The fight poster for Boxing 360’s promotional debut featured Ronson Frank, Amanda Serrano, Lennox Allen and Tommy Rainone. Frank spent the evening as a spectator. The other three weren’t on hand and had fights fall out for various reasons.

In the case of Frank, a counter punching light heavyweight, his opponent Anthony Ferrante scaled in at 180 lbs; 4 over the contracted limit. According to the Brooklyn based prospect, his attempts to make the fight happen were unsuccessful.

“Initially, we offered him the fight at 178 lbs, but he refused and wanted the fight 175 lbs,” stated Frank. “We agreed (to fight at) 176 lbs, I made the weight and he came in at 180 lbs. He refused to try and make the weight and only when I threatened to walk out he made a half a** effort (when he re weighed in) and lost two ounces. We tried to renegotiate so (Ferrante) could weigh in (on fight night) at 182 but he took off and left town.”

But as they say, the show must go on.

Although there were only four bouts last night at the upscale Plattduetsche Park Restaurant in Franklin Square, New York, props must go out to Director Bob Duffy for salvaging the card from getting TKO’ed. In addition, this writer can claim to have seen one of the most interesting but yet embarrassing knockouts in history (more on that later).

In the evening’s main event, dynamite fisted cruiserweight Josh “The Juice” Harris overcame a slow start to defeat gritty Kamarah Pasley. Harris was making his debut under the Boxing 360 banner and struggled to let his hands go on a consistent basis during the first few rounds as Pasley was the busier fighter.

Harris picked up the pace in the fifth round, landing a number of vicious hooks to the head while Pasley picked his spots with jabs and right hands. With his confidence beginning to grow, Harris decked Pasley with an enormous right hook that looked as if it were going to end the night in the sixth. Pasley, who hit the canvas like a fighter who wasn’t going to recover, impressively made it back to his feet en route to being saved by the bell seconds later. Harris continued to throw hard hooks at his game opponent during the next two rounds en route to taking a competitive decision.

Scores were 76-75 twice and 78-73. 15rounds scored the contest 77-74 for Harris.

“I should have been a bit calmer in the ring,” said Harris, who spent most of the eight rounds working off of hard hooks. “I made a few mistakes and am going to work on putting together combinations (in future bouts).”

Harris of Providence, RI by way of Youngstown, OH, improves to 7-3-1 with 5 KO’s. Pasley, who hails from the fighting city of Philadelphia, PA, is now 5-5 (2 KO’s).

The co-featured bout of the evening pitted unbeaten welterweight Issouf Kinda against tougher than advertised Noel Garcia in an eight round affair.

Kinda, a rangy boxer with a good jab and respectable straight right hand, controlled the action and buzzed Garcia on a few occasions. Garcia had minor success in close quarters, but was unable to land the more telling blows. The Springfield, MA based fighter started to tire in the fifth round, where he lost a point for holding and hitting. Kinda dominated the next stanza and a stoppage appeared likely; this was until a grotesque headbutt in the seventh caused blood to stream from Garcia’s left eye, halting the contest one round early.

All three judges and 15rounds awarded Kinda the bout via technical decision by the score of 70-62.

Kinda, of New York via West Africa, is a perfect 9-0 with 4 wins by knockout. Garcia, who is trained by boxing lifer and former title contender John “Iceman Scully” returns to Springfield, MA 2-6-1 (1 KO).

Junior welterweight Mike Brooks of Freeport, NY upped his record to 2-0 (1 KO) following a one sided UD over Toledo, OH’s Calvin Pritchard. The crowd favorite controlled the action from bell to bell, outworking his taller opponent with a strong body attack in close range.

All three judges scored the bout 39-37.

Brooks is now 2-0 (1 KO). Pritchard slides to 0-2-2.

Newark, NJ junior middleweight Thomas Baldwin improved to 2-0-1 (1 KO) after scoring an embarrassing third round knockout of Rameil Shelton. Baldwin beat his opponent to the punch during the first two rounds, which led up to one of the most humorous endings ever.

