Strogov (Bulgaria) 12-11 in first series, beat Hussein Hussein (Australia) 27-20 in second series, lost to silver medallist Bulat Jumadilov (Kazakhstan) 13-6 in quarter-finals.
L/welter: Francis Barrett (Olympic, Galway) beat Zely Fereira dos Santos (Brazil) 32-7 in first series, lost to bronze medallist Fathi Missaoui (Tunisia) 18-6 in second series.
Middle: Brian Magee (Holy Trinity, Belfast) beat Randall Thompson (Canada) 13-5 in first series, beat Bertrand Tetsia (Cameroon) 11-6 in second series, lost to bronze medallist Mohamed Bahari (Algeria) 15-9 in quarter-finals.
Heavy: Cathal O’Grady (St Saviours, Dublin) lost to Garth Da Silva (New Zealand) RSC 1 in first series.
2000 - SYDNEY
L/middle: Michael Roche (Sunnyside, Cork) lost to Firat Karagollu (Turkey) 17-4 in first series.
2004 - ATHENS
Middle: Andy Lee (St Francis, Limerick) beat Alfredo Lopez (Mexico) 38-23 in first series, lost to Nassan Ndam Njikam (Cameroon) 27-27 and then 44-42 on countback in second series.
2008 - BEIJING
L/fly: Paddy Barnes (Holy Family, Belfast) beat Jose Luis Meza (Ecuador) 14-8, beat Lukasz Maszczyk (Poland) 11-5, lost to eventual gold medallist Zou Shiming (China) 15-0 in semi-final - BRONZE MEDAL.
Feather: John Joe Nevin (Cavan) beat Abdelhalim Ouarradi (Algeria) 9-4, lost to eventual gold medallist Badar-Uugan Enkhbat (Mongolia) 9-2.
L/welter: John Joe Joyce (St Michael’s, Athy) beat Gyula Kate (Hungary) 9-5, lost to eventual gold medallist Felix Diaz (Dominican Republic) 11-11 on countback.
Middle: Darren Sutherland (St Saviours, Dublin) beat Nabil Kassel (Algeria) RSC 4, beat Alfonso Blanco (Venezuela) 11-1, lost to eventual gold medallist James DeGale (Britain) 10-3 in semi-final - BRONZE MEDAL.
L/heavy: Ken Egan (Neilstown, Dublin) beat Julius Jackson (Virgin Islands) 22-2, beat Muzafer Bahram (Turkey) 10-2, beat Washington Silva (Brazil) 8-0 beat Tony Jefferies (Britain 10-3), lost to Zhang Xiaoping (China) 11-7 in final - SILVER MEDAL.
2012 - London
51Kg (Flyweight) Michael Conlan (St John Bosco)
56Kg (Bantamweight) John Joe Nevin (Cavan BC)
75Kg (Middleweight) Darren O’Neill (Paulstown)
Article: Originally published @ iaba.ie
Photo source: John McNally / IABA
Posted in Amateur Boxing, Boxing, Boxing Articles, Female Boxing News, Historical, Information, Irish Boxing News, Latest Boxing News, Latest News, Olympic Boxing | 
Tags: Boxers, Gloves, IABA, Ireland's Boxers At The Olympics, IRISH AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION, Irish boxing, London, Medals, Olympic Games London, Olympics, Ring
Victor Ortiz vs. Andre Berto: Feb-11
LOS ANGELES (December, 2011) - In April 2011, Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto gave boxing fans one of the best fights of the year, with both men hitting the canvas twice before Ortiz rallied to victory and captured Berto’s World Boxing Council (WBC) Welterweight World Championship.
On Saturday, February 11, these rugged and determined fighters will meet once again, this time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., in a highly anticipated 12-round welterweight rematch live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
“Ortiz vs. Berto II: Repeat or Revenge” is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, DiBella Entertainment and SHOWTIME. Coming off of its groundbreaking promotion during the blockbuster SHOWTIME PPV® event featuring Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley in May 2011, SHOWTIME will again receive promotional support from the network’s parent company, CBS Corporation, whose assets include the CBS Television Network and local radio and television stations, among others. The Ortiz-Berto rematch marks the first time that SHOWTIME and CBS will join forces in support of a boxing event televised live on the premium network.
Both fighters have agreed to be subject to Olympic style drug testing which will be administered by the Volunteer Anti-Doping Association (VADA) and will include random blood and urine tests.
