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DAILY NEWS

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McCall to face Whitaker

Former WBC heavyweight champion Oliver “Atomic Bull” McCall and long time contender Lance “Mount” Whitaker will collide on October 23 for McCall’s IBA heavyweight belt in the Mardi Gras Ballroom at The Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Also in action will be former world champion King Arthur Williams against Victor Barragan in a cruiserweight bout, as well as heavyweight Elijah McCall (unbeaten son of Oliver) against Andrea Carthron.

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Marcos Maidana Update

Marcos “Chino” Maidana may defend his WBA interim super lightweight world title on November 27 at the Club Libertad in Sunchales, Margarita, Argentina. Panamanian Alberto Mosquera (10-0, 7 KOs), the current WBA Fedelatin titleholder appears to be the main candidate to be the opponent. By WBA resolution, Maidana would have 90 days after this optional defense to meet WBA champ Amir Kahn. Maidana currently preparing for the bout with trainer Miguel Diaz.

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Valero facing charges

Venezuela’s El Universal and Meridiano newspapers and the international EFE press agency report that WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero has been arrested on domestic violence charges in a confusing situation that took place in Valero’s hometown of El Vigía, Merida, Venezuela. El Universal and Meridiano report that the boxer allegedly struck his mother and a sister during a family dispute. Police aren’t commenting on the case. Press around the world are waiting for Valero’s representatives to make an announcement on the champion’s status.

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The MX Fight Glove

Make your opponent feel the impact of every punch

mx-pairEverlast, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of boxing, MMA and fitness equipment and apparel, has introduced three new professional fight gloves – the MX, 1910 and Protex³. The Everlast MX Fight Glove, hand crafted in Mexico, offers a customized fit through a hybrid foam-horsehair technology for power punchers looking for the knockout. Developed in conjunction with some of the hardest hitters in the sport, the Everlast MX Fight Glove is constructed using traditional methods and features a unique leather finish born out of the Mexican fighting tradition. For additional content, product and purchasing information on the new Everlast MX glove visit http://www.everlast.com/choose/evmxfg.asp

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Lo Greco returns October 10


Undefeated Italian-Canadian welterweight contender Phil Lo Greco (18-0, 10 KOs) ranked #15 by the WBO will have his second fight for his new Italian promoters OPI 2000 (Salvatore and Christian Cherchi) on Saturday October 10 in Rostock, Germany against durable Estonian Albert Starikov (13-10-1, 4 KOs). Starikov is coming from a draw against Stephen Haughian last Saturday in Dublin, Ireland. Dahlia TV will broadcast the fight live in Italy.

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VIP Boxing II undercard set

On September 30th Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing will present its second installment of VIP Boxing at the beautiful Russo’s On The Bay in Howard Beach, NY. Headlining the show will be Star Boxing’s heavyweight prospect, the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Captain, “Devastatin” Devin Vargas (17-1, 7KO) taking on Terrell “Baby Bull” Nelson (8-8, 5KO) in an eight round heavyweight attraction.

In the co-feature bout of the evening, Star Boxing’s red hot light heavyweight prospect, “Terrible” Yathomas “The Punisher” Riley (7-0, 5KO) takes on Otgonbayer Daivii (3- 2-1, 1KO). The bout is scheduled for six rounds.

September 30th will mark the much anticipated return of Star Boxing’s Roberto Benitez (5-0, 3KO). Benitez, who hails from Brooklyn, had a storied amateur career, including competing in the 2004 Olympics for team U.S.A. Benitez suffered an injury in 2006 and has been out of the ring ever since. He is back now though and says he is better than ever. He is scheduled to take on Angel Paneto (4-5-2, 2KO). The bout is scheduled for six rounds in the super bantamweight divison.

Exciting New Haven jr. welterweight, Dominic DeSanto (2-1-1, 2KO) returns for his second showing at Star Boxing’s VIP Boxing, when he takes on Poughkeepsie, New York’s Israel Suarez (2-2). The bout is scheduled for four rounds in the jr welterweight division.

Also seeing action is undefeated welterweight prospect Gabriel Bracero (6-0). Bracero who hails from close by Queens, NY looks to add another win to his record as he continues to move up the welterweight ranks when he takes on Long Island’s Ashanti Hendrickson (1-3-1) in a scheduled six round welterweight contest.