In the third, Shelton literally turned away from Baldwin to shout an expletive at a ringside heckler. His moronic decision to let the crowd get in his head was a major no no. Before he could continue his verbal assault, Baldwin shut his lights out with a huge right hand.

Time of stoppage was 1:50.

“I was completely in shock (to see him do that),” Baldwin said after his victory. “Of course I was going to take advantage, but it was only a matter of time (until the fight ended) anyways.”

Shelton heads back to Providence, RI at 0-2 following the humiliating defeat.

Boxing 360’s next card is slated for November.

York, PA Super Featherweight Eric Nemo thrilled his hometown fans with a dominant six round unanimous decision over southpaw spoiler Stephan Alexander at the elegant Valencia Ballroom last Saturday evening.

Backed by nonstop chants of “Nemo, Nemo”, the local product was effectively aggressive from the opening bell, tagging Alexander in close quarters en route to dropping him with a short left hand in the second. The lanky Alexander attempted to work his way back into the fight by boxing from the outside, but had minimal success.

Despite a significant height disadvantage, Nemo consistently landed flush punches on the inside en route to taking a one sided victory.

Judges Bernard Bruni and Tony Wolfe scored the contest 60-53, while John Gradowski’s tally read 59-54. 15rounds.com also scored it 60-53 in favor of Nemo.

“I knocked him down and controlled the fight. but I didn’t feel like I was that sharp tonight,” Nemo surprisingly said following an adequate performance. “I didn’t train for a tall southpaw and he was very awkward.”

Nemo, whose lone defeat came in 2005 to future world champion Juan Manuel Lopez, improves to 10-1-1 with 5 KO’s. Alexander returns to Norfolk, VA at 4-3 with all four wins coming by knockout.

In the co-featured bout of the evening, tough but predictable welterweight Doel Carrasquillo was unable to capitalize on a rare hometown appearance, dropping an eight round majority decision to rugged Ghanaian Ayi Bruce.

Carrasquillo stood directly in front of Bruce from bell to bell firing hard hooks, but his lack of speed and movement gave his counterpart plenty of opportunities. With a close friend recording the fight near ringside while shouting instructions in his native tongue, Bruce landed the majority of the clean punches and avoided most of Carrasquillo’s return shots.

Scores were 78-74, matching 15rounds’ tally, 77-75 and a questionable 76-76.

“I knew he was a hard puncher, so I kept my hands up and countered him,” said Bruce, who resides in Albany, NY. “He was very tough and is a good fighter.”

Bruce is now 16-3 (11 KO’s). Carrasquillo, of Lancaster, PA, slips to a decisive 14-16-1 with 12 wins by KO.

Pro debutant and York native Jesus Saucedo successfully entered the paid ranks with a crowd pleasing four round UD over a very game Mike Denby. All four rounds of the welterweight contest were fought at a toe to toe pace, with both men throwing power shots as if there were no tomorrow. Although he was outweighed by 4.5 lbs, Saucedo was clearly the stronger puncher and hurt Denby on a few different occasions.

Judges Gradowski, Wolfe and Bruni all scored the bout 39-37.

Denby, of Dover, DE, falls to 3-5-3 (2 KO’s).

Entertaining middleweight Mike Moore of Cleveland, OH kept his perfect record alive following a close four round majority decision over gritty Robert Sockwell of East Stroudsburg, PA. The shorter Moore consistently brought the fight to Sockwell, who fought back valiantly and buzzed Moore with a hook in the third. Moore closed the show in style, dominating the final stanza with an impressive array of punches in close range.

Scores were 39-37 twice and 38-38.

“I saw him yesterday at the weigh in and tried to size him up, but he was a little bit more awkward than I thought he would be,” Moore said after the victory. “I came into the fight in great shape, am looking for my next fight already and am ready for whomever!”

Sockwell falls to 2-2 (2 KO’s).