“For me, the first Berto-Ortiz fight was the 2011 Fight of the Year and one of the most memorable fights of the last several years,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “Immediately after, like most every other boxing fan, I couldn’t help but hope for a rematch. Now that I am in the position to bring this fight to the loyal SHOWTIME subscribers, and to do so with the support of our world-class colleagues at CBS, I couldn’t be more proud to make this special announcement.”
“I’m prepared to go to war again with Berto,” said Ortiz.
Berto said, “I am looking forward to this fight. It’s a fight that I want and it’s a fight the people demanded. These are the types of fights that make boxing so great. I am so hyped and excited to get ready to make another classic, but bottom line…Ortiz has to GO!”
Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, said, “After the April fight between Ortiz and Berto, the first words out of everyone’s mouths were, ‘When are they going to do it again?’ Well, I’m proud to say that February 11th is the date for the most anticipated rematch we’ve seen in a long time. When you put these two fighters together in the ring, there will always be fireworks. I can’t wait to see them do battle a second time.”
Lou DiBella, president of DiBella Entertainment, said, “Berto-Ortiz I was a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate and boxing fans can expect more of the same in this meaningful rematch. This fight is the perfect way to open up what is expected to be a great year of boxing in 2012.”
Tickets, priced at $300, $150, $100 and $50, are now on sale and are available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 . Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
Everyone anticipated an action-packed fight the first time that Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto stepped into the ring back on April 16 with the WBC Welterweight World Championship on the line. What ensued was nothing less than spectacular as the pair stormed out of the gate, setting a fast pace that would continue for the entire 12-round contest. Midway through the first round, Ortiz staggered Berto with a sneaky right hand, then backed him into a corner and followed up with a barrage of punches which forced the defending champion to take a knee in order to recover. Berto wasted little time returning the favor, sending Ortiz to the canvas with a counter right hand at the end of the second round. The exciting battle continued round after round, and in the sixth frame, Berto landed a right hand that dropped Ortiz. As soon as the action resumed, Berto was all over Ortiz, looking to close the show. With Ortiz trapped against the ropes and Berto throwing caution to the wind, Ortiz threw a left hook that caught Berto flush on the chin, dropping him for the second time in the fight just seconds before the bell. The back-and-forth action continued for the second half of the “Fight of the Year” candidate. In the end, Ortiz had captured the title with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory, winning by scores of 115-110, 114-111 and 114-112.
The star of Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KOs) has been on the rise for the last few years, but in 2011, the native of Garden City, Kansas finally put everything together for the entire world to see. The owner of wins over Mike Arnaoutis, Nate Campbell and Antonio Diaz, Ortiz stepped it up in April 2011 with a 12-round decision win over Berto that captivated the boxing world and earned him the WBC Welterweight Championship. Five months later, Ortiz lost a controversial bout to pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, but with his rematch against Berto looming, the 24-year old now has the perfect opportunity to get back to the top of the division.
A member of the 2004 Haitian Olympic team, Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KOs), like Ortiz, has been leading the charge of boxing’s next generation, thrilling fans with exciting fights and blistering knockouts. Crowned a world champion in 2008, the 28-year-old Berto successfully defended his WBC crown five times against the likes of Luis Collazo, Steve Forbes and Juan Urango before losing it to Ortiz in April. In September, Berto put gold around his waist once again by stopping Jan Zaveck in five rounds for the IBF title. He would soon vacate the title in order to take the fight he has been clamoring for since April and now he’s looking forward to evening the score with Ortiz on February 11.
Posted in Boxing, Boxing Schedule, Information, Latest Boxing News, Latest News, Professional Boxing, Television / PPV Boxing Schedule, Television Boxing Schedule |
Tags: Andre Berto, Berto, Boxers, Boxing, Gloves, MGM Grand, Olympic team, Ortiz, Professional Boxing, Ring, Victor Ortiz, Victor Ortiz vs. Andre Berto
WBF Christmas Eve Boxing Show
Posted in Boxing, Information, Latest Boxing News, Latest News, Professional Boxing |
Tags: Belgrade, Boxer, Boxers, Boxing, Boxing Show, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve Boxing Show, Gloves, International, Ring, Serbia, super middleweight, Title, vacant WBF, WBF, World Boxing Federation
World Series Boxing: Mumbai Fighters
By WSB
Mumbai Fighters host matches in T-Box mobile arena
Keen to broaden the spectrum of sports available to viewers in cricket-mad India, the Venky’s Mumbai Fighters are exploring new concepts and exciting avenues to bring WSB and the sport of boxing to the wider public in their homeland.
