By Bart Barry, 15Rounds.com
Some boxing aficionados were suspicious of Nonito Donaire’s talents during the promotion of the young Filipino’s fight with Mexico’s WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel. Most of these aficionados’ wrongheaded ways were righted by the Donaire left that took Montiel’s mind right away. Donaire claimed those suspicions with grace and violence.
But a few stubborn members of the aficionado ranks remain. There is but one way for Donaire to undo these men’s obduracy. And lucky for us, that way is the one Donaire says he wants to go. More about that in a bit.
Saturday night at Mandalay Bay, Donaire did no wrong – not one wrong step, slip or punch – as he razed Montiel in a fight that was supposed to be super, wasn’t, but did end in superlative fashion. Donaire stopped Montiel ultimately with a flurry of afterthought punches at 2:25 of round 2. But by then he’d changed the trajectory of his career with a left hook that surprised Montiel, and everyone else.
Even serious boxing fans were forgiven their disbelief at Saturday’s spectacle. For most of us, after all, Nonito Donaire was the guy who stretched Vic Darchinyan on Showtime 40 months ago, left promoter Gary Shaw and disappeared into promoter Top Rank’s farm system, making reportedly excellent if alliterative progress on Pinoy Power pay-per-view programs.
By 2010 Donaire was lost to the public. While specialists knew of his technical acumen, most everyone else assumed Top Rank already had its Filipino superstar in Manny Pacquiao – and one was enough. Rabid as boxing’s supporters in the Philippines were, there was only so much money to be squeezed from the world’s number 46 economy.
How well Top Rank has handled Donaire’s career is debatable. How well Top Rank has developed Donaire as a prizefighter, though, is not.
Since his one-punch flattening of Darchinyan in 2007, Donaire had fought seven times against very good if not well-known opponents, men with a cumulative record of 170-13-5, and he’d gone 7-0 (6 KOs) while doing it. But none of them had much tested him, and only one had been undefeated when Donaire got to him.
Hence the suspicions. As usual, doubts about a Top Rank fighter’s otherwise remarkable achievements are a backhanded compliment to matchmaker Bruce Trampler. There are few fighters in the world who beat other men effectively as Trampler handicaps them. Trampler makes great fighters. And his brilliance might just be that rarest thing in our beloved, embellished sport: an underestimated entity.
Which is why a few folks out there remain shy of totally convinced by what their eyes saw Saturday when Donaire obliterated a man many suspected was, at worst, the world’s second-best bantamweight.
But Montiel was a 31 year-old tactician on a 12-fight unbeaten streak, for goodness’ sake! And he knocked-out Hozumi Hasegawa in Tokyo – something our prizefighting betters assured us was without precedent in modern bantamweight history.
Well, maybe. But what some saw Saturday was the same old Fernando Montiel, the guy who looked pretty good against Pramuansak Posuwan in Boxing World Cup ’05 and then pretty bad against Jhonny Gonzalez seven months later. When that impression was married to the data from HBO’s unofficial fight-night scale, showing Montiel’s body had grown 13 percent in fewer than 30 hours, the venti cup of credibility poured for us last week had some room left at the top.
Things aren’t the way they used to be. HBO’s trustworthiness as a boxing programmer in the last five years has been publicly challenged often enough, and by sources credible enough, that no subscriber any longer assumes a fight or fighter is great because HBO says so. The on-air talent knows this and often takes an apologetic or even defensive bent in its broadcasts; only Roy Jones Jr. remains an evangelist.
But none of this undermines how good Donaire looked Saturday. From the opening minute, he was in an entirely different class from Montiel’s. Where the Mexican looked tense and doubtful, Donaire looked fluid and assured. Where Montiel threw tentative range-finding punches, Donaire uncoiled counter hooks flamboyant for their commitment so early in a championship fight.
Donaire did not go after Montiel as a world champion making a title defense on boxing-television’s largest stage; he went after him like Montiel was just another hand-picked extra in an off-Broadway pay-per-view show. Montiel may not have been everything others promised, but he was still a hell of a lot better than Donaire made him look.
And because of the way he comported himself both during and after the fight, you have to believe Donaire when he says the few jabs and tentative right hands Montiel landed in the second stanza were part of a plan. First, Donaire allowed Montiel to touch him with the left. Then, when that succeeded, Donaire allowed Montiel to hang his jab, trigger a weak right-hand from Donaire, and try a left-hook counter behind it.
Soon as Montiel was confident enough to commit to a right cross, Donaire had him unconscious on the canvas, legs and arms twitching like a beetle tipped on its shell.
And that wasn’t enough? No, not quite. There is, after all, a Bantamweight Tournament being fought on Showtime. Its champion will be decided in Los Angeles two months from now. Whether he is Joseph Agbeko or Abner Mares, that champion will have undergone a more-public test than Donaire has. Will Mares or Agbeko fair any better against Donaire than Montiel did? Maybe not. But we won’t know till they fight.
Asked for his future plans, Saturday, Donaire said exactly the right thing: “I think that I want to be undisputed in this weight class.”
If Donaire handles the winner of the Bantamweight Tournament successfully, we’ll know he is the future of boxing. If not, we’ll have to see what boxing holds for Donaire’s future.
GOLDEN GLOVES
Writing of boxing’s future, at least in South Texas, it will be on display this week in San Antonio when the city hosts its 2011 Regional Golden Gloves Tournament. Festivities begin Tuesday night at 7:30 PM in the Woodlawn Gym on Cincinnati Avenue and culminate Saturday night at the majestic Municipal Auditorium, downtown.
You want a darkhorse pick? Happily: San Antonio Parks & Rec’s Benjamin Mendoza in the sub-novice heavyweight division.
Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com.
Source: 15rounds.com
Showing posts with label Vic Darchinyan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vic Darchinyan. Show all posts
Monday, 21 February 2011
Friday, 18 February 2011
Donaire hopes win vs. Montiel will be springboard to fame -- USA Today
By Bob Velin, USA TODAY
The best Filipino fighter this side of Manny Pacquiao takes to the ring Saturday night for what is expected to be the toughest challenge of his career.
Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs) will try to take the WBO and WBC bantamweight title belts that belong to his opponent, Fernando Montiel (44-2-2, 34 KOs) of Mexico, in a scheduled 12-round bout at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas (HBO live, 9:45 p.m. ET).
Donaire, who is from the same city in the Philippines as Pacquiao —General Santos City— but moved to the USA when he was 10, has knockout power he has demonstrated on several occasions.
U.S. fans first witnessed that power in Donaire's shocking one-punch (left hook), fifth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Vic Darchinyan at 112 pounds (flyweight) in 2007.
Last December, in his most recent display, Donaire disposed of Ukrainian Wladimir Sidorenko in four rounds, dropping him twice before the final KO, a left-hook counterpunch that showed viewers why his nickname is "the Flash." Sidorenko never saw the punch coming, and it left his face a bloody mess.
Donaire, 28, who has not lost since his second professional fight a decade ago, says he thinks a victory in this fight will finally propel him to the stardom that has eluded him since the Darchinyan KO. He figures it didn't happen then because fans were skeptical and some thought it might have been a fluke.
"My marketability will skyrocket. My name will get bigger and I will get bigger fights," Donaire says. "People will come after me because that's what happens when you're on top. My name is in the top pound-for-pound lists and no one can take that away from me after I beat Montiel."
Montiel, 31, is a savvy veteran who has been fighting professionally since he was 16 and has not lost since 2006. He is coming off a second-round stoppage of Jovanny Soto last December.
Montiel acknowledges that he and Donaire are friends and says he was impressed by Donaire's win against Sidorenko.
"But I'm not Sidorenko," says Montiel. "Sidorenko just stood there in front of him. I am not going to be standing in front of him. I'm going to be moving around and I'll be doing my job, too. I think our styles match real well and it's going to be a good fight."
Like his friend Pacquiao, a champion in a record eight weight divisions, Donaire hopes to keep moving up in weight.
"Right now I am not even touching the weights and I am blowing up to 135 (pounds) if I don't take care of myself for even just a few days," says Donaire, who will fight Montiel at 118 pounds. "I think I can fight as heavy as 130 or 135 because of how much bigger I have become."
Montiel is not so sure Donaire will be as good or as quick at the heavier weights.
"He is a good fighter but I think he was better at either 112 or 115," says Montiel. "We'll see how good he is at 118 and that will show in the ring."
On the televised undercard is a rematch of one of the top fights of 2010 — welterweights Mike Jones (23-0, 18 KOs) of Philadelphia against Jesus Soto-Karass (24-5-3, 16 KOs). Jones scored a close and controversial majority decision against Soto-Karass last November on the Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito undercard.
Source: usatoday.com
The best Filipino fighter this side of Manny Pacquiao takes to the ring Saturday night for what is expected to be the toughest challenge of his career.
Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs) will try to take the WBO and WBC bantamweight title belts that belong to his opponent, Fernando Montiel (44-2-2, 34 KOs) of Mexico, in a scheduled 12-round bout at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas (HBO live, 9:45 p.m. ET).
Donaire, who is from the same city in the Philippines as Pacquiao —General Santos City— but moved to the USA when he was 10, has knockout power he has demonstrated on several occasions.
U.S. fans first witnessed that power in Donaire's shocking one-punch (left hook), fifth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Vic Darchinyan at 112 pounds (flyweight) in 2007.
Last December, in his most recent display, Donaire disposed of Ukrainian Wladimir Sidorenko in four rounds, dropping him twice before the final KO, a left-hook counterpunch that showed viewers why his nickname is "the Flash." Sidorenko never saw the punch coming, and it left his face a bloody mess.
Donaire, 28, who has not lost since his second professional fight a decade ago, says he thinks a victory in this fight will finally propel him to the stardom that has eluded him since the Darchinyan KO. He figures it didn't happen then because fans were skeptical and some thought it might have been a fluke.
