Author: wban100@aol.com

Errol Spence Drops Quarterfinal Bout to Russian Foe at the 2012 Olympic Games by Julie Goldsticker /USA Boxing

(LONDON, ENGLAND) – The final American male boxer, welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas), fell in quarterfinal action on Tuesday at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Spence faced 2009 World Championships silver medalist Andrey Zamkovoy of Russia for a spot on the medal stand, and it was the Russian advancing to the semifinal round with a 16-11 victory. Spence claimed a spot on the quarterfinal round following a successful protest of his bout against India’s Krishan Vikas in the second round. The 22-year-old hoped to use the momentum in his bout with Zamkovoy, which was a rematch from a March bout. Spence won the earlier match-up but he didn’t have the same success in London. The American boxer got off to a somewhat slow start in a tactical first round for both boxers as Spence Read more [...]

Errol Spence Advances to Quarterfinal Action Following a United States Protest While Rau’shee Warren’s Olympic Journey Ends

LONDON, ENGLAND – The 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team appeared to face an end to their medal run on the men’s side with apparent losses by flyweight Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) and welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) on Friday. Yet following a protest by the United States, Spence’s decision was overturned and he will advance to the quarterfinal round. Warren, who made history before throwing a punch in London by becoming the first three-time U.S. Olympic boxer, lost a one-point decision to France’s Nordine Oubaali in his London opener. The 25-year-old Warren lost his opening first bout at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and he stepped into the ring looking for his first-ever Olympic win in London, but it wasn’t meant to be for the decorated amateur boxer. Warren Read more [...]

City Boxing’s Grachev vs. Bute November 3, 2012 – By Scott Gilfoid

(AUGUST 3) Former IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (30-1, 24 KO's) is really showing some iron balls by taking on the huge puncher Denis Grachev (12-0, 8 KO's) on November 3rd at the Bell Centre, in Montreal, Canada. Grachev "The Pirate" is one of the biggest punchers in the light heavyweight division and clearly a bigger puncher than Carl Froch. If Bute can get past Grachev without getting blown out by his huge power, then I have no doubts in my mind that Bute will be able to defeat Froch in a rematch. Grachev is stronger and faster than Froch. He can do everything that Froch can do, but better because he's quicker. I mean, it's going to be pure hell for Bute to try and survive 12 rounds against Grachev because he cuts off the ring like a real pro. You can't get away from Grachev Read more [...]

The United States’ Jose Ramirez and Terrell Gausha Fall Short at the 2012 Olympic Games by Julie Goldsticker/USA Boxing

(AUG 3) (LONDON, ENGLAND) – The U.S. Olympic Boxing Team was unable to end its losing streak on Thursday following two closely contested losses in second round action at the 2012 Olympic Games. Lightweight Jose Ramirez’s (Avenal, Calif.) slow start cost him with Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Gaibnazarov while middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) dropped a one-point heartbreaker to former Olympic medalist Vijender of India. Ramirez took the ring first, looking to add to his win total at the 2012 Olympic Games. Yet Gaibnazarov was more active in the first round and the Uzbekistani boxer took a 6-2 lead after the first round. Ramirez picked up his output in the second round, particularly late in the round but faced a 12-5 deficit with three minutes remaining in the bout. Ramirez wasted Read more [...]

The United States’ Jose Ramirez and Terrell Gausha Fall Short at the 2012 Olympic Games by Julie Goldsticker/USA Boxing

(AUG 3) (LONDON, ENGLAND) – The U.S. Olympic Boxing Team was unable to end its losing streak on Thursday following two closely contested losses in second round action at the 2012 Olympic Games. Lightweight Jose Ramirez’s (Avenal, Calif.) slow start cost him with Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Gaibnazarov while middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) dropped a one-point heartbreaker to former Olympic medalist Vijender of India. Ramirez took the ring first, looking to add to his win total at the 2012 Olympic Games. Yet Gaibnazarov was more active in the first round and the Uzbekistani boxer took a 6-2 lead after the first round. Ramirez picked up his output in the second round, particularly late in the round but faced a 12-5 deficit with three minutes remaining in the bout. Ramirez wasted Read more [...]