In the opening bout of the evening, lightweight prospect Julius Leegrand of Cleveland moved to 4-0 with a unanimous decision over fellow Ohioan Eric Ricker. Leegrand worked behind a snappy jab throughout the contest, while mixing in left hooks and straight right hands in a solid showing.

Scores were 40-36 and 39-37 twice.

Leegrand is now 4-0 with 2 KO’s. Toledo’s Ricker slides 3-6.

Headed by Julio Alvarez, who worked double duty as the trainer of Nemo, Carrasquillo and Saucedo, the card served as A&D Promotions’ debut.

Despite a disastrous stretch, former world champion “Vicious” Vivian Harris of Carlstadt, NJ isn’t ready to hang up the gloves just yet.

Harris, 29-5-1 (19 KO’s), was on the wrong end of a third round knockout to Victor Ortiz Saturday night in Los Angeles, CA as part of an HBO pay per view telecast. Against the well regarded Ortiz, Harris got dropped four times and was unable to work his way back into the fight.

Prior to that, Harris, who was once considered an elite junior welterweight, lost a controversial fourth round TKO to Lucas Matthysse. To make matters even worse, the Matthysse fight was preceded by a scary no contest against Noe Bolanos in 2009, where he left the ring on a stretcher following a grotesque clash of heads.

While Harris has been sent to the hospital after two of his last three fights and is without notable victory since 2007, he refutes any assertion that he is going to call it quits.

“People just like to talk and they don’t know boxing,” exclaimed the always animated Harris. “This is a dirty and crazy sport. I was forced to fight (at or) around 140 and I can’t make that weight anymore. I am going to continue as a full fledged welterweight and you will never see me fight below (147 pounds) again!”

He also cites the contract weight for the Ortiz fight as a major issue.

“We tried to make it at 144 lbs, give or take a pound, but his people said no.” “They wanted to call this a welterweight fight, but (if that was the case) than why couldn’t I (fight at the) weight I wanted to? I am not trying to take away anything from his victory he did what he had to do, but (the issue over the weight) is complete bulls**t.”

Although he was also stopped in the two aforementioned fights and to Junior Witter via one punch knockout in 2007, Harris believes his punch resistance will only improve in his new weight class.

“I will be stronger at welterweight” I had to lose a good amount of to make 140 and it drained me. I (spar) with heavier guys and taking their punches (has never been) a problem.”

Upon completing his mandated suspension for the knockout loss, the former WBA champion, who is still under contract with Golden Boy Promotions, will actively seek fights with a notable welterweight.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

According to Promoter John Lynch of Pound 4 Pound Promotions, super bantamweight phenom Jorge “King” Diaz of New Brunswick, NJ will headline Saturday, October 30 from Bally’s in Atlantic City against former world title challenger Emmanuel Lucero.

The always entertaining Diaz, 14-0 (9 KO’s), was scheduled fight James Owen this Thursday in New York, but the card was postponed. Diaz is becoming a familiar face amongst local fight fans, scoring impressive victories over 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Yan Barthelemy and rugged Korean Jae Sung Lee amongst others.

Although he has fought just once since 2007, the Bronx, NY based Lucero will be Diaz’ most experience foe to date. At 24-5-1 (14 KO’s), Lucero battled the likes of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, Rocky Juarez, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Jason Litzau and Valdemir Pereira. He also has a victory against contender Rogers Mtagwa.

Slated to appear on the card are Paterson, NJ based junior welterweight Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan (14-1, 7 KO’s) and Passaic, NJ junior middleweight Glen Tapia (7-0, 5 KO’s). P4P is expected add more local talent on the undercard shortly.

Sources have also notified 15rounds that the card will air on a Fox Sports affiliate.

For More New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Passaic, NJ’s Glen Tapia (7-0, 5 KO’s) was slated to take on rugged veteran Edvan Barros last night in Las Vegas, NV, but the bout was scrapped due to a scheduling issue.

Tapia had a solid training camp and was ready to go however, the cancellation of another card prompted promoter Top Rank to put some of their fighters under contact on last night’s show, which forced them to can the Tapia-Barros fight.