"My marketability will skyrocket. My name will get bigger and I will get bigger fights," Donaire says. "People will come after me because that's what happens when you're on top. My name is in the top pound-for-pound lists and no one can take that away from me after I beat Montiel."
Montiel, 31, is a savvy veteran who has been fighting professionally since he was 16 and has not lost since 2006. He is coming off a second-round stoppage of Jovanny Soto last December.
Montiel acknowledges that he and Donaire are friends and says he was impressed by Donaire's win against Sidorenko.
"But I'm not Sidorenko," says Montiel. "Sidorenko just stood there in front of him. I am not going to be standing in front of him. I'm going to be moving around and I'll be doing my job, too. I think our styles match real well and it's going to be a good fight."
Like his friend Pacquiao, a champion in a record eight weight divisions, Donaire hopes to keep moving up in weight.
"Right now I am not even touching the weights and I am blowing up to 135 (pounds) if I don't take care of myself for even just a few days," says Donaire, who will fight Montiel at 118 pounds. "I think I can fight as heavy as 130 or 135 because of how much bigger I have become."
Montiel is not so sure Donaire will be as good or as quick at the heavier weights.
"He is a good fighter but I think he was better at either 112 or 115," says Montiel. "We'll see how good he is at 118 and that will show in the ring."
On the televised undercard is a rematch of one of the top fights of 2010 — welterweights Mike Jones (23-0, 18 KOs) of Philadelphia against Jesus Soto-Karass (24-5-3, 16 KOs). Jones scored a close and controversial majority decision against Soto-Karass last November on the Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito undercard.
Source: usatoday.com
Friday, 7 May 2010
Cintron first on long list for Williams -- ESPN
By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com
Paul Williams a middleweight? A junior middleweight? Welterweight? Who knows? It all depends on which day you catch "The Punisher."
In his past five fights, Williams has fought in all three divisions -- welterweight, then at middleweight, then junior middleweight and then his last two bouts again at middleweight.
He's has had success in all three divisions. He's a former two-time welterweight titleholder, a former interim junior middleweight titleholder and, in his most recent fight in December, he beat the guy, Sergio Martinez, who would go on to win the middleweight championship in his following bout.
"I've been asked the same questions so many times about fighting in different weight classes, if I feel I am getting slighted, that sort of stuff, that my answers are almost like turning on a recorder and listening to it play, but only with my mouth moving," Williams said. "But, make no mistake, I don't mind getting the attention and all the questions. I am confident and comfortable fighting in different weight classes and I will continue to do so for as long as I can and it is feasible.
"Whatever the weight is, my mindset is -- and always has been -- to fight to the end. I think that is my greatest advantage. I'm satisfied with the way things are going."
Williams is returning to junior middleweight to tangle with big puncher Kermit Cintron (32-2-1, 28 KOs), a former welterweight titleholder, in a scheduled 12-rounder Saturday night (HBO, 9:45 ET) at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. HBO will open the telecast by replaying last Saturday's Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley pay-per-view bout.
But which division is really home for Williams (38-1, 27 KOs), who has bounced around the three weight classes in an effort to find the biggest fights?
Even though the lanky Williams is 6-foot-2, he and his team insist he can make the 147-pound welterweight limit and they are sick of hearing and reading that he can't, even though he hasn't fought in the division since drilling Carlos Quintana in the first round in their 2008 rematch.
Trainer George Peterson is probably more sick of the comments than anyone.
"Paul is saying, "Give me a 147-pounder and let me show you that I can make 147 pounds,'" a slightly annoyed Peterson said. "And if you are still that much in doubt then watch us eat breakfast before the weigh-in."
Promoter Dan Goossen said the only reason Williams has moved up and down in weight is because none of the top welterweights will give him the time of day, even though it's the division he prefers to fight in.
"With the welterweight division, it's getting harder and harder to find takers out there mainly because of the size discrepancy," Goossen said. "But it's not Paul's fault that he's 6-foot-2 and has a longer reach than the Klitschkos. But what has never left us is that we're looking to crack that superstardom, and the way to do that is to make the super fight. It's been no secret that's Paul's best weight is 147."
Like every other welterweight on the planet, the dream matches are against Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
"You throw any of the top welters out there and they've gone by the wayside now," Goossen said. "The [Miguel] Cottos, the [Antonio] Margaritos. I mean, Paul got rid of Margarito [in 2007] when no one wanted to. Cotto was dispatched by Margarito. So there are three welterweights that are out there today and they should all be mentioned in the same breath and that's Pacquiao, Mayweather and Williams. When everything is said and done, Paul is a 147-pounder. To be the best and to be the greatest and to be No. 1, I don't believe anyone can really say that until they get in the ring with Paul Williams. It may not be today or it may not be tomorrow but eventually Paul Williams will get his opportunity to show what we've been saying for the past two or three years. It will all come to fruition."
In his last bout, Williams eked out a majority decision against Martinez in a tremendous action fight. Williams had hoped to either face Martinez in a rematch or challenge Kelly Pavlik for the middleweight title in a fight that had already been called off three times previously. But when Pavlik and Martinez made a deal, it left Williams looking for another fight, and Cintron, whom Williams almost fought a few different times over the past few years, got the call.
"This fight has been in the works since 2006 when he was WBO champion and I was IBF champion. We were supposed to fight a unification fight back then," Cintron said. "There've been talks three or four times since, but the time wasn't right. Now, for me, the timing is perfect and I am very confident. You can call Williams a 'feared' fighter or whatever, but he's just another fighter for me. This will be an interesting fight because we've both overcome some obstacles to get here. Stylewise, it could be the fight of the year."
Cintron has fought his past three bouts at junior middleweight after a career at welterweight, so Williams is moving down to face him and enjoys confounding folks with his division hopping.
"To me, it's kind of fun," Williams said. "People can't really categorize me. It's hard because you can't get anybody to fight you. It takes discipline because once you finally pick a weight you've got to get up or down in weight. I kind of like it. [Moving divisions] isn't killing us so far. Everything's good. So if it's not broke don't fix it."
"Right now, Cintron is my main focus. The guy right in front of me is always my main focus. I don't think about any other possible fights. If I'm asked, I'll talk about it, but otherwise my sole concentration is my next fight. But my thing is I'll fight anybody if the money is right."
Donaire-Darchinyan rematch implodes
The proposed rematch between junior bantamweight champ Vic Darchinyan and interim titlist Nonito Donaire, slated for Aug. 21 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., is off.
Donaire scored a sensational fifth-round knockout of Darchinyan in a 2007 upset and there has been talk about a rematch since. They got close, but it fell through.
According to Darchinyan promoter Gary Shaw, it came down to a disagreement over international television rights and Darchinyan's team was tired of waiting for Donaire to sign the contract for which talks began almost six weeks ago.
"It was an easy fight to make and Showtime bought it right away and I have the Home Depot Center on hold," Shaw said. "I have nothing bad to say about Top Rank but the breakdown was on the international rights. Every day I would get calls from Vic's manager and be bombarded by e-mails to either make the fight or move on. I said let's be patient. Then I got an e-mail from Team Darchinyan saying they weren't going to wait. They said it shouldn't take five weeks to make a fight between 115 pounders who say they want to fight each other."
Top Rank's Carl Moretti, however, said the foreign TV situation had been ironed out and only after Top Rank agreed, did Darchinyan's management tell Shaw to pull the plug.
Shaw said Darchinyan will still fight Aug. 21 on Showtime on a telecast that is slated to also include the Carl Froch-Arthur Abraham Super Six bout from Europe.
Shaw said Darchinyan is interested in facing unified bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel; the winner of the May 22 bout between bantamweight titlist Yonnhy Perez and Abner Mares or moving to featherweight to face the winner of the May 22 main event, the fourth bout between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez.
Darchinyan won't get Montiel, according to Moretti. Top Rank co-promotes him with Fernando Beltran and they have no intention of giving Darchinyan the fight because Montiel-Donaire is a fight they'd like to do.
"That's a distinct possibility for the fall," Moretti told ESPN.com.
Moretti and Shaw worked for weeks to get Donaire-Darchinyan done but, said Moretti, "At the end of the day, it just couldn't be made. Life goes on. Darchinyan has the belts at 115 and knows he may never get to avenge a terrible beating. Besides, I'm dealing with bigger issues like my daughter's senior prom this weekend. Her date is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound all-county linebacker."
Moretti said Donaire could probably would fight in July before the possible fight with Montiel.
Familiar face
In September 2008, before Amir Khan claimed a junior welterweight title, he was blown out in 54 seconds by Colombian's Breidis Prescott (21-2, 18 KOs) in a lightweight bout. It was a shocking upset, although Khan rebounded to win his next four fights, including a 140-pound title against Andreas Kotelnik.
Now, Khan will see Prescott, who is 1-2 since his big win, again next week in New York. The reason? While Khan is slated to defend against New York's Paulie Malignaggi on HBO next Saturday at the Madison Square Garden Theater, Prescott faces Jason Davis on the undercard now that he's signed a co-promotional deal with Lou DiBella, who also promotes Malignaggi. Obviously, a rematch with Khan could loom in the future.
"Breidis still needs a little more work, but he punches like a mule and he holds a win over one of the hottest guys in the division, which means there's a big rematch for him down the road," DiBella told ESPN.com. "I don't know how big it will be after Paulie beats Khan but I'm sure it's a fight that Khan, a proud, young kid wants to avenge."
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
Source: espn.go.com
Paul Williams a middleweight? A junior middleweight? Welterweight? Who knows? It all depends on which day you catch "The Punisher."
In his past five fights, Williams has fought in all three divisions -- welterweight, then at middleweight, then junior middleweight and then his last two bouts again at middleweight.