Rounding out the card will be Russo’s On The Bay’s own, Jonathon Cuba will look to improve to a perfect 2-0, 2KO when he takes on Paterson, New Jersey’s Melchor Guillen (1-3). Cuba, who resides in nearby Queens, currently works part time for Russo’s. He will surely be looking to put on an impressive showing in front of his hometown fans, and fellow co-workers. The bout is scheduled for four rounds in the jr. welterweight division.

The show will kick off at 7PM sharp with an hour long cocktail reception. Immediately following the reception, a four course elegant dinner will start being served, at which time the first bout will go on. There will be cocktail service throughout, with an open bar running for the remainder of the evenings fights.

All seats will include full VIP services. Tables of ten are available for purchase for $1500 (Bronze), $2500 (Silver), and $3500 (Gold) respectively. There will be a limited amount of individual seats at select tables available, with the cost for each seat at $150, $250, and $350. You may contact Star Boxing for tickets at 718-823-2000 or by visiting Welcome to the Star Boxing. Russo’s On The Bay is located at 162-45 Cross Bay Blvd, Howard Beach, NY 11414.

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Eduardo, Robert Garcia honored

Eduardo and Robert Garcia of the famed La Colonia Boxing Club in Oxnard were inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame this Saturday September 26th at a sold out luncheon held in the City of Commerce. Eduardo was inducted for his success in developing two world champions, Robert Garcia and Fernando Vargas as well as two Olympians, Fernando Vargas and Carlos Martinez. Eduardo is also the reason for the worldwide fame that has come to La Colonia Boxing Club. Robert was inducted for his success in winning the IBF jr. lightweight championship in 1998. He retired in 2001 with a record of 34-3, 25 KO’s.

Robert has now followed in the footsteps of his father Eduardo and is now known as a respected World class trainer. His current stable includes two World Champions, WBO Featherweight Champ Steven Luevano and IBF Jr Flyweight Champ Brian Viloria. It also includes two top rated and undefeated fighters Brandon Rios 21-0 15 KO’s and Miguel Angel Garcia 17-0 14KO’s

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Klitschko breaks down Arreola


Vitaly Klitschko predicted the bout was not going to go the distance. He was correct, but what he did not count on, was the heart of his challenger, Chris Arreola.

Although Klitschko got the stoppage victory after the 10th round at Staples Center in Los Angeles, before 14,556 on Saturday night, it was Arreola who walked out of the ring with more respect than before he entered.

With the victory, Klitschko retains his version of the heavyweight world title.

The bout headlined a six-bout “No Mercy” card, presented by K2 Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions.

The fight was built up as a battle of hard-hitting titans where both predicted that the bout would not go the distance. Also, the possibility of Arreola becoming the first heavyweight champion of the world of Mexican descent brought media coverage from Mexico and other Latin American countries.


A height and reach disadvantage along with boxing analysts pointing to Arreola’s inexperience to that of Klitschko’s were the reasons few predicted Arreola would pull off the upset.

Still, it did not deter the thousands in attendance to support Arreola, who grew up about 10 minutes away in East Los Angeles. Those cheering on Arreola in attendance drowned out the Klitschko supporters, waving the yellow and light blue flags of the Ukraine.

It was all Klitschko in the first three rounds of the bout. Klitschko boxed and countered an advancing Arreola, landing right hands to the head. Klitschko stayed on the outside as Arreola worked from the center of the ring.

Arreola was more aggressive to start the fourth round. His aggression was rewarded as he landed hard right hands to the head, which Klitschko took well.

However, the rally was short-lived as Klitschko controlled the action in the fifth round. Klitschko mixed in uppercuts and right hands to the body. Undeterred, Arreola kept moving forward, hoping to pin Klitschko against the ropes and getting on the inside to land punches.

Arreola rallied again in the eighth round, landing a series of jabs to the head of Klitschko. Arreola landed a right hand to the body that looked as though it bothered Klitschko. Undaunted, Klitschko came back to land to the head of Arreola, who began to bleed from the nose.

Klitschko asserted his dominance in the ninth and tenth rounds. Klitschko landed hard right hands, followed by left hooks to the head. Arreola did not look visibly hurt, but he began to slow down in these rounds and was hit more often.

