This week's version of The Daily Sports Herald's Boxing Notebook discusses the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame's 2016 inductees, and takes a look at two last-minute cancellations of main event fights scheduled for tomorrow. Check out the latest news in the sweet science:
Pacquiao-Bradley III: Trainers Roach and Atlas speak their mind
As Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley gear up for their third battle, their trainers, Freddie Roach and Teddy Atlas, have managed to become quite vocal in recent days.
"We had a strong camp in the Philippines and Manny, as usual, is way ahead of schedule in his conditioning, and very motivated," said Roach. "The real business begins for us on Monday at Wild Card. We have great sparring waiting for Manny. I know that ESPN announcer [Teddy Atlas] who is coaching Bradley is a good story teller and likes acting. Let's see how well they do when we go off script and hit them with a dose of reality TV. Playing 'fireman' isn't going to protect them from the nuclear assault Manny will be launching."
Atlas had his own thoughts on Roach, which can be heard in the above video.
Ruslan Provodnikov returns to ring against rugged John Molina
Former WBO Junior Welterweight World Champion Ruslan "The Siberian Rocky" Provodnikov returns to the ring on Saturday, June 11, to face brawler John Molina Jr. in a 12-round super lightweight from bout from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. The clash will be televised live on Showtime (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).
Known for his power, aggression, and unyielding will to win, Russian native Provodnikov (25-4, 18 KOs) has earned himself a loyal fan base around the globe for his humble nature outside the ring and his ferocious intensity inside the ropes.
“I have been waiting for a long time to get back in the ring and to give my fans another fight," said Provodnikov. "The opportunity has finally come and I appreciate that Showtime is looking at me as a future star on their network, and I will not let them down.”
Provodnikov has had some thrilling bouts with several top foes, including a 2015 ‘Fight of the Year’ nominee with Lucas Matthysse, a 2013 Fight of the Year with Timothy Bradley, and a 2013 10th- round stoppage over Mike Alvarado that yielded him the WBO Super Lightweight World title.
Covina, California’s John Molina (28-6, 23 KOs) is also highly regarded among boxing fans for his exciting fights. Since turning pro in 2006, the aggressive-minded Molina has delivered action-packed fights such as his 2014 BWAA ‘Fight of the Year’ against Argentine slugger Matthysse, and a surprising upset knockout against previously unbeaten Mickey Bey, Jr. in July 2013.
"I'm very thankful to Showtime and TGB Promotions for this opportunity and promise the fans a great fight," said Molina. "I'm very familiar with Ruslan and have long believed that our styles would make for an outstanding war on June 11. Fighting on the Hall of Fame weekend means a great deal to me having been a long-time fan of Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, who is being inducted this year. It would be an honor to fight in front of him and the rest of the inductees."
David Lemieux's bout cancelled due to weight issue
Looks like David Lemieux will have to wait a bit longer to remove the bitter taste of his prior loss to Gennady Golovkin, as Lemieux failed to make the contracted weight for his March 12 fight, ultimately causing the bout to be cancelled.
Lemieux (34-3, 31 KOs) and James de la Rosa (23-3, 13 KOs) weighed in at 165.6 pounds and 162 pounds, respectively, today at their official weigh-in from the Casino de Montreal. Lemieux, who came in 2.6 pounds overweight from the contracted weight of 163 pounds, had Canadian co-promoter and manager, Camille Estephan, negotiate with De La Rosa's camp to try to reach an agreement.
"Despite offering De La Rosa an increase on his purse, De La Rosa has refused to fight due to the weight issue," said Camille Estephan, President of Eye of the Tiger Management. "He really did not feel comfortable fighting at weight higher than originally agreed. We did make an offer to local undefeated fighter as an alternative opponent however; the fight was not approved by the commission."
The middleweight event would have marked David Lemieux's return to the ring after his fight against unified middleweight world champion Golovkin.
The rest of the card will continue as scheduled with Steven "Bang Bang" Butler (14-0-1, 11 KOs) taking on Sladjan "The Tiger" Janjanin (13-0, 11 KOs) in a 10-round now main event for the vacant IBF Youth Super Welterweight Title, and Schiller "Batman" Hyppolite (19-1, 13 KOs) facing Darnell "Deezol" Boon (23-22, 12 KOs).