He's has had success in all three divisions. He's a former two-time welterweight titleholder, a former interim junior middleweight titleholder and, in his most recent fight in December, he beat the guy, Sergio Martinez, who would go on to win the middleweight championship in his following bout.
"I've been asked the same questions so many times about fighting in different weight classes, if I feel I am getting slighted, that sort of stuff, that my answers are almost like turning on a recorder and listening to it play, but only with my mouth moving," Williams said. "But, make no mistake, I don't mind getting the attention and all the questions. I am confident and comfortable fighting in different weight classes and I will continue to do so for as long as I can and it is feasible.
"Whatever the weight is, my mindset is -- and always has been -- to fight to the end. I think that is my greatest advantage. I'm satisfied with the way things are going."
Williams is returning to junior middleweight to tangle with big puncher Kermit Cintron (32-2-1, 28 KOs), a former welterweight titleholder, in a scheduled 12-rounder Saturday night (HBO, 9:45 ET) at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. HBO will open the telecast by replaying last Saturday's Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley pay-per-view bout.
But which division is really home for Williams (38-1, 27 KOs), who has bounced around the three weight classes in an effort to find the biggest fights?
Even though the lanky Williams is 6-foot-2, he and his team insist he can make the 147-pound welterweight limit and they are sick of hearing and reading that he can't, even though he hasn't fought in the division since drilling Carlos Quintana in the first round in their 2008 rematch.
Trainer George Peterson is probably more sick of the comments than anyone.
"Paul is saying, "Give me a 147-pounder and let me show you that I can make 147 pounds,'" a slightly annoyed Peterson said. "And if you are still that much in doubt then watch us eat breakfast before the weigh-in."
Promoter Dan Goossen said the only reason Williams has moved up and down in weight is because none of the top welterweights will give him the time of day, even though it's the division he prefers to fight in.
"With the welterweight division, it's getting harder and harder to find takers out there mainly because of the size discrepancy," Goossen said. "But it's not Paul's fault that he's 6-foot-2 and has a longer reach than the Klitschkos. But what has never left us is that we're looking to crack that superstardom, and the way to do that is to make the super fight. It's been no secret that's Paul's best weight is 147."
Like every other welterweight on the planet, the dream matches are against Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
"You throw any of the top welters out there and they've gone by the wayside now," Goossen said. "The [Miguel] Cottos, the [Antonio] Margaritos. I mean, Paul got rid of Margarito [in 2007] when no one wanted to. Cotto was dispatched by Margarito. So there are three welterweights that are out there today and they should all be mentioned in the same breath and that's Pacquiao, Mayweather and Williams. When everything is said and done, Paul is a 147-pounder. To be the best and to be the greatest and to be No. 1, I don't believe anyone can really say that until they get in the ring with Paul Williams. It may not be today or it may not be tomorrow but eventually Paul Williams will get his opportunity to show what we've been saying for the past two or three years. It will all come to fruition."
In his last bout, Williams eked out a majority decision against Martinez in a tremendous action fight. Williams had hoped to either face Martinez in a rematch or challenge Kelly Pavlik for the middleweight title in a fight that had already been called off three times previously. But when Pavlik and Martinez made a deal, it left Williams looking for another fight, and Cintron, whom Williams almost fought a few different times over the past few years, got the call.
"This fight has been in the works since 2006 when he was WBO champion and I was IBF champion. We were supposed to fight a unification fight back then," Cintron said. "There've been talks three or four times since, but the time wasn't right. Now, for me, the timing is perfect and I am very confident. You can call Williams a 'feared' fighter or whatever, but he's just another fighter for me. This will be an interesting fight because we've both overcome some obstacles to get here. Stylewise, it could be the fight of the year."
Cintron has fought his past three bouts at junior middleweight after a career at welterweight, so Williams is moving down to face him and enjoys confounding folks with his division hopping.
"To me, it's kind of fun," Williams said. "People can't really categorize me. It's hard because you can't get anybody to fight you. It takes discipline because once you finally pick a weight you've got to get up or down in weight. I kind of like it. [Moving divisions] isn't killing us so far. Everything's good. So if it's not broke don't fix it."
"Right now, Cintron is my main focus. The guy right in front of me is always my main focus. I don't think about any other possible fights. If I'm asked, I'll talk about it, but otherwise my sole concentration is my next fight. But my thing is I'll fight anybody if the money is right."
Donaire-Darchinyan rematch implodes
The proposed rematch between junior bantamweight champ Vic Darchinyan and interim titlist Nonito Donaire, slated for Aug. 21 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., is off.
Donaire scored a sensational fifth-round knockout of Darchinyan in a 2007 upset and there has been talk about a rematch since. They got close, but it fell through.
According to Darchinyan promoter Gary Shaw, it came down to a disagreement over international television rights and Darchinyan's team was tired of waiting for Donaire to sign the contract for which talks began almost six weeks ago.
"It was an easy fight to make and Showtime bought it right away and I have the Home Depot Center on hold," Shaw said. "I have nothing bad to say about Top Rank but the breakdown was on the international rights. Every day I would get calls from Vic's manager and be bombarded by e-mails to either make the fight or move on. I said let's be patient. Then I got an e-mail from Team Darchinyan saying they weren't going to wait. They said it shouldn't take five weeks to make a fight between 115 pounders who say they want to fight each other."
Top Rank's Carl Moretti, however, said the foreign TV situation had been ironed out and only after Top Rank agreed, did Darchinyan's management tell Shaw to pull the plug.
Shaw said Darchinyan will still fight Aug. 21 on Showtime on a telecast that is slated to also include the Carl Froch-Arthur Abraham Super Six bout from Europe.
Shaw said Darchinyan is interested in facing unified bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel; the winner of the May 22 bout between bantamweight titlist Yonnhy Perez and Abner Mares or moving to featherweight to face the winner of the May 22 main event, the fourth bout between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez.
Darchinyan won't get Montiel, according to Moretti. Top Rank co-promotes him with Fernando Beltran and they have no intention of giving Darchinyan the fight because Montiel-Donaire is a fight they'd like to do.
"That's a distinct possibility for the fall," Moretti told ESPN.com.
Moretti and Shaw worked for weeks to get Donaire-Darchinyan done but, said Moretti, "At the end of the day, it just couldn't be made. Life goes on. Darchinyan has the belts at 115 and knows he may never get to avenge a terrible beating. Besides, I'm dealing with bigger issues like my daughter's senior prom this weekend. Her date is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound all-county linebacker."
Moretti said Donaire could probably would fight in July before the possible fight with Montiel.
Familiar face
In September 2008, before Amir Khan claimed a junior welterweight title, he was blown out in 54 seconds by Colombian's Breidis Prescott (21-2, 18 KOs) in a lightweight bout. It was a shocking upset, although Khan rebounded to win his next four fights, including a 140-pound title against Andreas Kotelnik.
Now, Khan will see Prescott, who is 1-2 since his big win, again next week in New York. The reason? While Khan is slated to defend against New York's Paulie Malignaggi on HBO next Saturday at the Madison Square Garden Theater, Prescott faces Jason Davis on the undercard now that he's signed a co-promotional deal with Lou DiBella, who also promotes Malignaggi. Obviously, a rematch with Khan could loom in the future.
"Breidis still needs a little more work, but he punches like a mule and he holds a win over one of the hottest guys in the division, which means there's a big rematch for him down the road," DiBella told ESPN.com. "I don't know how big it will be after Paulie beats Khan but I'm sure it's a fight that Khan, a proud, young kid wants to avenge."
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
Source: espn.go.com
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Donaire-Darchinyan rematch is off -- PhilBoxing
By Ronnie Nathanielsz, PhilBoxing.com
The eagerly awaited rematch between WBA super flyweight interim champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash
” Donaire and WBC/WBA champion Vic Darchinyan is off.
Donaire and his wife Rachael along with manager Cameron Dunkin met with Top Rank president Todd duBeof in Las Vegas Tuesday after which Donaire’s wife informed us that Top Rank claimed that Darchinyan himself “didn’t want anything to do with Nonito.”
Asked whether the negotiations with Darchinyan’s promoter Gary Shaw fell through over money, she indicated she really didn't know. Shaw told us some weeks ago he had reached an agreement with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and was waiting for a response from the Darchinyan camp later but later on turned around and told us that he was not happy with the deal covering the international television rights particularly since the fight was to be telecast in the Philippines. Under a two year deal with Top Rank, the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN would telecast the fight.
The Donaire’s were stuck for three hours at the Las Vegas airport while waiting for their return flight to San Francisco and even their mobile phones were down forcing her to communicate with us through Yahoo Messenger.
She revealed that the “plan” of Top Rank was for Nonito to have a tune-up fight in July on the undercard of a Yuriorkis Gamboa fight in Las Vegas after which they would line up a title fight against newly crowned WBC champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel who is also the reigning WBO champion. Montiel who won the WBC belt with a stunning 4th round, last second TKO over highly fancied Japanese Hozumi Hasegawa in Tokyo last Friday had said in a post-fight interview that after a rest he wanted to fight Donaire and Darchinyan which provides a window of opportunity for Donaire who has always wanted to fight the best, including Montiel.
Rachael Donaire said Nonito “didn’t feel well and he was just sick to the stomach to hear that the Darchinyan fight fell through.” She said that based on what they were told by Top Rank “now Darchinyan really will look like a coward.”
Donaire who is ranked No. 4 in the latest Ring Magazine pound-for-pound rankings “wants a clear belt at 115 pounds” with Rachael Donaire indicating that is what she told duBeof. The Donaires admitted they were upset when duBeof “kept talking fights with this or that person” and told him “he doesn’t apparently know Nonito.”