It was at the end of the 10th round that Arreola’s longtime trainer, Henry Ramirez, told referee John Schorle to stop the bout.


CompuBox numbers had Klitschko landing 301 out of 802 total punches, connecting at 38 percent. Arreola threw 331 total punches, only connecting on 86 of them for a connect rate of 26 percent.

“Arreola gave a good performance tonight and he has a great chin,” said Klitschko immediately after the fight had ended. “I was surprised that he did not come out for the 11th round. This was a hard fight as I expected. He’s a tough fighter, but I was hurting him a lot, especially to the body.”

Although Arreola had stated that he would fight to the end, it was a good call by Ramirez to stop the fight and see Arreola fight another day.

“He was taking too much punishment,” said Ramirez, who has been in his corner since his professional debut.

Understandably, Arreola was disappointed and broke down in tears in the ring. He apologized to his fans in attendance, a testament to his respect to his fans who have stuck by him.

“I really wanted to be a world champion,” said Arreola, who has a reputation of never being shy in front of a microphone. “He did what he was supposed to do. I couldn’t reach him. He’s just a big fighter.”

Klitschko, from Los Angeles, by way of the Ukraine, improves to 38-2, 37 KOs. Arreola, from Riverside, drops to 27-1, 24 KOs.


Banks defeats Mora


Johnathon Banks (22-1-0 15KO's) has been Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko's sparring partner for years, but this time he was the co-main event, against Javier Mora (22-5-1, 18KO's) from Anaheim, CA.

Banks didn't waste any time and started to pound away from the opening bell. By the second round, Mora was playing defense but was able to land a few powerful overhand rights that shook Banks.

In the third round, Mora continued where he left off, taking control of the fight. By the fourth, Banks was being forced to step back as Mora swung away looking for that home run shot. Banks, however, was able to push Mora back with his jabs.

As the rounds continued, both fighters took turns pedaling back, as the crowd booed for action. Mora started to mock Banks by flopping his arms like a chicken. That was enough for Banks to step up his game and was able to land 3-4 punch combinations to steal the rounds.

By the sixth and seventh both fighters were exchanging a minimal amount of punches, and the crowd cheered in hopes to see fireworks. Banks was able to land a few combinations during the 10- second counts, just enough to take the rounds through the scheduled eight.

Mora's performance wasn't enough to impress any of the judges. Scores were 79-73, 78-74 and 76-76 all in favor of Banks.


Molina KO’s Hinojosa in one


Lightweight John Molina remained unbeaten with a first round stoppage victory over Efren Hinojosa in a scheduled eight-round bout.

Molina came out aggressively from the opening bell, taking the fight to Hinojosa. A right cross to the body hurt Hinojosa. As Hinojosa was on his way down, Molina landed a left uppercut to the top of the head. Referee Tony Crebs counted Hinojosa out at 34 seconds of the round.

It was an impressive, albeit short performance from the up and coming Molina, who has stopped his last five opponents in a row.

“My plan was to come aggressively and make a statement,” said Molina, who is promoted by Dan Goossen. “He went nine rounds with Robert Guerrero. I wanted to show that I can take him out sooner.”

Molina, from Covina, CA, improves to 18-0, 14 KOs. Hinojosa, from Lakeside, CA by way of Mexico City, DF, Mexico.


Sanchez stops Mendoza


Featherweight Salvador Sanchez dropped Trinidad Mendoza twice, the final time for good in the third round of a scheduled six round bout.

Much has been publicized recently about Sanchez as he claims to be the nephew of the great Salvador Sanchez. Although he does not sport the glamorous record the Hall of Fame fighter had, Sanchez still is hoping to make a name for himself.

The shorter Mendoza took the fight to Sanchez and was actually able to land counter punches inside of Sanchez’ defense. However, Sanchez began to slowly wear down the tough Mendoza.

Sanchez was able to score a knockdown in the second round with a left hook to the body. Mendoza went down to one knee then stood up, then went back down to one knee. He was able to stand at seven and fought on the rest of the round.

Sanchez finished Mendoza in the next round with a straight right followed by a left hook to the body. Mendoza went down to one knee and watched referee Jack Reiss count him out at 1:23 of the round.

Sanchez, from Tianguistenco, Mexico, Mexico, improves to 14-3-2, 8 KOs. Mendoza, from Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, falls to 28-25-2, 23 KOs.