Luckily for Tapia, his hard work and dedication to training wasn’t wasted. Tapia informed GSFS that he is leaving for Los Angeles this evening to spar with pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao leading up to his November 13 bout with Antonio Margarito.

The former amateur standout, who previously served as a sparring partner for Miguel Cotto, views everything that happened as a blessing.

“I am excited to get this opportunity to train with one of the greatest in the world,” said Tapia. “I am going to learn a lot from him and this will be a great step towards bettering my career.”

Tapia is also thrilled to share the squared circle with a fighter he admires and strives to model himself after.

“I am a big fan of (Pacquiao) and I really like the intensity he fights with because he goes in there to give the fans a show, beat his opponents up and knock them out. I like to do the same so working with him will make me better at what I do.”

Tapia’s next fight will take place October 30 in Atlantic City against an opponent TBA.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Tonight was the first card this writer covered where Boxrec.com couldn’t serve as a reference tool.

There weren’t any titles up for grabs and only two of the bouts were scheduled for more than three rounds. A ten point must system was nonexistent. Hometown decisions didn’t come into play. Most importantly, the combatants fought for pride and experience, not paychecks.

The Dover Boxing Club presented an entertaining fourteen fight amateur card at the elegant Palisadium in Cliffside Park, NJ, which has a breathtaking view of New York City. The venue was comparable to nearby Schuetzen Park, a popular North Jersey club show venue. Those on hand cheered loudly for the fighters they came to support, but also paid their opponents homage.

“I have always loved working with the amateurs,” said Rich Stoltenborg, the Dover Boxing Club’s Director who organized the show and also trains multiple pros. “It’s a different level of course but this is the heart of boxing. This is where the kids begin from eight years old until some of them turn pro.”

Stoltenborg also acknowledges that things are a lot smoother in the unpaid ranks than in the pros.

“Everybody basically gets along even though there are some arguments.” “We are all here for the same reason to build these kids’ character, keep them off the streets and keep them honest.”

Here are this evening’s results

170 lb Sub Novice: Darius Wesley (Silver City Boxing Club) Dec Henry Logan (Dover Boxing Club)

147 lb Sub Novice: Justin McGee (Middletown PAL) Dec James Kuehnapfel (Dover)

180 lb Sub Novice: Paul Stanton (Union City Boxing Club) Dec Dave Shahinian (Evolution)

130 lb Open Class Female: Jamielee Smith (Dover) Dec Candice Perez (Aces)

201 lb Sub Novice: Ken Reid (Middletown PAL) RSC 2 (TKO) Alex Banari (Passaic Boxing Club)

140 lb Sub Novice: Jason Herrera (Evolution) DEC Daniel Gonzalez (Hackensack PAL)

201 lb Novice: Michael Lowery (Plainfield Boxing Club) DEC Dan Mansfield (Dover)

151 lb Sub Novice: Andrew Ridner (Dover) Dec Damien Elliott (Hackensack)

160 lb Sub Novice: Miles O’Connor Dec Tim Rajkumar (Aces)

125 lb Novice: Herkin De La Rosa (Union City) Dec Jose Martinez (Plainfield)

201 lb Sub Novice: Chase Hoookway (Dover) RSC 2 Jose Marrero (Aces)

163 lb Open Class: Anthony Gangemi DEC Haquil Glen (Elite)

150 lb Sub Novice: John Tealan (Hackensack) Dec Argenis Matos (Elite)

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

At 5’2 118 lbs, Atlantic City, NJ’s Qa’id Muhammad is literally easy to miss. Few fighters, especially Americans, on the East Coast compete in his division, thus fans don’t typically take interest in the lower weight classes. Dubbed as “Kid Dynamite”, Muhammad believes he is the man to change that.

He had a sensational amateur career, winning numerous national tournaments en route to finishing with an 89-9 record. As a pro, Muhammad is a perfect 5-0 with all of his victories coming by way of knockout. Ringsiders have been wowed by his dynamic style, phenomenal hand speed and championship heart. In two of his victories, the twenty one year old overcame opening round knock downs en route to scoring a scintillating stoppage.