She pointed out that “the belts are important to Nonito. It's his dream.” In fact before his last fight against Manuel Vargas at the Las Vegas Hilton on February 13, Donaire told us that he has a blueprint for the future which is to follow the path carved out by pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and to win titles all the way up to junior lightweight where the late Gabriel “Flash” Elorde reigned as world champion for almost seven-and-a-half years.
She lamented the fact that Darchinyan had the belts and that they need to find an opponent who HBO will buy to have fans watch, pointing out that WBO champion Jorge Arce “won’t fight” Donaire leaving only IBF super flyweight champion Simphiwe Nongqayi who won the title beating Arce handily in Mexico last September.
Our efforts to contact promoter Gary Shaw who is always most accommodating to find out what was going on unfortunately failed although we were able to leave a call back number.
Source: philboxing.com
The eagerly awaited rematch between WBA super flyweight interim champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash
” Donaire and WBC/WBA champion Vic Darchinyan is off. Donaire and his wife Rachael along with manager Cameron Dunkin met with Top Rank president Todd duBeof in Las Vegas Tuesday after which Donaire’s wife informed us that Top Rank claimed that Darchinyan himself “didn’t want anything to do with Nonito.”
Asked whether the negotiations with Darchinyan’s promoter Gary Shaw fell through over money, she indicated she really didn't know. Shaw told us some weeks ago he had reached an agreement with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and was waiting for a response from the Darchinyan camp later but later on turned around and told us that he was not happy with the deal covering the international television rights particularly since the fight was to be telecast in the Philippines. Under a two year deal with Top Rank, the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN would telecast the fight. The Donaire’s were stuck for three hours at the Las Vegas airport while waiting for their return flight to San Francisco and even their mobile phones were down forcing her to communicate with us through Yahoo Messenger.
She revealed that the “plan” of Top Rank was for Nonito to have a tune-up fight in July on the undercard of a Yuriorkis Gamboa fight in Las Vegas after which they would line up a title fight against newly crowned WBC champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel who is also the reigning WBO champion. Montiel who won the WBC belt with a stunning 4th round, last second TKO over highly fancied Japanese Hozumi Hasegawa in Tokyo last Friday had said in a post-fight interview that after a rest he wanted to fight Donaire and Darchinyan which provides a window of opportunity for Donaire who has always wanted to fight the best, including Montiel.
Rachael Donaire said Nonito “didn’t feel well and he was just sick to the stomach to hear that the Darchinyan fight fell through.” She said that based on what they were told by Top Rank “now Darchinyan really will look like a coward.”
Donaire who is ranked No. 4 in the latest Ring Magazine pound-for-pound rankings “wants a clear belt at 115 pounds” with Rachael Donaire indicating that is what she told duBeof. The Donaires admitted they were upset when duBeof “kept talking fights with this or that person” and told him “he doesn’t apparently know Nonito.”
She pointed out that “the belts are important to Nonito. It's his dream.” In fact before his last fight against Manuel Vargas at the Las Vegas Hilton on February 13, Donaire told us that he has a blueprint for the future which is to follow the path carved out by pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and to win titles all the way up to junior lightweight where the late Gabriel “Flash” Elorde reigned as world champion for almost seven-and-a-half years.
She lamented the fact that Darchinyan had the belts and that they need to find an opponent who HBO will buy to have fans watch, pointing out that WBO champion Jorge Arce “won’t fight” Donaire leaving only IBF super flyweight champion Simphiwe Nongqayi who won the title beating Arce handily in Mexico last September.
Our efforts to contact promoter Gary Shaw who is always most accommodating to find out what was going on unfortunately failed although we were able to leave a call back number.
Source: philboxing.com
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Kostya Tszyu rates Vic Darchinyan as Australia's best boxer -- FOXSports
By Max Abbott, foxsports.com.au
Boxing legend Kostya Tszyu rates Vic Darchinyan as Australia's best pound-for-pound boxer, despite the recent success of Danny Green and Anthony Mundine.
Speaking on the Fox Sports News' Long Lunch, Tszyu said that Darchinyan had proven that he could fight on the world stage.
"He is fighting not in his territory," Tszyu said.
"He is fighting in the States on US television and I think from that point of view he is a bigger star than Danny or Anthony."
Tszyu also hinted that his decorated boxing career may not be over, suggesting that a big enough offer could lure him back into the ring.
"Something big, something (with) big interest that I would talk to my family and they will say ‘look Kostya you are not ready to retire, do it’ and then I will say yeah I will," he said.
"Maybe fight against big names, maybe, that can be exciting,"
"We’ll see this weekend Floyd Mayweather against Shane Mosely, this can be good challenge for me, you never know."
Despite Australia’s recent boxing success, Tszyu said more financial support was needed from the government to allow the sport to continue to flourish.
"We have to create a system where kids can train for free.
"If we do this then more kids come for boxing, more kids going to go away from the street
"It is important for us to do it."
Tszyu suggested maybe he might night need to push envelope in parliament to get the wheels in motion.
"Maybe one day I go and put the suit and tie on and go and do it," he said.
Source: foxsports.com.au
Boxing legend Kostya Tszyu rates Vic Darchinyan as Australia's best pound-for-pound boxer, despite the recent success of Danny Green and Anthony Mundine.
Speaking on the Fox Sports News' Long Lunch, Tszyu said that Darchinyan had proven that he could fight on the world stage.
"He is fighting not in his territory," Tszyu said.
"He is fighting in the States on US television and I think from that point of view he is a bigger star than Danny or Anthony."
Tszyu also hinted that his decorated boxing career may not be over, suggesting that a big enough offer could lure him back into the ring.
"Something big, something (with) big interest that I would talk to my family and they will say ‘look Kostya you are not ready to retire, do it’ and then I will say yeah I will," he said.
"Maybe fight against big names, maybe, that can be exciting,"
"We’ll see this weekend Floyd Mayweather against Shane Mosely, this can be good challenge for me, you never know."
Despite Australia’s recent boxing success, Tszyu said more financial support was needed from the government to allow the sport to continue to flourish.
"We have to create a system where kids can train for free.
"If we do this then more kids come for boxing, more kids going to go away from the street
"It is important for us to do it."
Tszyu suggested maybe he might night need to push envelope in parliament to get the wheels in motion.
"Maybe one day I go and put the suit and tie on and go and do it," he said.
Source: foxsports.com.au
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Pacquiao numbers still on hold; Donaire-Darchinyan rematch taking shape -- Los Angeles Times
By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times
HBO and Manny Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank, are still waiting on cable-company numbers to establish the total number of pay-per-view buys for the Filipino star's lopsided victory over Joshua Clottey last week in Arlington, Texas.
"It's like we're CNN, we think we can project a good number," Arum said. "We do have the Puerto Rico numbers, and they're very good."
The WBO welterweight title bout drew 50,000-plus to Cowboys Stadium, and Pacquiao outpunched Clottey by more than a 3-to-1 margin to win every round on one judge's card, and 11 of the 12 on two others'.
With Clottey bringing little name recognition to the bout, HBO didn't promote it as it will the May 1 Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley fight with a four-part "24/7" series.
Yet, those around the promotion are expecting the number of buys to be in the 700,000 to 750,000 range, perhaps higher, and, worst case, only slightly lower.
The performance shows Pacquiao's popularity has nearly doubled in two years. In March 2008, Pacquiao's bout against Juan Manuel Marquez had just over 400,000 buys.
DONAIRE-DARCHINYAN UPDATE: Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum said negotiations are expected to conclude next week to stage a Nonito Donaire-Vic Darchinyan super-flyweight world title fight Aug. 7 at Home Depot Center in Carson.
Donaire (23-1, 15 knockouts) scored a TKO victory over Darchinyan in 2007. Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 KOs) rallied to capture the super-flyweight world titles in 2008, and earlier this month he defeated Rodrigo Guerrero by unanimous decision in Rancho Mirage.
Arum said Darchinyan's promoter, Gary Shaw, presented an offer this week for the bout, which would be televised by Showtime.
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
HBO and Manny Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank, are still waiting on cable-company numbers to establish the total number of pay-per-view buys for the Filipino star's lopsided victory over Joshua Clottey last week in Arlington, Texas.
"It's like we're CNN, we think we can project a good number," Arum said. "We do have the Puerto Rico numbers, and they're very good."
The WBO welterweight title bout drew 50,000-plus to Cowboys Stadium, and Pacquiao outpunched Clottey by more than a 3-to-1 margin to win every round on one judge's card, and 11 of the 12 on two others'.
With Clottey bringing little name recognition to the bout, HBO didn't promote it as it will the May 1 Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley fight with a four-part "24/7" series.
Yet, those around the promotion are expecting the number of buys to be in the 700,000 to 750,000 range, perhaps higher, and, worst case, only slightly lower.
The performance shows Pacquiao's popularity has nearly doubled in two years. In March 2008, Pacquiao's bout against Juan Manuel Marquez had just over 400,000 buys.
DONAIRE-DARCHINYAN UPDATE: Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum said negotiations are expected to conclude next week to stage a Nonito Donaire-Vic Darchinyan super-flyweight world title fight Aug. 7 at Home Depot Center in Carson.
Donaire (23-1, 15 knockouts) scored a TKO victory over Darchinyan in 2007. Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 KOs) rallied to capture the super-flyweight world titles in 2008, and earlier this month he defeated Rodrigo Guerrero by unanimous decision in Rancho Mirage.
Arum said Darchinyan's promoter, Gary Shaw, presented an offer this week for the bout, which would be televised by Showtime.
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
Chambers confident ahead of Klitschko clash -- ESPN
By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com
Underdog or not, Eddie Chambers exudes confidence.
"This is a tremendous opportunity. I am so excited about it, and I can't wait to get into the ring on Saturday and shock the world," Chambers said this week from Germany.
The 27-year-old Philadelphia fighter was referring to what many view as an uphill battle when he challenges heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko at Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany, where a crowd of more than 50,000 is expected.