Boswell kayos Salif

On short notice, Cisse Salif from Las Vegas, replaced Alexander Ustinov, due to Ustinov having visa issues in a heavyweight bout against veteran Cedric Boswell (31-1, 24 KOs) from Atlanta.

Boswell was in command from the opening bell while Salif (23-16, 21 KOs) was able to land a few quick jabs, but it was Boswell’s speed that was dominating the fight.

Boswell won a lopsided unanimous decision. All three judges scored it 80-72.


Ramos dominates Guardia

Rico Ramos won a unanimous decision over faded former champion Kermin Guardia in a six-round featherweight bout.

Ramos was stronger and bigger fighter, dwarfing the former Minimumweight champion of the world. However, Guardia was able to hold his own in the beginning of the fight. Both fighters boxed and sized each other up in the first two rounds. Ramos began to land harder shots in the third round.

Ramos dominated the final two rounds, catching Guardia with vicious counter right hands to the head. Guardia almost went down with moments left in the final round, as Ramos rained down hard combinations. However, Guardia was able to survive and make it until the final bell.

All three judges had Ramos winning the fight, with scores of 60-54, 60-54, and 59-55. Media scored the bout 59-55 in favor of Ramos.

Ramos, from Los Angeles, CA, improves to 13-0, 8 KOs. Guardia, from Antioquia, Colombia, drops to 37-10, 20 KOs.


Ringside notes

- It was a star-studded even as numerous personalities were in attendance. Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jason Statham, Kobe Bryant, Pete Rose, Mike Tyson, Hayden Pantierre, and super welterweight contender Victor Ortiz took in the action from ringside.

- As is customary amongst the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir accompanied Vitaly to the ring and worked his corner.

- Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, and Emanuel Steward called the action for HBO’s World Championship Boxing.

- HBO commentator Larry Merchant told the assembled media that the HBO research team found that a Mexican once fought for a Heavyweight title. Manuel Ramos challenged Joe Frazier in 1968, but was knocked out in the second round.

- Michael Buffer was the ring announcer for the Klitschko-Arreola bout. Mike Hart handled the non-televised undercard.

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Klitschko, Arreola speak


It front of 16,000 live boxing fans and millions on HBO, WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (38-2, 37 KOs) successfully defended his world title against previously undefeated No. 1 ranked contender Cristobal Arreola (27-1, 24 KOs), Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

After ten rounds of one-sided pugilism, Arreola’s corner told the referee that they have seen enough, waving it off and giving “Dr. Ironfist” a tenth round TKO victory.

“Plain and simple, he beat my ass,” Arreola said at the post-fight press conference. “Whatever it was that’s his style, it works for him. He knows how to use his distance he pulls back and counters with it.

“I was trying not to fall into that but I did couple of times and he got me with right hands and over hooks. That’s his style and that’s how he fights. He’s strong. He made me fight his fight and every time I thought I had an upper hand, his experience showed in the ring. He found a way to move around, and for me to chase him. I have a bitter taste in my mouth. I am not happy with this lost.”

When asked about the number of punches that actually landed (86 of 331), Arreola said:

“He kept running back and I kept missing because he moved a lot. I tried to move from behind his jab, but he moved too well and I couldn’t catch him. He adapted to the fight better than I did. I wasn’t able to do the things I wanted to do, plain and simple.”


After the fight Arreola leaked out his emotions to Larry Merchant during his interview. With tears running down his face he apologize to all his boxing fans. When asked why he was so emotional, he replied:

“I don’t like losing, I hate losing. I don’t have the heart to lose and that’s why I was crying, because it really hurt. Vitali did what he had to do and he beat me.

“I want to get back in the ring as soon as possible, maybe December or January. I have a biter taste in my mouth and I want to show everyone that I can be a champion.”

Klitschko was surprised on the number of hits Arreola absorbed, but his win came as no shock.

“His left hook, his left hook is so strong,” said Klitschko. “By round four, he had the same move. By round six, I knew his movements, but I was very surprised with his chin. He can take a hit. He has a big heart and he gave me a tough fight.

“Before the fight I told Arreola he has all the skills to be a world champion. He has a big heart and a big punch – but he doesn’t have experience. Experience is the main point in any job. You can be a journalist or a boxer but you have to understand experience comes with time.”