Team USA Goes 0-3 on Day Five of the 2012 Olympic Games by Julie Goldsticker/USA Boxing

(AUG 1) (LONDON, ENGLAND) – Team USA endured a difficult day on Wednesday at the Olympic Games as three American boxers lost their bouts to amateur boxing powerhouses. Bantamweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (S. El Monte, Calif.) fell to Cuban World Champion Lazaro Alvarez Estrada with heavyweight Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) and super heavyweight Dominic Breazeale (Alhambra, Calif.) both falling to Russian opponents. Diaz battled both his opponent and the Cuban mystique in his bout with Estrada, which was a rematch from the 2011 World Championships. The Cuban was extremely busy during the first round, showcasing the patented Cuban footwork but Diaz also enjoyed bright spots of his own, finding a home for his sharp left hand. Estrada held a 7-6 lead after one but Diaz came out firing in the Read more [...]

Connor Seeks Second Title By David Wilkey

(AUG 1)  Danny ‘Cassius’ Connor has been given the chance to capture his second professional title in successive fights after being matched against the unbeaten Chris Evangelou for the vacant light-welterweight Southern Area Title. The fight is set to take place on 8th September on Matchroom Sports ‘London Calling’ show at Alexandra Palace in which Darren Barker tops the bill making his UK return with the action being shown live on Sky Sports. 26 year-old Connor is coming off the back of a points win against Tyler Goodjohn for the vacant Masters Welterweight Title in a fantastic main event at the York Hall back in May and the TKO trained fighter from Sutton in Surrey is now looking to take his good form into the biggest fight of his career thus far. Connor got the decision by a Read more [...]

Team USA Moves to 4-0 in Olympic Action with Victories by Jose Ramirez and Errol Spence by Julie Goldsticker

(LONDON, ENGLAND) – The U.S. Olympic Boxing Team pushed its undefeated to streak to four on Sunday night with lightweight Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.) and welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) both claiming first round wins at the ExCel Centre. Ramirez pulled out a 21-20 decision over France’s Rachid Azzedine and Spence closed the night for Team USA with a 16-10 win over Brazil’s Myke Carvalho de Ribeiro. Ramirez was the first American boxer to compete in Sunday’s evening action, facing veteran and World Series of Boxing champion Azzedine. The 19-year-old looked to get started early in the bout, and enjoyed success late in the round. He trapped Azzedine on the ropes and landed some strong shots at the conclusion of the opening round and held a one-point lead after the first. Read more [...]

Team USA’s Joseph Diaz, Jr., Opens the 2012 Olympic Games with a Double Digit Win Over Ukraine by Julie Goldsticker

(LONDON, ENGLAND) – American bantamweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (S. El Monte, Calif.) claimed the first win of the Olympic Games on Saturday afternoon with a convincing 19-9 win over Pavlo Ischenko of Ukraine in first round action. The pair faced off in the first bout of the entire tournament with Diaz enjoying the distinction of the throwing the first punch of the 2012 Olympic Games. Diaz set the perfect tone for his American teammates, winning a 19-9 decision over his Ukrainian opponent in the U.S. opener. Diaz took the ring first, decked out in his red USA uniform and American flag bandana in front of a packed house at the ExCel Centre. Both boxers looked for momentum early in the contest with Diaz staying busy early in the bout. He began to find his rhythm late in the round, landing several Read more [...]

Press Conference at the Hard Rock – Quotes

(JULY 5)  A press conference was held today at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to discuss tomorrow night's Sampson Boxing and Greg Cohen Promotions', boxing event entitled "The Moment of Truth" at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and live on ESPN Friday Night Fights.  Featherweight prospect Javier Fortuna and Cristobal Cruz  as well as co-main event fighters Magomed Abdusalamov and Maurice  Byarm were all respectful but all are determined to emerge victorious. Co-Promoter -Sampson Lewkowicz: This will be a great night of boxing. The fights are all sensational. I want to commend these men for accepting to face each other.  These are real fighters who want to become champions. I wish all fighters were like these guys. Co-Promoter Greg Cohen: The Read more [...]