Virtually every one of them will be hoping to see another dominant performance from Klitschko, who is making his eighth defense and returning from a nine-month layoff following his domination of Ruslan Chagaev last summer and subsequent shoulder surgery that kept him on the shelf.
Chambers (35-1, 18 KOs), however, says he's in it to win it.
"I want people to see I am one of the better fighters in the world," Chambers said. "I'm excited to fight one of the best fighters of my time and to prove that I'm also one of the best. This is the culmination of all the hard work, and I just can't wait to get it done."
Whatever happens, it will take place without American television coverage, a shocker considering this is a heavyweight championship fight involving a legitimate American challenger. The fight is available in the U.S. only on a pay basis on Klitschko's Web site.
Dan Goossen, Chambers' promoter, said he wasn't upset there will be no television. He's just anxious for Chambers to get his opportunity.
"Eddie is on a mission to show the world he's capable of becoming the next great heavyweight champion," he said. "I can understand the reticence of the networks. Because of [how Klitschko fights], the networks have waned on their interest in Klitschko."
Said Chambers, "I use [no U.S. TV] as more motivation. I agree maybe they're a little tired of watching Klitschko and most people don't think I have a chance and that I don't look like I'm a real threat. I think they're making a huge mistake because this will be one of the best fights of the year. I am going to go in there and give it my all. He'll give it his all."
Chambers has paid his dues and earned his opportunity, regardless of the American networks' distaste for the fight. He's faced good opposition to emerge as a serious contender.
His most notable victories came in his past two fights, decisions against former titleholder Samuel Peter last March and Alexander Dimitrenko on July 4 in Germany, a win that secured him the mandatory shot against Klitschko (53-3, 47 KOs).
Although Chambers will be at a disadvantage in height (6-foot-1 to 6-6) and weight (approximately 210 pounds to 240), he said he isn't concerned. He has speed and plans to use it.
"Most people go in with Wladimir and think they have to adjust their style to coincide with his," Chambers said. "You have to find a way to implement your style. I have good speed. I'm a boxer by nature. I have to find a way to implement that. I plan to. I was able to do it with Dimitrenko."
Indeed, Dimitrenko, while not nearly as good as Klitschko, is almost a physical carbon copy.
Yet Chambers easily outboxed the favorite. He also pounded him to the body, hurt him with both hands and scored two knockdowns.
It's that experience -- fighting on the road against a much bigger man -- that Chambers hopes will pay dividends against Klitschko.
"It was like, 'How lucky are we?' Most people thought, 'Why would you fight this guy?' This is the best opponent we could possibly fight to get prepared for the best heavyweight in the world," Chambers said. "His style and a lot of things he did gave me the confidence that I could go in there and fight with any of the best fighters in the world."
"Eddie has grown tremendously in the last year, and it finally came to fruition in the Dimitrenko fight," said Goossen, who already has seen two of his heavyweights, Tony Thompson and Cris Arreola, get stopped in title fights against the Klitschko brothers -- Arreola by Vitali in September and Thompson by Wladimir in 2008. "He put it all together from an offensive end to with his talent defensively. That is why I believe we will shock the world, but it won't be a shock to us."
Klitschko has a different take.
"I am 33 years old and at the top of my athletic ability," he said. "I have never been so strong, fast and experienced. Eddie is a very talented fighter and has a very difficult style, but I am well prepared to defend my titles. My belts will stay in the Klitschko family."
Besides confidence, Chambers also is now a seasoned pro when it comes to fighting in Germany. This will be his third fight there. He beat Dimitrenko on trip No. 2 but lost an eliminator there to 2004 Olympic gold medalist Alexander Povetkin (the mandatory challenger for the winner of Saturday's fight) in 2008.
Even though Chambers lost in a competitive fight, it turned out to be an important lesson.
"The first time I went [to Germany], I wasn't prepared as mentally as I should have been," he said. "I didn't relax. I was a little on edge. It was my first big fight. It was just something in my mind; I was still kind a kid and not mentally as ready for it. I didn't have as much time to train and I was too uptight. I was just sitting in my room and worrying."
Chambers was much more comfortable when he went there and beat Dimitrenko.
"When I went the second time, I was more relaxed, laughing, enjoying myself and having a good time," he said. "I learned that throughout all the hoopla and pressure, you have to find a way to enjoy it. You have to find that happy medium where you know how serious and how big of a deal it is but also enjoy it. This is something that should be enjoyed. This is the big time, so you should be enjoying it."
"We have mapped out a game plan that will be the plan people will use and see how to beat bigger opponents," said Rob Murray Sr., Chambers' trainer and manager. "We feel very confident. We put the negativity behind us from our first trip here, and we will be up for the challenge and bring back the heavyweight championship of the world to the United States.
"Our plan is to win, and we will win handily. We will win without a doubt. There will be no doubt in anyone's mind."
Donaire-Darchinyan rematch?
The rivalry between junior bantamweight champ Vic Darchinyan and interim titlist Nonito Donaire is perhaps the most compelling in the smaller weight divisions. Ever since Donaire knocked Darchinyan out in the fifth round of a 2007 upset to win a flyweight title, there has been demand for a rematch between these two fighters with power and personality.
But when Donaire dumped promoter Gary Shaw, who also promotes Darchinyan, to sign with Top Rank, Shaw swore there would never be a rematch.
Donaire (23-1, 15 KOs) went about his business and is 5-0 since beating Darchinyan, including a move up in weight to claim an interim belt. Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 KOs) has remained a regular on Showtime despite the loss and is 6-1-1 since then, including unifying three junior bantamweight belts but also losing to Joseph Agbeko in a bantamweight title shot. And Shaw has softened his stance; with no significant fights on the horizon for either man, Shaw and Top Rank's Bob Arum began talking seriously about a rematch this week, both told ESPN.com. It would take place in August on Showtime.
"I think we've made it, practically," Arum said. "Gary, for all his bluster, is not a hard guy to finalize a deal with. When you sit and talk to him, you can make a deal."
Said Shaw, "Hope we have enough money to make the fight. Not sure what each fighter thinks the fight is worth. My thoughts are, I make whatever fight Vic wants, and he wants revenge against Nonito."
Ahead of the rematch, Arum and Donaire manager Cameron Dunkin said he'll probably fight May 15 on "Top Rank Live" to prepare.
Unhappy Green
Super middleweight Allan Green, the alternate who replaced Jermain Taylor in the Super Six tournament, was upset when titleholder Andre Ward postponed their April 24 bout this week.
Ward, who has a bum right knee, is expected to return in six weeks. Green said he believes Ward is afraid to face him.
"I honestly don't think he will ever get in the ring with me," Green said. "I don't think this is a fight Andre Ward and his people ever wanted. If I had it my way, he'd take a cortisone shot and fight. I seriously doubt he's ever going to fight me. I hope [the injury is] valid, because there's been a lot put into this from everybody involved and there's no time to play games. If he were fighting Jermain Taylor or Sakio Bika, I'm sure he'd be good to go. I'm a fighter. I fight through bumps, bruises and injuries.
"I fought Tarvis Simms with a bad right shoulder. If your knee keeps getting hurt, it could be something chronic and you're probably not going to be ready in six weeks. If your knee is swollen, just take a cortisone shot, stop bitching and get your ass in the ring."
Showtime still will air the other half of the April 24 Super Six doubleheader on same-day tape, England's Carl Froch defending his 168-pound belt on Mikkel Kessler's turf in Denmark.
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
Source: espn.go.com
Underdog or not, Eddie Chambers exudes confidence.
"This is a tremendous opportunity. I am so excited about it, and I can't wait to get into the ring on Saturday and shock the world," Chambers said this week from Germany.
The 27-year-old Philadelphia fighter was referring to what many view as an uphill battle when he challenges heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko at Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany, where a crowd of more than 50,000 is expected.
Virtually every one of them will be hoping to see another dominant performance from Klitschko, who is making his eighth defense and returning from a nine-month layoff following his domination of Ruslan Chagaev last summer and subsequent shoulder surgery that kept him on the shelf.
Chambers (35-1, 18 KOs), however, says he's in it to win it.
"I want people to see I am one of the better fighters in the world," Chambers said. "I'm excited to fight one of the best fighters of my time and to prove that I'm also one of the best. This is the culmination of all the hard work, and I just can't wait to get it done."
Whatever happens, it will take place without American television coverage, a shocker considering this is a heavyweight championship fight involving a legitimate American challenger. The fight is available in the U.S. only on a pay basis on Klitschko's Web site.
Dan Goossen, Chambers' promoter, said he wasn't upset there will be no television. He's just anxious for Chambers to get his opportunity.
"Eddie is on a mission to show the world he's capable of becoming the next great heavyweight champion," he said. "I can understand the reticence of the networks. Because of [how Klitschko fights], the networks have waned on their interest in Klitschko."
Said Chambers, "I use [no U.S. TV] as more motivation. I agree maybe they're a little tired of watching Klitschko and most people don't think I have a chance and that I don't look like I'm a real threat. I think they're making a huge mistake because this will be one of the best fights of the year. I am going to go in there and give it my all. He'll give it his all."
Chambers has paid his dues and earned his opportunity, regardless of the American networks' distaste for the fight. He's faced good opposition to emerge as a serious contender.
His most notable victories came in his past two fights, decisions against former titleholder Samuel Peter last March and Alexander Dimitrenko on July 4 in Germany, a win that secured him the mandatory shot against Klitschko (53-3, 47 KOs).
Although Chambers will be at a disadvantage in height (6-foot-1 to 6-6) and weight (approximately 210 pounds to 240), he said he isn't concerned. He has speed and plans to use it.
"Most people go in with Wladimir and think they have to adjust their style to coincide with his," Chambers said. "You have to find a way to implement your style. I have good speed. I'm a boxer by nature. I have to find a way to implement that. I plan to. I was able to do it with Dimitrenko."