Arreola is known for his power punches and when Klitschko was asked if he was ever hurt or if he hits hard, he replied:

“He was landing some great body shots. He had a big punch and I felt his power, but I didn’t let him punch me so I can’t say he hurt me.”

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Diaz edges Chavez in war


Chicago fight fans were treated to an explosive boxing action Saturday night, when two former world champions with Chicago roots clashed in unbelievable fashion. Both lightweights, "Dangerous" David Diaz (35-2-1, 17 KOs) and Jesus "El Matador" Chavez (44-6-0, 30 KOs) were known for being good friends, but that was forgotten when they went toe-to-toe for ten intense rounds.

The grueling match went the distance and resulted in a majority win for Diaz.


Fight fans were split down the middle in their support for each fighter. Every time a chant would start for either one, boos and chants for the other would drown out the initial rally.

There was no staredown; instead the fighters hugged amiably and proceeded to pound each other at the sound of the bell. Chavez landed the first blow, as he popped the left-handed Diaz with a crisp right-cross to the head. This set the tone for the remainder of the stanza, as Chavez connected with another right cross, moments later, then proceeded to punish the body very effectively. Diaz' wife was sitting close to his corner and she could be heard pleading with him to keep his guard up. He must have heard her, as he took on an assault from Chavez early in round two but opened up with his own punches during the second half. This prompted Chavez to switch to southpaw with about a minute left in the round.


Round three saw plenty of action, as both fighters came out loading up with power punches. Chavez was not nearly as elusive as in rounds one and two, with Diaz finding a home for the right uppercut to the head, landing it repeatedly.

Rounds four and five had the nearly 3,500 fans in attendance on their feet with appreciation. Both fighters did plenty of damage as they traded toe-to-toe, but Diaz continued to connect with the right uppercut.

Chavez stepped things up in the sixth, relentlessly attacking while in the pocket. The exchanges on the inside caused for a clash of heads which cut Diaz badly over the right eye.

Chavez was, again, more effective in the seventh, pummeling the body some more and keeping Diaz on the defensive. Near the end of the round, Diaz responded in hopes of stealing the round and again the crowd got on its feet as they traded unmercifully.


The brutal pace continued in the eight and ninth with back-and-forth exchanges, but with Diaz reasserting himself and showing more effective punching and accuracy.

They hugged for the final round and, once again, traded violently. Early on, it was Chavez taking the edge but Diaz rallied later and finished very strong with stiff combinations.

The judges scored the match 95-95, 97-93, 96-94 for Diaz. During post fight interviews Diaz expressed a goal of a second world championship before he retires.

Chavez wished him the best and finished off with, "Now let's go have a beer."


Martinez defeats Hernandez


The co-main event featured a tough outing for local featherweight favorite Jose Hernandez (22-5-0, 14 KOs) against Juan Carlos Martinez

(17-11-1, 7 KOs). Martinez won the fight handedly and controlled the action throughout with slick counter-punching and stinging right crosses.

Hernandez showed good skills in the opening round, boxing and picking his punches well. He managed to keep Martinez thinking early on, but in round two, Martinez got more comfortable and began countering his taller opponent effectively. Hernandez continued to box and press forward in rounds three and four, but Martinez was just too evasive and landed the heavier shots, keeping Hernandez in a limited state.

Hernandez looked to make some adjustments in the sixth, sitting down more on his punches and increasing his activity. This momentarily neutralized Martinez, but he engaged and traded with Hernandez moments before the bell, and again proved more effective.

The seventh round was one-sided for Martinez; he continued showing good angles and a difficult style to figure out for Hernandez. For the remainder of the match Hernandez showed good heart but lacked the power to offset Martinez' power and confidence.

The judges all saw it for Martinez, 97-93 and 98-92 twice.


Baier dodges bullet

Super featherweight Diamond Baier (2-0-1, 0 KOs) dodged a bullet against a very determined opponent in Jose Guzman (6-3-0, 5 KOs).

The left-handed Baier appeared to intimidate Guzman early with his speed and sharper punches, but Guzman took some chances in round two and they paid off. He focused on a stiff jab and a short counter right on the inside. This slowed Baier significantly and in round three, Guzman further pressed the action and managed to cut Baier badly over the right eye with a right cross.