The card will be broadcast live in the U.S. by FOX Deportes, and will be available in English via live stream by Ring TV, both starting at 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT.
More Talk: Amir Khan expresses thoughts on Canelo bout
At the recent press conference in Los Angeles promoting the upcoming Canelo Alvarez-Amir Khan bout, Khan seemed to exude great confidence despite being the significantly smaller man. Here are a few excerpts from Khan's statements at the conference:
- "This is the biggest fight of my career. Canelo is physically very strong, and come fight night, I will be ready and coming in very happy and very strong."
- "It will be like a game of chess. Canelo is very strong. I have a very good trainer who will tell me the right game plan. We will go in to win this fight, and I will prove people wrong. Even though it is Cinco de Mayo, the British fans will come out. In Vegas, there will be more British flags then Mexican flags."
- "Thank you for this massive opportunity for this fight. This fight will be an exciting one, and I really believe I can win this fight and if I didn't I wouldn't be here."
Zab Judah bout cancelled
Talk about bad luck for boxing fans. The David Lemieux bout was not the only fight cancelled today, as Zab Judah's fight against Josh Torres scheduled for Saturday, March 12, in Las Vegas, also was halted.
The “Knockout Night at the D” card, set in the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, was cancelled when the Nevada State Athletic Commission stepped in with concerns over eligibility. Other outlets have reported that Judah and the promoter, Roy Englebrecht, provided "false licensing documents" to the commission. Englebrecht has been a successful promoter of small cards for decades in Southern California, and has had a good reputation in the business.
Derek Stevens, CEO of the D Las Vegas, said in a statement, “Last night, I received multiple calls from the Nevada Athletic Commission regarding eligibility concerns. After our discussions, it became apparent the fight card could not move forward. Although I'm disappointed with the situation, I appreciate the phone calls and look forward to working with the Nevada Athletic Commission on future boxing events at the DLVEC.”
Last year, DLVEC launched several successful boxing events, with Stevens leading the charge to bring outdoor boxing back to Las Vegas.
The fight was scheduled to be televised on the CBS Sports Network.
Nevada Boxing HOF announces Class of 2016
Six outstanding boxers, including the first woman inductee, highlight the 11-person class that will be inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 30, at Caesars Palace.
Boxers chosen include ex-heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe; popular lightweight champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini; Mexican superstar Ricardo “Finito” Lopez; Olympic gold medalist and multiple-time world champion Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker; Christy Martin, the Nevada Hall’s first female inductee; and Freddie Little, the first native Nevadan to become a world champion.
The other honorees are long-time trainer and gym operator Johnny Tocco; legendary trainers Thell Torrance and Kenny Adams; and journalists Tim Dahlberg and James “Smitty” Smith.
“Yet again, we have an outstanding class to present for induction,” said founder Rich Marotta. “It’s a great mix of fighters and we’re thrilled to induct our first woman, the great Christy Martin. This will be a big night for us and will add many legendary names to our already prestigious group of inductees.”
The honorees will be officially inducted during a July 30 ceremony at Caesars Palace, which has hosted many of the most significant fights of the last half-century century.
A brief look at the inductees:
• Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe – A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015, Bowe was the undisputed heavyweight champion and a 1988 Olympic silver medalist. He made his professional debut in Reno when he knocked out Lionel Butler, and fought all three of his legendary bouts with Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas.
• Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini – Mancini, a former lightweight champion and a member of the 2015 Class in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, was one of the most popular fighters of his era. He won the lightweight belt by defeating Arturo Frias in Las Vegas, produced a spectacular KO of Bobby Chacon in Reno and had a 29-5 record with 23 knockouts.
• Ricardo “Finito” Lopez – Lopez was 51-0-1 with 38 knockouts and is regarded as one of the greatest Mexican fighters in history. He won the WBC minimumweight title in 1990 and remained a world champion for the rest of his career, which ended in 2001. He also held a light flyweight championship. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.
• Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker – Whitaker, one of the greatest defensive boxers ever, was a 1984 Olympic gold medalist and held world titles in four weight classes. He’s most known for a controversial 1993 fight with Julio Cesar Chavez that was ruled a draw, though most observers felt he’d won. It ended Chavez’s 87-fight winning streak, however. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.