Indeed, Dimitrenko, while not nearly as good as Klitschko, is almost a physical carbon copy.
Yet Chambers easily outboxed the favorite. He also pounded him to the body, hurt him with both hands and scored two knockdowns.
It's that experience -- fighting on the road against a much bigger man -- that Chambers hopes will pay dividends against Klitschko.
"It was like, 'How lucky are we?' Most people thought, 'Why would you fight this guy?' This is the best opponent we could possibly fight to get prepared for the best heavyweight in the world," Chambers said. "His style and a lot of things he did gave me the confidence that I could go in there and fight with any of the best fighters in the world."
"Eddie has grown tremendously in the last year, and it finally came to fruition in the Dimitrenko fight," said Goossen, who already has seen two of his heavyweights, Tony Thompson and Cris Arreola, get stopped in title fights against the Klitschko brothers -- Arreola by Vitali in September and Thompson by Wladimir in 2008. "He put it all together from an offensive end to with his talent defensively. That is why I believe we will shock the world, but it won't be a shock to us."
Klitschko has a different take.
"I am 33 years old and at the top of my athletic ability," he said. "I have never been so strong, fast and experienced. Eddie is a very talented fighter and has a very difficult style, but I am well prepared to defend my titles. My belts will stay in the Klitschko family."
Besides confidence, Chambers also is now a seasoned pro when it comes to fighting in Germany. This will be his third fight there. He beat Dimitrenko on trip No. 2 but lost an eliminator there to 2004 Olympic gold medalist Alexander Povetkin (the mandatory challenger for the winner of Saturday's fight) in 2008.
Even though Chambers lost in a competitive fight, it turned out to be an important lesson.
"The first time I went [to Germany], I wasn't prepared as mentally as I should have been," he said. "I didn't relax. I was a little on edge. It was my first big fight. It was just something in my mind; I was still kind a kid and not mentally as ready for it. I didn't have as much time to train and I was too uptight. I was just sitting in my room and worrying."
Chambers was much more comfortable when he went there and beat Dimitrenko.
"When I went the second time, I was more relaxed, laughing, enjoying myself and having a good time," he said. "I learned that throughout all the hoopla and pressure, you have to find a way to enjoy it. You have to find that happy medium where you know how serious and how big of a deal it is but also enjoy it. This is something that should be enjoyed. This is the big time, so you should be enjoying it."
"We have mapped out a game plan that will be the plan people will use and see how to beat bigger opponents," said Rob Murray Sr., Chambers' trainer and manager. "We feel very confident. We put the negativity behind us from our first trip here, and we will be up for the challenge and bring back the heavyweight championship of the world to the United States.
"Our plan is to win, and we will win handily. We will win without a doubt. There will be no doubt in anyone's mind."
Donaire-Darchinyan rematch?
The rivalry between junior bantamweight champ Vic Darchinyan and interim titlist Nonito Donaire is perhaps the most compelling in the smaller weight divisions. Ever since Donaire knocked Darchinyan out in the fifth round of a 2007 upset to win a flyweight title, there has been demand for a rematch between these two fighters with power and personality.
But when Donaire dumped promoter Gary Shaw, who also promotes Darchinyan, to sign with Top Rank, Shaw swore there would never be a rematch.
Donaire (23-1, 15 KOs) went about his business and is 5-0 since beating Darchinyan, including a move up in weight to claim an interim belt. Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 KOs) has remained a regular on Showtime despite the loss and is 6-1-1 since then, including unifying three junior bantamweight belts but also losing to Joseph Agbeko in a bantamweight title shot. And Shaw has softened his stance; with no significant fights on the horizon for either man, Shaw and Top Rank's Bob Arum began talking seriously about a rematch this week, both told ESPN.com. It would take place in August on Showtime.
"I think we've made it, practically," Arum said. "Gary, for all his bluster, is not a hard guy to finalize a deal with. When you sit and talk to him, you can make a deal."
Said Shaw, "Hope we have enough money to make the fight. Not sure what each fighter thinks the fight is worth. My thoughts are, I make whatever fight Vic wants, and he wants revenge against Nonito."
Ahead of the rematch, Arum and Donaire manager Cameron Dunkin said he'll probably fight May 15 on "Top Rank Live" to prepare.
Unhappy Green
Super middleweight Allan Green, the alternate who replaced Jermain Taylor in the Super Six tournament, was upset when titleholder Andre Ward postponed their April 24 bout this week.
Ward, who has a bum right knee, is expected to return in six weeks. Green said he believes Ward is afraid to face him.
"I honestly don't think he will ever get in the ring with me," Green said. "I don't think this is a fight Andre Ward and his people ever wanted. If I had it my way, he'd take a cortisone shot and fight. I seriously doubt he's ever going to fight me. I hope [the injury is] valid, because there's been a lot put into this from everybody involved and there's no time to play games. If he were fighting Jermain Taylor or Sakio Bika, I'm sure he'd be good to go. I'm a fighter. I fight through bumps, bruises and injuries.
"I fought Tarvis Simms with a bad right shoulder. If your knee keeps getting hurt, it could be something chronic and you're probably not going to be ready in six weeks. If your knee is swollen, just take a cortisone shot, stop bitching and get your ass in the ring."
Showtime still will air the other half of the April 24 Super Six doubleheader on same-day tape, England's Carl Froch defending his 168-pound belt on Mikkel Kessler's turf in Denmark.
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
Source: espn.go.com
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Points win takes toll on Darchinyan -- Sydney Morning Herald
By ADRIAN WARREN, The Sydney Morning Herald
WORLD Boxing Association and World Boxing Council super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan injured himself battering Mexican Rodrigo Guerrero on a historic night for Australian boxing.
The Sydney fighter dominated the contest in Rancho Mirage, California, but gutsy Guerrero somehow survived and the champion had to settle for the first 12-round points win of his professional career.
Darchinyan, 34 (33-2-1, 27 KOs), earned the judges' decisions with scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 117-111. He skinned his left knuckles pounding Guerrero's head.
''His left knuckles are all worn,'' said Darchinyan's trainer, Angelo Hyder. ''It's like he's been punching a punching bag with no gloves on … never in boxing have I seen anyone wear the skin off their knuckles from hitting someone so much.''
In the first American pay television promotion featuring two Australians in the major bouts, Sydneysider Lenny Zappavigna also scored a 12-round unanimous points win, defeating Venezuela-based Ecuadorian Fernando Angulo.
Zappavigna, 22 (23-0 15 KOs), dominated the early rounds but was forced to dig deep after suffering injuries near both eyes on his way to collecting the vacant IBO lightweight boxing world title. Some at Agua Caliente Casino booed when Zappavigna won by two scores of 116-111 and another of 114-113.
While his injuries required stitches, Darchinyan was amazed by his opponent's durability.
''I was surprised how many big punches he was taking; I just kept feeling my knuckles on his head,'' Darchinyan said.
''From the first round I threw many big punches and I thought he was going to go down. I've never fought a kid that takes those punches and stayed in front of me.''
Guerrero, whose record dropped to 13-2 (9 KOs), was an unknown quantity coming into the fight and the Darchinyan camp could not find any footage of the challenger. He tried to take the fight to Darchinyan but lacked the power and technique to worry the champion.
Zappavigna said his bout with Angulo was the toughest of his career. ''He's a tough boy,'' Zappavigna said. ''It was awesome - I enjoyed it.''
AAP
Source: smh.com.au
***
WORLD Boxing Association and World Boxing Council super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan injured himself battering Mexican Rodrigo Guerrero on a historic night for Australian boxing.
The Sydney fighter dominated the contest in Rancho Mirage, California, but gutsy Guerrero somehow survived and the champion had to settle for the first 12-round points win of his professional career.
Darchinyan, 34 (33-2-1, 27 KOs), earned the judges' decisions with scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 117-111. He skinned his left knuckles pounding Guerrero's head.
''His left knuckles are all worn,'' said Darchinyan's trainer, Angelo Hyder. ''It's like he's been punching a punching bag with no gloves on … never in boxing have I seen anyone wear the skin off their knuckles from hitting someone so much.''
In the first American pay television promotion featuring two Australians in the major bouts, Sydneysider Lenny Zappavigna also scored a 12-round unanimous points win, defeating Venezuela-based Ecuadorian Fernando Angulo.
Zappavigna, 22 (23-0 15 KOs), dominated the early rounds but was forced to dig deep after suffering injuries near both eyes on his way to collecting the vacant IBO lightweight boxing world title. Some at Agua Caliente Casino booed when Zappavigna won by two scores of 116-111 and another of 114-113.
While his injuries required stitches, Darchinyan was amazed by his opponent's durability.
''I was surprised how many big punches he was taking; I just kept feeling my knuckles on his head,'' Darchinyan said.
''From the first round I threw many big punches and I thought he was going to go down. I've never fought a kid that takes those punches and stayed in front of me.''
Guerrero, whose record dropped to 13-2 (9 KOs), was an unknown quantity coming into the fight and the Darchinyan camp could not find any footage of the challenger. He tried to take the fight to Darchinyan but lacked the power and technique to worry the champion.
Zappavigna said his bout with Angulo was the toughest of his career. ''He's a tough boy,'' Zappavigna said. ''It was awesome - I enjoyed it.''
AAP
Source: smh.com.au
***
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Darchinyan wants second shot at Donaire but ready to move on -- The Ring
By Michael Rosenthal, The Ring
If you want to get Vic Darchinyan riled, just mention Nonito Donaire.
No, it’s not that he was knocked out by Donaire in 2007, the Armenian-born brawler’s first of two losses. Darchinyan seems to have accepted that. What angers him is that he believes Donaire doesn’t want a rematch -- in part because Donaire scheduled a fight in May -- and that his conqueror is perceived by some as one of the best fighters in the world.