Guzman looked to close the show in the fourth but got a bit too excited, as he opened up with wider punches against the dangerous Baier. Baier took advantage and connected with a right to the head. The punch did land but it had more of a pushing effect to it than a damaging one. Regardless of the protests from Guzman and his corner, referee Pete Podgorski ruled it a knockdown and this made the difference in the fight.

They went the distance and all three judges gave the fight to Baier by one point, 38-37.

Popoca impresses

Junior welterweight Rey Ivan Popoca (12-0-1, 8 KOs) put on an impressive performance against a very slick Mike Gonzalez (10-6-1, 9 KOs), knocking him out in the sixth round.

Popoca came out looking to box but was lured midway into the round into trading. He was very successful with either approach, as he rocked Gonzalez right a hard left hook on the inside. Popoca boxed early in round two but again resorted to pressuring and punishing Gonzalez.

In round three Gonzalez tried to turn the momentum in his favor as he connected with a big left hook that sent Popoca stumbling backwards. He then pounced on Popoca in the corner and looked to rally.

His success was short-lived, as Popoca came back strong in rounds four and five. Round six proved to be too much for Gonzalez, battered and beaten, his corner looked on very closely as he was truly on survival mode. With a minute into the round, a pummeling combination landed for Popoca, sending Gonzalez staggering backwards. Just as his corner was throwing in the towel, he collapsed in the corner.

The end came at 1:34. Sandoval is the brother of headliner, two-time former world champion Jesus "El Matador" Chavez.


Sandoval survives knockdown

Lightweight Jaime Sandoval (16-4-1, 12 KOs) survived a first round knockdown to win a close unanimous decision against Oscar De La Cruz (5-8-0, 2 KOs).

Having survived the knockdown in the opening stanza, Sandoval proceeded to trade with De La Cruz, wearing him down and forcing him to slow considerably. The effectiveness that De La Cruz showed was his shorter punches and compact stance against the taller Sandoval. But Sandoval didn't allow for any breathing room and controlled the action down the stretch with a good jab and combinations to the body.

All three judges scored it the same, 57-56 for Sandoval.

Esho remains undefeated

Welterweight Achour Esho (4-0-0, 3 KOs) kept his undefeated record in tact by beating up a heavily outmatched Ricky Thompson (1-7-0, 1 KO) in just two rounds.

Thompson went down once in the first and two times in the second before Referee Gerald Scott mercifully stopped the mauling.

The time was 2:10 of round two.

Latoria dominates Williams

Heavyweight David Latoria (3-0-0, 2 KOs) dominated Jeremiah Williams (0-3) over four rounds.

The taller Latoria found his range with his jab early on and kept his cautious opponent circling the ring for most of the fight. In round two a hard right cross dropped Williams hard, but to his credit, he got up and made it to the final bell.

Latoria easily won unanimously, as all three judges scored the fight the same 40-35.

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Bernard Dunne Update

Bernard Dunne’s pride was the only thing hurting this morning following the loss of his WBA World Super Bantamweight title to Thai whirlwind Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym at the Hunky Dorys World Title Fight Night at The O2 in Dublin. As a precautionary measure Dunne was taken to Beaumont Hospital following the third round defeat but was released with a clean bill of health less than an hour later.

Promoter Brian Peters believes that the popular Dubliner will bounce back from the defeat. “Thankfully Bernard is fine,” revealed Peters. “His pride is wounded because he was so desperate to give the country a lift. We want to thank everyone for their support again last night. It means an awful lot to Bernard and the rest of the team and Bernard wanted to give them another great night.

“Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, Poonsawat was just too strong but I’ve no doubt that he will bounce back from this. After the Kiko Martinez defeat there wasn’t too many predicting that Bernard would go on to win a World title but he did just that and he can come back from this setback as well.”

Peters said that no snap decision will be made regarding Dunne’s future. “Obviously we’re all very disappointed right now but once the dust settles we’ll look at our options and see what direction we go from here. There are no excuses, Bernard was beaten by a great, great fighter last night and I’m sure that Poonsawat will enjoy a long and successful reign and we wish him all the very best for the future.”