• Christy “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” Martin – Martin helped women’s boxing gain widespread public acceptance with her many appearances on Mike Tyson undercards. She became the first woman fighter to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated after a great bout with Deirdre Gogarty in1996. She was 49-7-3 with 31 KOs.
• Freddie Little – Little became the first Nevadan to win a world title when he bested Stanley Hayward for the WBA-WBC super welterweight title in Las Vegas in 1969. He was 51-6 with 31 knockouts, and later became a well-respected member of the Nevada Athletic Commission.
• Johnny Tocco -- Tocco operated the famous Ringside Gym in Las Vegas and was one of the game’s best trainers. He moved to Las Vegas in 1953
• Thell Torrence – One of the sport’s most respected trainers, Torrence learned the game at the side of the legendary Eddie Futch. He worked with stars such as Ken Norton, Riddick Bowe, Mike McCallum and Hasim Rahman.
• Kenny Adams – Adams was the trainer of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team and guided 26 world champions as a pro, including Diego Corrales, Michael Nunn, Johnny Tapia and Kennedy McKinney.
• James “Smitty” Smith – Journalist who hosts "In This Corner," a syndicated weekly boxing show and is a regular contributor to Fox Sports radio. He was previously inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame.
• Tim Dahlberg – A boxing writer for the Associated Press since 1979, Dahlberg has covered hundreds of title fights around the world including most big events in Las Vegas. He won the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism in 1999, as chosen by previous winners, and is the author of the definitive book on boxing in Las Vegas, “Fight Town.”
Orlando Salido to battle Francisco Vargas on June 4 in Carson
The StubHub Center in Carson, California has been home to some of the most epic fights of this era, and on Saturday, June 4, another potential thriller will take place, as Francisco Vargas (23-0-1, 17 KOs) -- fresh from his Fight of the Year victory over Takashi Miura -- will defend his WBC Super Featherweight World Title for the first time against fellow Mexican warrior and former three-time world champion Orlando Salido (43-13-3, 30 KOs, 1 NC) in a 12-round bout.
The fight will be televised live on HBO.
"I want to fight the best fighters and Orlando Salido is one of the top fighters in the sport," said Francisco Vargas. "I intend to retain my title and will be prepared to the best of my ability to dominate in the ring and give the fans a fight they will remember. I know it will be a tough fight, Salido brings a lot of experience, but I promise not to disappoint. In the end the fans will win on June 4, they will witness a battle between two Mexican warriors who will give it their all in the ring, it's a can't miss event."
A member of the 2008 Mexican Olympic team, Vargas, 31, has continued to represent his country well as a professional, striking gold in 2015 by winning the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship. In that bout, Vargas rose from the canvas to drop and stop Japan's Takashi Miura in a classic championship bout on November 21 that was named ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, The Ring Magazine, and The BWAA 2015 Fight of the Year.
No stranger to thrilling wars in the ring, 35-year-old Salido is a three-time former world featherweight champion who has had one of the most impressive resumes in the sport today. A professional since 1996, Salido, has traded punches with the best of this era, including Juan Manuel Marquez, Robert Guerrero, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Mikey Garcia, and Vasyl Lomachenko. Best known for his memorable two-fight series with Juan Manuel Lopez and Roman Martinez, Salido is looking forward to celebrating his 20th year in the sport by winning another world championship.
"I was 12-years-old when I saw my first fight on television," said Orlando Salido. "It was the great Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. and I watched him knockout his opponent and earn the prestigious green and gold belt. It was then that I knew then that's what I wanted to do, become a world champion boxer just like my idol Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. So here I am, 23 years later looking to win the WBC belt and fulfill my lifelong dream of putting it around my waist. I want to give special thanks to the WBC President, Mauricio Sulaiman, son of the great Don Jose Sulaiman, HBO, Zanfer Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Francisco Vargas for giving me the chance to fight for the WBC Championship on June 4. I look forward to giving the fans an epic fight that will be remembered for years to come."
Brawlers Soto-Karass and Kamegai to face off at LA Fight Club
Two veteran fighters will battle in a fight sure to make hardcore fans jump out of their chairs, as former WBC Continental Americas and NABF Welterweight Champion Jesus Soto-Karass (28-10-3, 18 KO) will face Japan's former OPBF Welterweight Champion Yoshihiro Kamegai (26-3-1, 23 KO) on April 15 in a 10-round super welterweight showdown.