As his promoter, Gary Shaw, put it: “He has only one fight between his ears: Donaire.”
Darchinyan still holds out hope that he’ll get the opportunity to avenge the loss but insists he won’t dwell on it. And, as for what he believes is the inflated perception of Donaire, he said he no longer pays attention to pound-for-pound lists.
“I don’t care anymore,” said Darchinyan, who defends his 115-pound title against Rodrigo Guerrero on Saturday on Showtime. “Donaire hasn’t beaten anyone except me. I don’t believe anymore in the Top 10. It’s all a joke. I just want to fight, to knock out my opponents. I love to fight. I’ll fight anyone.”
Donaire won’t fight anyone, Darchinyan said, which is why he’s baffled by THE RING and other media outlets that have Donaire on their pound-for-pound lists.
Darchinyan, on some pound-for-pound lists himself before he was KO’d by Donaire, pointed out that he has fought Z Gorres, Dmitry Kirillov, Jorge Arce, Christian Mijares and Joseph Agbeko while Donaire “always picks guys lighter than him.”
And, indeed, Donaire has expressed some frustration that he hasn’t fully capitalized on his victory over Darchinyan.
“I don’t know what these commentators see,” Darchinyan said over the phone from Agua Caliente, Calif., not far from the site of Saturday’s fight in Rancho Mirage. “Donaire in the pound-for-pound Top 10? He beat me. That’s it. I fought four world champions after Donaire. I’m always looking for the best opponents.
“If he believes he’s better than me, he’s supposed to fight me. This is his last chance, after this fight. He has only one week to decide to fight me. If not, I’m moving up in weight.”
Added Shaw: “The question is, does Donaire, does (promoter Bob) Arum want him to be only a Pinoy Power fighter? To do niche fights? Or does he want to get on a big stage and fight Vic Darchinyan?”
For the record, Donaire has expressed interest in a rematch with Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 knockouts) but he’s also considering other options, such as bantamweight titleholder Fernando Montiel or Arce.
Cameron Dunkin reiterated on Tuesday that he and Donaire are willing to discuss a rematch if and when Darchinyan beats the relatively inexperienced Guerrero (13-1-1, 9 KOs). Dunkin also said Darchinyan’s mouth doesn’t help matters.
“I don’t know how many times we have to say it: Nonito will fight anyone, Montiel, Arce, Darchinyan, even Juan Manuel Lopez,” Dunkin said. “… Darchinyan was mouthing off about fighting Nonito before and then he got beat by Agbeko. He should shut his mouth and worry about winning his next fight.
“Nonito doesn’t call people out like that. He’s fighting again on May 8 [against an undetermined opponent]. After that, we’re available.”
Darchinyan blames himself for the loss to Agbeko, a unanimous decision at 118 pounds last July.
The temperamental fighter apparently was angered by physical contact with Agbeko at the weigh-in and Darchinyan brought that anger into the ring, going after a knockout from the opening bell. Ultimately, he failed to land a big shot and was worn down by a bigger fighter.
Shaw didn’t hold back in his assessment of Darchinyan’s performance.
“I thought he fought a stupid fight against Agbeko,” he said. “… He didn’t fight the right fight. They kept telling him that in his corner but he didn’t listen. He wanted to kill him because he laid his hands on him at the weigh-in. He came back and destroyed his next opponent (Tomas Rojas in December) though.”
No one who has followed Darchinyan is surprised that he would lose his cool against Agbeko. However, he says he’s learned his lesson.
Darchinyan’s instinct is to brawl -– hence his high knockout ratio -- but he’s also a good and very awkward boxer, which presents an unusual challenge for his opponents. He acknowledged that he must remember that from now on. Darchinyan, it seems, is maturing at 34 years old.
“I was silly,” he said, referring to the Agbeko fight. “It wasn’t because he’s better than me. I was just very impatient. I thought I would knock him out with one punch and all my punches missed. He didn’t feel my power. I didn’t touch him. I wanted to knock him out.
“Believe me, it will never happen again. I need to be calm, to wait for my time.”
Darchinyan, as confident as ever, said he has no qualms about moving back up to 118 or higher in spite of the setback against Agbeko. He likes the prospect of fighting Montiel himself or perhaps the winner of the Abner Mares-Yonnhy Perez fight on May 22.
The point is to make some good money, collect more belts and, he confessed, “have my name mentioned as one of the greatest champions.”
And the only way to do that, he said, “is to keep fighting the best.”
Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com
Source: ringtv.com
***
If you want to get Vic Darchinyan riled, just mention Nonito Donaire.
No, it’s not that he was knocked out by Donaire in 2007, the Armenian-born brawler’s first of two losses. Darchinyan seems to have accepted that. What angers him is that he believes Donaire doesn’t want a rematch -- in part because Donaire scheduled a fight in May -- and that his conqueror is perceived by some as one of the best fighters in the world.
As his promoter, Gary Shaw, put it: “He has only one fight between his ears: Donaire.”
Darchinyan still holds out hope that he’ll get the opportunity to avenge the loss but insists he won’t dwell on it. And, as for what he believes is the inflated perception of Donaire, he said he no longer pays attention to pound-for-pound lists.
“I don’t care anymore,” said Darchinyan, who defends his 115-pound title against Rodrigo Guerrero on Saturday on Showtime. “Donaire hasn’t beaten anyone except me. I don’t believe anymore in the Top 10. It’s all a joke. I just want to fight, to knock out my opponents. I love to fight. I’ll fight anyone.”
Donaire won’t fight anyone, Darchinyan said, which is why he’s baffled by THE RING and other media outlets that have Donaire on their pound-for-pound lists.
Darchinyan, on some pound-for-pound lists himself before he was KO’d by Donaire, pointed out that he has fought Z Gorres, Dmitry Kirillov, Jorge Arce, Christian Mijares and Joseph Agbeko while Donaire “always picks guys lighter than him.”
And, indeed, Donaire has expressed some frustration that he hasn’t fully capitalized on his victory over Darchinyan.
“I don’t know what these commentators see,” Darchinyan said over the phone from Agua Caliente, Calif., not far from the site of Saturday’s fight in Rancho Mirage. “Donaire in the pound-for-pound Top 10? He beat me. That’s it. I fought four world champions after Donaire. I’m always looking for the best opponents.
“If he believes he’s better than me, he’s supposed to fight me. This is his last chance, after this fight. He has only one week to decide to fight me. If not, I’m moving up in weight.”
Added Shaw: “The question is, does Donaire, does (promoter Bob) Arum want him to be only a Pinoy Power fighter? To do niche fights? Or does he want to get on a big stage and fight Vic Darchinyan?”
For the record, Donaire has expressed interest in a rematch with Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 knockouts) but he’s also considering other options, such as bantamweight titleholder Fernando Montiel or Arce.
Cameron Dunkin reiterated on Tuesday that he and Donaire are willing to discuss a rematch if and when Darchinyan beats the relatively inexperienced Guerrero (13-1-1, 9 KOs). Dunkin also said Darchinyan’s mouth doesn’t help matters.
“I don’t know how many times we have to say it: Nonito will fight anyone, Montiel, Arce, Darchinyan, even Juan Manuel Lopez,” Dunkin said. “… Darchinyan was mouthing off about fighting Nonito before and then he got beat by Agbeko. He should shut his mouth and worry about winning his next fight.
“Nonito doesn’t call people out like that. He’s fighting again on May 8 [against an undetermined opponent]. After that, we’re available.”
Darchinyan blames himself for the loss to Agbeko, a unanimous decision at 118 pounds last July.
The temperamental fighter apparently was angered by physical contact with Agbeko at the weigh-in and Darchinyan brought that anger into the ring, going after a knockout from the opening bell. Ultimately, he failed to land a big shot and was worn down by a bigger fighter.
Shaw didn’t hold back in his assessment of Darchinyan’s performance.
“I thought he fought a stupid fight against Agbeko,” he said. “… He didn’t fight the right fight. They kept telling him that in his corner but he didn’t listen. He wanted to kill him because he laid his hands on him at the weigh-in. He came back and destroyed his next opponent (Tomas Rojas in December) though.”
No one who has followed Darchinyan is surprised that he would lose his cool against Agbeko. However, he says he’s learned his lesson.
Darchinyan’s instinct is to brawl -– hence his high knockout ratio -- but he’s also a good and very awkward boxer, which presents an unusual challenge for his opponents. He acknowledged that he must remember that from now on. Darchinyan, it seems, is maturing at 34 years old.
“I was silly,” he said, referring to the Agbeko fight. “It wasn’t because he’s better than me. I was just very impatient. I thought I would knock him out with one punch and all my punches missed. He didn’t feel my power. I didn’t touch him. I wanted to knock him out.
“Believe me, it will never happen again. I need to be calm, to wait for my time.”
Darchinyan, as confident as ever, said he has no qualms about moving back up to 118 or higher in spite of the setback against Agbeko. He likes the prospect of fighting Montiel himself or perhaps the winner of the Abner Mares-Yonnhy Perez fight on May 22.
The point is to make some good money, collect more belts and, he confessed, “have my name mentioned as one of the greatest champions.”
And the only way to do that, he said, “is to keep fighting the best.”
Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com
Source: ringtv.com
***
Sunday, 13 December 2009
Saturday, 12 December 2009
Stakes high as 'Raging Bull' aims to answer critics - The Sydney Morning Herald
By DANIEL LANE, The Sydney Morning Herald
AMERICAN boxing fans will watch today to see whether Australia's world champion, Vic Darchinyan, can bounce back from his last-start loss to reclaim his mantle as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters.
Darchinyan's manager, Elias Nasser, said from California that there was widespread interest to see if Darchinyan still had ''it'' after his failed July bid to move up a weight division to take the International Boxing Federation's bantamweight title from Ghana's Joseph Agbeko.