The T-Box arena, set-up at the In-Orbit Mall in Mumbai, is based on patented Swiss technology developed by MTAG and using an environmentally friendly technology is a transportable, modular, flexible and multipurpose seating arrangement that can be scaled to accommodate up 15,000 people as well as including facilities such as dressing rooms, offices, media areas and even doping control suites. It also offers UV protection and is anti-inflammable. For the Venky’s Mumbai Fighters vs. Los Angeles Matadors Group A showdown, the arena welcomed close to 1,000 spectators with many more watching proceedings from outside.
The In-Orbit Mall in Malad, Mumbai continues to produce novel events across India. Earlier in the year, the T-Box Mobile Arena was setup to host Red Bull Chris Pfeiffer India Tour 2011. World streetbike freestyle champion Chris Pfeiffer enthralled the audience at the venue with his unique stunts. The Venky’s Mumbai Fighters are confident that the new spectators coming to watch high-quality boxing matches will be not disappointed.
An ingenious idea that guaranteed good publicity for the team and for the competition, this concept could be seen much more often in the near future. Generating a good atmosphere both from within the ring and for the spectators, the formula is one that really works. Next up for the Venky’s Mumbai Fighters, a visit from the strong Astana Arlans, let’s hope the atmosphere in the T-Box arena can spur the team on to another famous victory.
Posted in Amateur Boxing, Boxing, Information, Latest Boxing News, Latest News, Olympic Boxing, Professional Boxing, World Series of Boxing |
Tags: Boxer, Boxers, Boxing, Boxing news, Gloves, India, MTAG, Mumbai, Mumbai Fighters, Orbit Mall, Ring, T-Box arena, The T-Box arena, World Series Boxing, World Series of Boxing, WSB
Rivera Continues Comeback: Friday, July 29th
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 8, 2024) – After winning close to 40 fights in 15 years and capturing three world titles, Jose Antonio Rivera suddenly reached a point in his career he never thought he’d see three decades ago when he first put on a pair of gloves at 8 years old.
“Boxing wasn’t fun anymore,” said the former three-time world champion from Worcester, Mass.
Weighed down by personal problems outside of the ring, Rivera hit the wall in 2007 when he lost his World Boxing Association (WBA) light middleweight title to Travis Simms. He announced his retirement shortly thereafter, only to attempt a brief comeback 10 months later that left him with an injured hand.
This time, it appeared Rivera (40-6-1, 24 KOs) was done for good, but the former welterweight and light middleweight title-holder proved you can’t keep a champion down for long, making his second comeback in May with a unanimous decision win over Luis Maysonet at the Palladium in Worcester.
Only three months removed from his 38th birthday, Rivera now has his sights set on a much bigger prize as he prepares to continue his comeback Friday, July 29th, 2011 on the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Heat Wave” show at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
Rivera will fight in a special eight-round light middleweight attraction on a show that features two championship bouts – a 12-round showdown between Kevin McBride (35-9-1, 29 KOs) and Mariusz Wach (24-0, 12 KOs) for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) International heavyweight title, and a 10-round intrastate battle between Elvin Ayala (23-5-1, 11 KOs) of New Haven, Conn., and rival Israel “Pito” Cardona (36-10, 28 KOs) of Hartford for the vacant WBC United States National Boxing Council (USNBC) middleweight title.
“I’m trying to push myself and test myself to see how much I have left in the tank,” said Rivera, who was born in Philadelphia and also lived in Puerto Rico before moving to Worcester as a teenager. “My goal is to get back into world-championship form.
“I want to ease my way into a couple of fights this year and by next year hopefully I’ll be knocking on the door of another big fight. … You’re only as old as you feel.”
Asked how old he feels, Rivera said, “Twenty-eight, both mentally and physically.”
How he feels mentally is arguably more important right now than how Rivera feels physically, especially considering the internal problems that derailed his career four years ago. His first comeback attempt in 2008 ended with a win over Clarence Taylor, but Rivera admits he still would’ve walked away again even without the subsequent hand injury because his “mind wasn’t right.”
“The injury was just the icing on the cake,” he said. “That gave me a more convenient excuse to retire, but the truth is I was still dealing with a lot of personal stuff, too.”
The idea of returning to the ring a second time was always in the back of his mind during his retirement phase, but Rivera didn’t pull the trigger until he knew he was mentally ready.