Both fighters have battled in fight of the year candidate bouts, and are known for always going for the knockout. What makes the matchup especially interesting is that it will occur at LA Fight Club, a monthly card better known for showcasing young prospects, rather than established veterans.
"Every month, LA Fight Club features the best up-and-coming prospects on the planet, but on April 15, fans will be treated to something different -- two veterans who leave everything in the ring every time they fight," said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. "Though the fighters may be at different points in their careers than the prospects we usually feature, they always deliver high-action bouts with potential knockouts in every round - that's what LA Fight Club is all about."
Main Events to co-promote Sugar LeShawn Rodriguez
Main Events has joined forces with Zagarino Promotions in a co-promotional deal for super welterweight prospect "Sugar" LeShawn Rodriguez. Rodriguez had an impressive amateur career and is set to make his professional debut March 18 against Jose Cortes at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
When asked about the signing, Rodriguez said, "I feel very fortunate that both Main Events and Zagarino Promotions recognize my world class potential. My team and I are determined not to disappoint. Branding my boxing name with 'Sugar' and its historic past is a symbol of our commitment and confidence."
As an amateur, LeShawn was two-time a USA Boxing National Champion in 2013 and 2014 of the Men's Elite Division, which does not use headgear. He was the 2012 NY Golden Gloves Open Middleweight Champion and 2014 NY Golden Gloves Open Middleweight Champion. He was a 2012 National Golden Gloves Finalist.
In 2013, Sugar took home the Bronze Medal at the AIBA World American Continental Championships. He was also chosen as an alternate for the 2016 Olympic Team.
Rodriguez, 22, is originally from Coram, New York and now resides in Fort Jefferson Station, New York.
Main Events' CEO, Kathy Duva, echoed that enthusiasm when she added, "I was very impressed with LeShawn, his team, and Zagarino Promotions. With such an impressive amateur career, I can't wait to see what LeShawn can do as a pro! We're looking to start him off in the super welterweight division. I think he's going to a force to be reckoned with at 154 lbs."
Showtime announces seven-telecast boxing schedule
Showtime announced seven live boxing telecasts over a 12-week span, a stacked lineup featuring nine world championship fights and 14 overall matches in boxing’s deepest and most exciting divisions.
The full slate of programming is free to Showtime subscribers, and the presentation on CBS is the first Prime Time boxing event on CBS television network in decades.
See below for details on the events:
Saturday, April 9: Charles Martin (23-0-1, 21 KOs) vs. Anthony Joshua (15-0, 15 KOs) – IBF Heavyweight World Title Championship
Friday, April 15: Nikolay Potapov (14-0, 6 KOs) vs. Stephon Young (14-0-2, 6 KOs) – 10-Rd Bantamweight Bout
Saturday, April 16: Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) vs. Patrick Hyland (31-1, 15 KOs) – WBC Featherweight World Championship; Jose Pedraza (21-0, 12 KOs) vs. Stephen Smith (23-1, 13 KOs) – IBF Super Featherweight World Championship
Saturday, April 30: Badou Jack (20-1-1, 12 KOs) vs. Lucian Bute (32-3, 25 KOs) – WBC Super Middleweight Championship; James DeGale (22-1, 14 KOs) vs. Rogelio Medina (35-6, 29 KOs) – IBF Super Middleweight World Championship. Former champ Bute, fresh off a great fight against DeGale, steps in to replace the injured Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Medina is the IBF’s mandated challenger for DeGale. The winners will meet in an immediate unification.
Pending Confirmation: Deontay Wilder (36-0, 35 KOs) vs. Alexander Povetkin (30-1, 22 KOs) – WBC Heavyweight World Championship
Saturday, June 11: Ruslan Provodnikov (25-4, 18 KOs) vs. John Molina Jr. (28-6, 23 KOs) – 12-Rd
Saturday, June 25: Keith Thurman (26-0, 1 ND, 22 KOs) vs. Shawn Porter (26-1-1, 16 KOs) – WBA Welterweight World Championship; Jesus Cuellar (28-1, 21 KOs) vs. Abner Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) – WBA (reg.) Featherweight World Championship.