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Klitschko-Arreola Scorecard

WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko was ahead of challenger Chris Arreola by scores 99-91, 99-91 and 100-89 when their bout was stopped after round ten on Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Judges Ken Morita (Japan) and Anek Hontongkam (Thailand) had Klitschko up nine rounds to one, with both giving round eight to Arreola. Judge Guido Cavalieri (Italy) awarded Klitschko every round, scoring the tenth 10-8.



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Pacman sparmates in Manila


Unbeaten super-welterweight Shawn Porter of Ohio and lightweight hotshot Urbano Antillon of California arrived in the Philippines early Sunday morning after a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles. Porter and Antillon were selected by Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach to work with Manny Pacquiao, who is revving up for a Nov. 14 bout with Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Roach, who is camping out with Pacquiao in Baguio, said sparring could start as early as Tuesday afternoon. “We’re ready to go (sparring),” said Antillon, who is of Mexican lineage. Porter and Antillon are scheduled to travel to Baguio by land on Monday morning. They’ll be joined in the five-to-six hour journey by Shawn’s dad Ken. Porter, the 2007 US National Golden Gloves middleweight champion, is said to be a clone of Cotto. The Porters and Antillon were fetched at the airport by movie bad guy Cris Aguilar, who, in reality is a nice fellow. Aguilar used to be one of Pacquiao’s bodyguards. “Just give my regards to Manny,” said the hefty Aguilar. Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. is staging the Pacquiao-Cotto slugfest dubbed “Firepower.”

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Cody stops Eales

Australian lightweight Dan Cody (6-9, 3 KOs) successfully defended the Queensland state 135 pound title when he stopped Damon Eales (0-4) in round five at the Sporting Club, Moranbah, Queensland, Australia on Saturday. Cody was on the canvas in round one and two, but he then dropped Eales in round three and twice in round four. In round five, referee Steve Marshall crowned Cody, who had captured the title in 2009 by defeating Leigh Lindgren. In a light heavyweight bout, 19-year-old Mark “Bam Bam” Flanagan (3-0) stopped 37-year-old veteran New Zealander Jason Costa (4-12) in round six.

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Lowther stops Batista


Once again, a raucous crowd at the UVI Sports & Fitness Center in beautiful St. Thomas USVI enjoyed a scintillating evening of boxing as 340 Promotions presented Boxing In Paradise IV. Keeping true to form, the card was filled with both local talent, namely the Jackson brothers John and Julius, progeny of local legend Julian “The Hawk” Jackson, and Jackson nephew Samuel Rogers. Adding spice to the mix was some international flavor from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and mainland A. In the main event, Omri Lowther (13-1, 9 KOs) stopped Juan Carlos Batista (18-2, 12 KOs) to seize Batista’s WBA Fedecaribe lightweight title.

Defending champ Batista, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic was coming back to the ring after a fourteen month layoff and his only career loss, an upset six round decision at the hands of Wilson Alcorro. Were it not for two point deductions against Alcorro, Batista would’ve kept his unbeaten record intact with a draw. Lowther had been more active of late and it showed throughout the bout. After a feel-em-out first two rounds, Lowther dropped Batista twice in the third, and again in the fourth and it looked for all purposes to be over. Seconds after the bell rang to start the fifth, Batista seemed rejuvenated and rocked a complacent Lowther with his first punch. The Dominican fans in the crowd cheered their man on and Batista responded by stunning Lowther again. That would be it though for Batista’s flash of glory.

In the sixth, Batista hit the deck again, under the ropes and onto the apron. Saved by the bell, it seemed only a matter of time to this writer before he was either knocked out or quit in some fashion. Batista gave it one last stand in the seventh, but had nothing left as his legs betrayed him all over the ring. A look of resignation drawn on his face, Batista made it mercifully through the round and stayed on his stool at the start of the eighth. Referee Smoger signaled the surrender and Lowther climbed the ropes in the neutral corner, acknowledging the cheers of the appreciative crowd. The win give Lowther a 19-1, 9 KOs record and the WBA Fedecaribe lightweight belt. Batista has now lost two straight, dropping to 18-2, 12 KOs.

Lowther told us after the bout, “This is most definitely the biggest win of my career. He was tough. I couldn’t believe he kept getting up from all those knockdowns. I got a little careless in the fifth wen he caught me a couple times, but I listened to my corner and went to the body and it paid off. I want a North American belt next and a world belt after that. I give myself only a C+ in this fight. I can do way better than this. You’ll me even better next time!”