“I had to type up all the loose ends in my life,” he said. “As soon as everything was good, I said to myself, ‘OK, now is the time.’ Being mentally prepared is the key. I don’t care how strong you are. You could be a beast in that ring, but if you’re not mentally ready, then it all goes out the window.
“That’s what got me to take some time off. Everything going on in my life was affecting my performance and my career.”
On May 20th at the Palladium, Rivera proved he made the right decision with a convincing win over Maysonet, a Hartford native who entered the bout with 32 wins, including 25 by knockout. The former world champion struggled early, but settled into a groove later in the fight after solving Maysonet’s game plan. Rivera captured an eight-round unanimous decision, 79-73, on all three scorecards.
“I didn’t expect him to try to outbox me,” Rivera said. “He seemed hesitant to move inside. We trained for a brawl, and I had to adjust midway through the fight. His style kind of threw me off a little. By the time I warmed up in the sixth, seventh and eighth rounds, I was unloading on him.
“To tell you the truth, it went by so quickly. When I went back to my corner after the eighth round, the referee came to me and said the fight was over. I asked if he had quit and the referee said, ‘No, that’s eight rounds!’”
Rivera’s next bout on July 29th will go a long way toward determining whether his dream of winning a fourth world title – he captured the WBA light middleweight and welterweight titles, in addition to the International Boxing Organization (IBO) welterweight title – is a realistic premise or an improbable fantasy. One thing that’s certain is Rivera views his age as an advantage, not a roadblock, as he aims to follow in the footsteps of legends George Foreman and Bernard Hopkins, who beat the odds to win world titles at the ages of 45 and 46, respectively (Hopkins accomplished the feat by beating Jean Pascal the night after Rivera’s comeback win over Maysonet).
“A lot of people knock it, and that’s fine because it just gives me more motivation, but the great thing about being an older fighter is I bring a lot of experience to the ring,” Rivera said. “I know my body. Conditioning has always been the key to my success, and it’s one of the main reasons I became champion, but some of my losses were a result of over-training when I was younger; I left it all in the gym. The things I took for granted back then are things I no longer take for granted anymore. That’s what makes it enjoyable.”
Rivera’s having fun again, and that could be bad news for the elite fighters in the 154-pound division.
“I just want another chance at a title fight, whether it’s the World Boxing Council (WBC), WBA or IBO – any of them,” Rivera said. “This is a great opportunity for me, and I’m excited to be on this card. I’ve always wanted to fight at Mohegan Sun and now I’ll have that chance. I’m just thankful Burchfield was able to make it happen.”
The undercard of “Heat Wave” features Pawtucket, R.I., middleweight Thomas Falowo (3-0, 3 KOs) facing Russ Niggemyer (2-2, 2 KOs) of Hilliard, Ohio; New Haven welterweight Edwin Soto (6-0-1, 2 KOs) battling Jose Duran (6-5-2, 3 KOs) of Sarasota, Fla.; undefeated heavyweight Artur Spzilka of Poland (5-0, 3 KOs) facing Philadelphia’s David Williams (6-4-1, 2 KOs), and New Bedford, Mass., welterweight Johnathan Vazquez (4-0, 3 KOs) taking on Agustine Maurus of Lawrence, Mass., in Maurus’ debut. Cruiserweight Jose Torres of Springfield, Mass., will make his debut; super middleweight Greg McCoy (2-3-1, 1 KO) of New Haven will fight in a separate four-round bout; and super middleweight Keith Kozlin (6-2, 4 KOs) of Warwick, R.I., will face Woonsocket’s Reynaldo Rodriguez (5-2, 2 KOs) in a six-round intrastate showdown. Also, former “The Contender” reality television star Jeff Fraza (17-3, 10 KOs) of Haverhill, Mass., will face Pawtucket, R.I., light middleweight Eddie Soto (12-2, 4 KOs) in a six-round bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets for “Heat Wave,” which are priced at $40, $65 and $105, can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254 or Ticketmaster at 1.800.745.3000. Fans can also purchase tickets online at www.cesboxing.com, www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office. For more information on “Heat Wave,” visit www.cesboxing.com or www.mohegansun.com. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Posted in Information, Latest News, Professional Boxing |
Tags: Boxers, Boxing, Gloves, Heat Wave, Jose Antonio Rivera, Maysonet, Mohegan Sun, Travis Simms