Final Press Conference: Ortiz vs. Lopez

(JUNE 22)  The final press conference for one of the most oft-discussed fight cards of the year - "Ortiz vs. Lopez" taking place this Saturday, June 23 and televised live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from STAPLES Center - took place Thursday before boxing media and fans, who turned out for the free-to-the-public event.   With much at stake, Victor Ortiz of Ventura, CA,, will take on former NABF Champion Josesito Lopez, of Riverside, Calif., for the vacant WBC Silver Welterweight Championship in Saturday's 12-round main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.  Photo credit: Showtime/Esther Lin In another bout, former Three-Time World Champion Humberto Soto, of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, will be opposed by  Lucas Matthysse of Trelew, Argentina, for the vacant Read more [...]

Randall Bailey: Show me “Money”

(JUNE 21) Newly crowned IBF Welterweight World Champion Randall Bailey is finally in position of leverage with his third world title belt and a recent "Knockout of the Year" performance against previously unbeaten Mike Jones. Now, it's time for this feared slugger to cash in, after 16 often frustrating years as a professional prizefighter. Bailey  would love to welcome Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. when he gets out of jail in a few months but, if the price is right, Randall also wants to make it perfectly clear that he'll fight any deserving 147-pounder in the world. "I've been avoided forever," Bailey said, "but now I'm coming off a world title fight win that ended with a punch people are going to be talking about for a long time. If I had a choice, I'd fight Mayweather next. I like the Read more [...]

Boxing Action in Albuquerque June 21, 2012 Photos/Story by Sue TL Fox

(JUNE 21) On Friday night at the Route 66 Casino Hotel, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in front of a completely packed house of 3,000 boxing fans, in the mainliner, Holly Holm won a 10-round decision over Anne Sophie Mathis, winning the WBAN, IBA, and WBF Welterweight world titles. The final judges’ scores were 96-94, 99-91, and 97-93. The crowd roared when the decision was read that Holm had won the bout. Before this fight took place, WBAN ran a poll on who the boxing fans thought would win this rematch. An over-whelming majority (68%) of those voting at the time voted that Mathis would TKO’d or KO’d Holm again in this second fight. There were some factors though that I and others that I spoke to who were ringside observed in this second fight.  In their first bout, Mathis had come Read more [...]

Williams to face Challenging Chauncy Welliver on June 28 in Macau

(MAY 28, 2012) Heavyweight road warrior Sherman "Tank" Williams, a Bahamian sports legend, will travel halfway around the world to challenge WBO Asia Pacific and WBC Asian Boxing Council Champion Chauncy "Hillyard Hammer" Welliver on June 28 in Macau, China.  Williams (34-11-2, 19 KOs) hasn't fought in 1 ½ years, since he was involved in a highly-controversial "no contest" with Evander Holyfield for the World Boxing Federation title, at The Greenbrier in White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia. "I'm looking for a break," Williams said about his fight with Welliver (53-5-5, 20 KOs). "I'm not discouraged. I'll be coming to fight like I always do. I've been sitting on the bench, training in the gym, and I couldn't wait to fight. This is an important fight for me. I don't know too much about Read more [...]

Thompson Reflects on Last fight

(MAY 23) After ten hard-fought rounds against Canadian contender Nicholson Poulard last Saturday evening, Lionell “Lonnie B” Thompson returned to his corner feeling like a winner.  The Buffalo, NY native and former top ranked amateur had no doubt that his solid performance would raise his professional ledger to 13-0. Prior to the judges’ final tally being announced, Jean Pascal, Poulard’s brother, entered in the ring to congratulate Team Thompson on what appeared to be a victory; until the unexpected happened. With the verdict in his possession, the ring announcer notified the pro-Poulard crowd at the Holiday Inn in Quebec that there was a split decision. Judge Don Ackerman scored the bout 97-73 for Poulard, followed by Pasquale Procopio’s 97-93 tally for Thompson. Shocked by Read more [...]