Late-Summer 2016: Leo Santa Cruz (32-0-1, 18 KOs) vs. Carl Frampton (22-0, 14 KOs) – WBA (super) Featherweight World Championship.
Showtime to showcase various boxing legends in March
Showtime will roll out its third installment of a year-long salute commemorating 30 years of Showtime Boxing in March with “Legends.’’
This month will be highlighted by legends Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Felix Trinidad, Ricardo “Finito” Lopez, and George Foreman. Seven of the most unforgettable and important fights from these legends – some of which have seldom been re-aired since their live presentation – are available now on the network’s on demand platforms and will air on “Throwback Thursdays” in March at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME.
Yesterday, Showtime aired Marvin Hagler vs. John Mugabi exactly 30 years after the final win of Hagler’s Hall of Fame career on March 10, 1986.
The classic fights will be wrapped with brief context and commentary from host Brian Custer.
In addition to Hagler-Mugabi, Showtime also has televised the Terry Norris-Sugar Ray Leonard bout. Below is the schedule of remaining "Legends" fights for the month of March:
Thursday, March 17: Felix Trinidad vs. David Reid
Thursday, March 24: Ricardo Lopez vs. Rosendo Alvarez II
Thursday, March 31: Iran Barkley vs. Thomas Hearns I, George Foreman vs. Gerry Cooney (10:15 p.m. ET/PT), and Gerald McClellan vs. Julian Jackson I (10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
In celebration of these great fights, Showtime analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood has written a special column below:
LEGENDS
By Steve Farhood
Boxing without legends would be like religion without saints.
There's no formula for a fighter to advance from star to superstar to legend. The process depends on timing, circumstance, and sometimes as little as a point or two on the judges' cards.
And oh, yeah: It helps if a guy can really fight.
As we celebrate 30 years of boxing on SHOWTIME, we're focusing on a different theme each month. Throughout March, the theme will be Legends.
In the 130 years from John L. Sullivan to Floyd Mayweather, boxing has given us what other sports can't provide. Consider:
The Associated Press voted Luis Firpo's knockdown of Jack Dempsey as the greatest sports moment of the first half of the 20th Century.
The Frazier-Ali “Fight Of The Century” in 1971 was easily the most anticipated sporting event in history.
Last year's Mayweather-Pacquiao fight generated more than half-a-billion dollars -- in one night!
Legends are made by big moments ... and how they respond to those moments.
On SHOWTIME, we've featured three decades worth of legends. Here's a look at those who will share the spotlight in March.
MARVIN HAGLER: Since Vince Lombardi didn't exactly say, “Timing isn't everything, it's the only thing,” Hagler should've said it.
Hagler was a great fighter long before he was a superstar, but it wasn't until he fought Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard (three of Hagler's last six bouts) that Marvin became Marvelous.
Hagler's one appearance on SHOWTIME, which happened to be the first bout televised on the network (March 1986), was the final win of his career. Undefeated over 10 years, Hagler had established himself as one of the greatest middleweights in history. And while it could be argued in hindsight that at age 31, the ultimate blue-collar fighter was slightly past his prime, much of what made Hagler special was on display during his savage defense against his unbeaten and ferocious challenger, John Mugabi.
Almost three decades after his retirement, Hagler remains the middleweight today's 160-pounders are measured against.
SUGAR RAY LEONARD: If Hagler bloomed late, Leonard was a superstar before he threw a single punch as a professional.
Back in the mid-‘70s, that's what a magnetic smile, an Olympic gold medal, and repeated exposure on prime time television could do for a young fighter.
It's ironic that Leonard was initially viewed by some as a coddled creation of the media. In fact, he was as tough as any fighter of the star-studded early-‘80s. Better yet, he remains the best fighter I've covered in 38 years on the boxing beat.
Leonard's appearance on SHOWTIME was the penultimate bout of his career. In electing to end yet another lengthy layoff, Sugar Ray, 34, chose outstanding 23-year-old super welterweight titlist Terry Norris as his opponent. Leonard dropped from 160 to 154 pounds and fought at Madison Square Garden for the first time.
The bout served as a reminder that at least in a pre-Bernard Hopkins world, boxing was very much a young man's game.