Their interest has also been piqued by the suggestion the Mexican challenger Tomas Rojas is determined to send Darchinyan tumbling into retirement.
''Vic is a true champion,'' Nasser said. ''The worst thing you can ever do to Vic Darchinyan is to doubt him - it always brings out his very best. And this is a huge fight.
''He knows everyone wants to see if he'll rebound and he's also aware there is a lot at stake, including the possibility of a rematch with Nonito Donaire. The belief here is that would rival the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout as the biggest of 2010.''
Donaire, a Filipino, knocked Darchinyan out in the fifth round of their IBO world title fight in 2007. It was the first time Darchinyan had tasted defeat as a professional.
Darchinyan's trainer, Angelo Hyder, said Australia's ''Raging Bull'' was showing the signs of a winner. His preparation included sparring against former Kostya Tszyu opponent Zab Judah, who weighs 15 kilograms more than the Aussie.
''It's also the first time Vic has made weight the night before the weigh-in, so all is good,'' Hyder said. ''He knows not to get obsessed by the KO and to work for the win.''
Source: smh.com.au
AMERICAN boxing fans will watch today to see whether Australia's world champion, Vic Darchinyan, can bounce back from his last-start loss to reclaim his mantle as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters.
Darchinyan's manager, Elias Nasser, said from California that there was widespread interest to see if Darchinyan still had ''it'' after his failed July bid to move up a weight division to take the International Boxing Federation's bantamweight title from Ghana's Joseph Agbeko.
Their interest has also been piqued by the suggestion the Mexican challenger Tomas Rojas is determined to send Darchinyan tumbling into retirement.
''Vic is a true champion,'' Nasser said. ''The worst thing you can ever do to Vic Darchinyan is to doubt him - it always brings out his very best. And this is a huge fight.
''He knows everyone wants to see if he'll rebound and he's also aware there is a lot at stake, including the possibility of a rematch with Nonito Donaire. The belief here is that would rival the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout as the biggest of 2010.''
Donaire, a Filipino, knocked Darchinyan out in the fifth round of their IBO world title fight in 2007. It was the first time Darchinyan had tasted defeat as a professional.
Darchinyan's trainer, Angelo Hyder, said Australia's ''Raging Bull'' was showing the signs of a winner. His preparation included sparring against former Kostya Tszyu opponent Zab Judah, who weighs 15 kilograms more than the Aussie.
''It's also the first time Vic has made weight the night before the weigh-in, so all is good,'' Hyder said. ''He knows not to get obsessed by the KO and to work for the win.''
Source: smh.com.au
Friday, 30 October 2009
Q & A with Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko
by Anson Wainwright, 29 October 2009, 15rounds.com
On Saturday in Las Vegas Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko 27-1(22) will make the third defence of his IBF Bantamweight title against mandatory challenger Yonnhy Perez in the main event on Showtime. He won the crown back in 2007 when he beat Luis Alberto Perez for the title with an eye opening seventh round win. He didn’t fight then until the end of 2008 when as co feature to Adamek-Cunningham he retained his title in a barn burner against William Gonzalez. The big opportunity for Agbeko 29, came when he was matched with Vic Darchinyan back in July and though he was the underdog he showed tremendous grit and won a fan friendly decision. Here’s what Agbeko had to say from his suite in Treasure Island.
Hello Joseph, welcome to 15rounds.com
Anson Wainwright - Firstly you’ll be headlining a show in Las Vegas at Treasure Island against Yonnhy Perez. That looks a very interesting fight. How do you see it?
Joseph Agbeko - I feel very good, I feel happy. I feel happy to be in Vegas.
Anson Wainwright - How are you enjoying Las Vegas?
Joseph Agbeko - Yeah was good. The Boxing gym is very good here.
Anson Wainwright - How close to weigh are you now?
Joseph Agbeko - I’m already on my weight, maybe even below.
Anson Wainwright - There has been a lot of bad blood between you in the past week or so. What can you tell us about this?
Joseph Agbeko - Yonnhy is a good fighter, he’s a nice person. Nothing personal.
Anson Wainwright - How much has beating Vic Darchinyan helped improve your confidence?
Joseph Agbeko - Ohhh I was confident before Vic Darchinyan. I was confident I would beat him.
Anson Wainwright - The neighbourhood in Accra Ghana that has the reputation for Boxing is Bukum. Is that where you are from?
Joseph Agbeko - I grew up in a neighbourhood in the Volta region and i was part of the Ewe tribe it’s close to Bukom.
What can you tell us about it there and how it was growing up and how that path took you into Boxing?
Joseph Agbeko - Yeah was cool it was cool over there. That’s where we have all the boxing gyms. It was very good there.
Anson Wainwright - Since turning pro in 1998 you’ve not had an easy ride to the top and had to work very hard for what you have today. Fighting all over the world including Benin, South Africa, Germany, Britain & now America. What can you tell us about this journey?
Joseph Agbeko - Yeah, I’m always in condition with myself . I can say fighting the likes of Johannes Maisa, Cedric Conway, Wladimir Sidorenko, Luis Alberto Perez, , William Gonzalez & Vic Darchinyan. I have fought a couple of guys who are very very good fighters and been able to beat them. I believe I’m the best Bantamweight so far.
Anson Wainwright - Can you tell us abit about your team. Your manager, trainer, promoter and other people who help out?
Joseph Agbeko - Yeah I have Don King as my promoter he’s the main man pushing me high. I’m very very happy to be with Don King production company. I’m so happy. My trainer is Adama Addy and my manager is Vinny Scolpino. It’ a good team & everything is working good for us.
Anson Wainwright - You now live in The Bronx in New York how does that compare to Accra?
Joseph Agbeko - Ahhh living in the Bronx is like living in Ghana. I always feel at home because we have a laugh. I always feel comfortable. It’s like a home away from home.
Anson Wainwright - Finally do you have a message for your fans ahead of next weeks fight with Yonnhy Perez?
Joseph Agbeko - I want to thank everyone for there support and being there for me. I’ve trained very hard for this fight. I’m going to go in the ring on Saturday and win for them. So they can always be proud of me and I wont let them down.
Thanks for your time Joseph and good luck in your upcoming fight.
Source: 15rounds.com
On Saturday in Las Vegas Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko 27-1(22) will make the third defence of his IBF Bantamweight title against mandatory challenger Yonnhy Perez in the main event on Showtime. He won the crown back in 2007 when he beat Luis Alberto Perez for the title with an eye opening seventh round win. He didn’t fight then until the end of 2008 when as co feature to Adamek-Cunningham he retained his title in a barn burner against William Gonzalez. The big opportunity for Agbeko 29, came when he was matched with Vic Darchinyan back in July and though he was the underdog he showed tremendous grit and won a fan friendly decision. Here’s what Agbeko had to say from his suite in Treasure Island.
Hello Joseph, welcome to 15rounds.com
Anson Wainwright - Firstly you’ll be headlining a show in Las Vegas at Treasure Island against Yonnhy Perez. That looks a very interesting fight. How do you see it?
Joseph Agbeko - I feel very good, I feel happy. I feel happy to be in Vegas.
Anson Wainwright - How are you enjoying Las Vegas?
Joseph Agbeko - Yeah was good. The Boxing gym is very good here.
Anson Wainwright - How close to weigh are you now?
Joseph Agbeko - I’m already on my weight, maybe even below.
Anson Wainwright - There has been a lot of bad blood between you in the past week or so. What can you tell us about this?
Joseph Agbeko - Yonnhy is a good fighter, he’s a nice person. Nothing personal.
Anson Wainwright - How much has beating Vic Darchinyan helped improve your confidence?
Joseph Agbeko - Ohhh I was confident before Vic Darchinyan. I was confident I would beat him.
Anson Wainwright - The neighbourhood in Accra Ghana that has the reputation for Boxing is Bukum. Is that where you are from?
Joseph Agbeko - I grew up in a neighbourhood in the Volta region and i was part of the Ewe tribe it’s close to Bukom.
What can you tell us about it there and how it was growing up and how that path took you into Boxing?
Joseph Agbeko - Yeah was cool it was cool over there. That’s where we have all the boxing gyms. It was very good there.
Anson Wainwright - Since turning pro in 1998 you’ve not had an easy ride to the top and had to work very hard for what you have today. Fighting all over the world including Benin, South Africa, Germany, Britain & now America. What can you tell us about this journey?
Joseph Agbeko - Yeah, I’m always in condition with myself . I can say fighting the likes of Johannes Maisa, Cedric Conway, Wladimir Sidorenko, Luis Alberto Perez, , William Gonzalez & Vic Darchinyan. I have fought a couple of guys who are very very good fighters and been able to beat them. I believe I’m the best Bantamweight so far.
Anson Wainwright - Can you tell us abit about your team. Your manager, trainer, promoter and other people who help out?
Joseph Agbeko - Yeah I have Don King as my promoter he’s the main man pushing me high. I’m very very happy to be with Don King production company. I’m so happy. My trainer is Adama Addy and my manager is Vinny Scolpino. It’ a good team & everything is working good for us.
Anson Wainwright - You now live in The Bronx in New York how does that compare to Accra?
Joseph Agbeko - Ahhh living in the Bronx is like living in Ghana. I always feel at home because we have a laugh. I always feel comfortable. It’s like a home away from home.
Anson Wainwright - Finally do you have a message for your fans ahead of next weeks fight with Yonnhy Perez?
Joseph Agbeko - I want to thank everyone for there support and being there for me. I’ve trained very hard for this fight. I’m going to go in the ring on Saturday and win for them. So they can always be proud of me and I wont let them down.
Thanks for your time Joseph and good luck in your upcoming fight.
Source: 15rounds.com
Custom Search
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)