Julius Jackson looked to add to his new found power against Sarasota’s Luis Hodge at super middleweight. Hodge proved cagier than expected though, as Jackson had a tough time finding the mark with his shots. When he did land flush, Hodge took it and then threw his own, at times catching the “Fighting Chef” with his own wild punches. After four tough rounds, all three judges scored it the same: 40-36, all for Julius Jackson who moves to 4-0, 2 KOs, while Hodge slides to 5-9-1, 3KOs.

Costa Rica’s Hanna Gabriel and Ft. Lauderdale’s Yvonne Reis thrilled the crowd in a Super welterweight scrap. Gabriel showed more superior skill, speed, footwork and overall ring generalship than her ineffectively aggressive foe. Although, Reis had her moments through awkwardly landed haymakers. In the end, it was all Gabriel as the scores were 59-55 and 60-54 twice, all for the now 8-0-1, 4 KOs Gabriel. Reis slips to 7-14.

Opening the show was Jackson family member Samuel Rogers looking to gain his first knockout against Adam Ortiz. His hope came true as he pummeled a hapless Ortiz around the ring, prompting referee Roberto Ramirez Jr. to stop matters at 1:45 of round two while Ortiz was still on his feet, but floundering helplessly. Rogers moves to 4-0, 1 KO while Ortiz slips to 2-6, 1KO.

Next up were fellow debutantes Otoniel Ortiz of St. Croix, USVI and Iran Agosto of San Juan Puerto Rico in a lightweight four rounder. A seemingly disinterested Agosto inexplicably quit in the middle of the first round. After starting out as the aggressor, Agosto shook his head to the negative momentarily, then seemed to fight on for a few moments more. After receiving a jab from Ortiz, Agosto spit out his mouth piece and turned his back. Referee Roberto Ramirez Sr. was forced to stop the action at 1:36 of the opening round. It was later determined that Agosto may have a broken rib. Ortiz is 1-0, 1KO, while Agosto starts out at 0-1.

Super welterweight John Jackson made it a perfect four-for-four against debutante Jonathan Cordero from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Four fights, four wins, four knockouts, as Jackson buried a left hook deep into the ribcage of debuting Jonathan Cordero, dropping for the painful count as referee Steve Smoger waved it off at 1:54 of the opening session. Jackson keeps perfect at 4-0, 4 KOs.

Young Dominican knockout artist Javier Fortuna looked to keep his ledger perfect against the experienced but oft defeated Carlos Diaz in a scheduled four at super feather. Coming in a 5-0, 5 KOs, it turned out that the ring-wise Diaz had more than Fortuna expected, frustrating and bum rushing Fortuna and swapping punch for punch in a thrilling affair. It looked as though things wouldn’t last long as both bombers went at it to the wild satisfaction of the crowd, but Diaz’ savvy proved worthy as Fortuna couldn’t find the punch to put his foe away. In the third, Fortuna suffered a cut over his left eye via an accidental clash of heads as ruled by referee Steve Smoger. Fortuna went for broke in the final round, trying to keep his K.O. record intact, but it was not to be. For the first time in his young career, he heard the final bell and awaited the decision. Scores were as follows: 40-36 twice and 39-37, all for the still undefeated Fortuna who improves to 6-0, 5 KOs, while Diaz slips to 10-21-3, 7 KOs.

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JM Cotto KOs Ramirez


With a powerful uppercut, José Miguel Cotto (30-1-1, 22 KOs) TKO’ed Mexican Martín Ramírez (7-12-1, 4 KOs) at 2:52 minutes of the third round on Saturday night in the main event of ‘Boxeo Boricua en Caguas’ at the Coliseo Hector Sola Bezares in Caguas, Puerto Rico. “I felt great in the ring”, said Cotto, even tough he admitted that his opponent was “very strong and uncomfortable.” José Miguel assured he felt “less tired and in better condition” than last month, when he fought for the first time after a two-and-a-half year layoff. Meanwhile his trainer Freddy Trinidad explained, “He’s improving very fast. This is his second fight in a row and we are hoping that for the third he’ll be in his original 135lb division.” Trinidad emphasized that his charge has shown a lot of sacrifice and commitment with this new phase of his career. “José wants to be a world champion and I think we’ll make it,” he added.

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