FELIX TRINIDAD: There are only three Hispanic fighters who became superstars in the USA without speaking English. The first was Panama's Roberto Duran. The second was Mexico's Julio Cesar Chavez.
The third was Puerto Rico's Trinidad.
Trinidad's motto might as well have been, “If you can't be from America, then beat America.”
A classic puncher with a boy scout's smile and a fan-friendly personality, Trinidad made his name by defeating four U.S. Olympians, Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya (albeit by a terrible decision), David Reid, and Fernando Vargas.
Moreover, Whitaker, De La Hoya, and Reid had all been gold medalists.
The fight we'll feature on March 17 on SHO EXTREME, Trinidad vs. Reid, was Trinidad's 14th and final appearance on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and SHOWTIME pay-per-view.
From his welterweight title-winning kayo of Maurice Blocker in 1993 through his defense against Mahenge Zulu in 1998, 13 of Trinidad's 14 bouts were aired on SHOWTIME. Twelve of those fights were knockout wins.
Where Trinidad ranks with Wilfredo Gomez, Miguel Cotto, Carlos Ortiz, Wilfred Benitez, and the rest of the legends from Puerto Rico is debatable. What is inarguable is that “Tito” generated as much excitement as any fighter of his era.
RICARDO LOPEZ: What's smaller: the chance that a strawweight (105 pounds) becomes an American television star or the fighter himself?
There's never been an American world champion at strawweight (or minimumweight). We just don't grow fighters that size. In fact, until the emergence of Mexico's Lopez in the early-'90s, most American boxing fans couldn't have identified a single strawweight if armed with a map of the world and a set of WBC ratings.
Lopez was so complete, so dominant, so technically perfect, that from 1994 to '99, he was a staple of SHOWTIME’s boxing programming. He fought 13 consecutive bouts on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING or SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View, and the first 11 of those contests were defenses of the strawweight title.
And if you think the little guys can't punch, well, there were some one-punch kayos sprinkled in.
Lopez, who retired with a mark of 51-0-1, is universally acknowledged as an all-time great. Too bad he never fought America's Michael Carbajal at light flyweight. Had he won that bout, he'd likely be acknowledged as one of the two or three greatest Mexican fighters ever.
Which is saying a lot for a fighter who never faced an opponent recognized by the American viewing public.
Heavyweight LaRon Mitchell to face Raymond Ochieng on March 12
Up-and-coming heavyweight LaRon Mitchell (11-0, 11 KOs) headlines "Night of Champions," Thompson Boxing Promotions annual private event this Saturday, March 12 from the Doubletree Hotel in Orange, California.
"I'm physically and mentally ready to step back in the ring," said Mitchell, who has sparred with world champions such as Deontay Wilder and Charles Martin. "I expect a tough fight on Saturday. I'm confident I'll come away with another win."
Mitchell, 34, is matched against Raymond Ochieng (8-17, 6 KOs) of Kenya in the 6-round main event. The San Francisco-based Mitchell is merely one month removed from his latest knockout win - a first round stoppage of Juan Manuel Silva.
In the co-feature, lightweight Manuel Mendez (8-1-1, 4 KOs) of Indio, California, squares off with Jesus Angulo (8-9, 6 KOs) of Nuevo Laredo, Mex. (6-rounds).
Mendez, trained by Joel Diaz, started his career with a loss, but since then, has marked off eight straight wins.
"The goal is to continue to improve and develop into a complete boxer," Mendez said. "I have a great team that pushes me to be the best."
Also on "Night of Champions," recently signed heavyweight Scott Alexander (10-1-1, 6 KOs) of Moreno Valley, California, takes on Sylvester Barron (9-7, 3 KOs) of Tacoma, Wash. in a bout scheduled for 4-rounds.
Opening the "Night of Champions" event are junior bantamweights Isaiah Najera (3-1, 2 KOs) of Pasco, Wash. and Ricardo Espinoza (6-0, 5 KOs) of Tijuana, Mex. (4-rounds).
As part of the event, a monetary donation will be made to The Burbank Boxing Club.
By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services
No comments:
Post a Comment
We encourage all intelligent, passionate comments. Please refrain from any ignorant, racist, or offensive rants.