I had the opportunity to catch up with Muhammad, who will fight an opponent to be announced Saturday in AC.

Matt Yanofsky: Qa’id, you will be fighting for the first time in over a year Saturday night. What caused such a long layoff?

Qa’id Muhammad: I had a wrist injury that needed to heal. My father and I were also taking our time to work on things and perfect my game.

MY: I know you were a great amateur and are undefeated with all knockouts as a pro, but you’ve also been knocked down a few times already. Do you feel that sometimes perhaps the crowd gets to you?

QM: Yeah! Sometimes I get in the ring and (think that since) I am under the spotlight I have to impress the fans. This can lead to me trying to do too much and has caused me to get knocked down.

MY: Are there any fighters that you look up to?

QM: Yes, Meldrick Taylor, Terry Norris and Floyd Mayweather. People also tell me I fight like that bantamweight from Africa (Joseph Agbeko) so I will start watching him as well.

MY: Four of your five fights have been in Atlantic City. What does it mean to you to consistently fight in your hometown?

QM: I am trying to build a fan base and follow in the footsteps of (late former lightweight champion and Atlantic City native) Levander Johnson and Arturo Gatti since they were big here. I would like to go on the road to fight as well.

MY: You fight in a weight class where most of the good fighters aren’t from the Northeast Region and fans don’t seem to follow around here. Do you feel that you this can cause you to be overlooked?

QM: My style will make (the fans follow me) because my fights are exciting! The fact that I am the only bantamweight around here also puts me in a class of my own.

MY: Does that also make it hard to find sparring?

QM: I don’t really have many guys my weight I spar with. I spar with a lot of heavier guys, including junior middleweights and middleweights. It’s kind of fun to work with bigger guys because I can see that I can handle myself, but at the same time, my father makes sure that everything is in control.

MY: You were 89-9 as an amateur and won plenty of tournaments prior to turning pro. What do you remember most about the amateurs?

QM: Fighting in the Pan-American Games, fighting with the US Team in Morocco and winning the Olympic Trials.

MY: Being that there isn’t a ton of money and a huge following in the lower weight classes, do you blame two time US Olympian Rau’shee Warren for trying to make it to the games a third time or do you think its time for him to turn pro?

QM: If I was in his spot I’d turn pro. I am sure that as a two time Olympian the money would be coming in his direction (regardless of what weight class he fights in).

MY: What is your outlook for 2010 and beyond?

QM: I want to be a champion in five weight classes from 112 to 126 pounds.

MY: Do you have to say in closing to your fans and the readers of 15rounds.com?

QM: I hope everybody comes out to support me for every fight. They are coming to see a good fighter and they will have a good time watching me.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to Gardenstatefightscene.com

15rounds.com Matt Yanofsky talks about Tomasz Adamek’s decision win over Michael Grant
click-to-listen

This Saturday night at Newark, NJ’s Prudential Center, former light heavy and cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek will meet once promising heavyweight Michael Grant over twelve rounds with the winner likely receiving a title shot.

Dubbed as “The Big Challenge”, the 6’7 Grant, who was projected to be a world champion a number of years ago, will be Adamek’s tallest opponent to date. I had the opportunity to ask various members of the boxing world ranging from journalists, fighters and trainers for their thoughts on the bout. Here’s what they had to say.

Paul Marinaccio (Retired heavyweight who fought Grant/current boxing and MMA promoter)

“Grant only threw 5 to 8 jabs a round which gave me some opportunities during (our) fight. Adamek will need to work his way in and to keep stepping to the side. Grant hurt me three times with punches to back of the head then (landed) clean shots (but) couldn’t finish me. (He was) very tentative the whole fight. I’m the only guy to go 12 rounds with Grant and I had torn ligaments in my ankle. Adamek wins but (he can’t run).”

Chris Robinson (Journalist from Examiner.com)

“I remember running into Grant earlier this year at the IMMA gym in Las Vegas. One thing I can say is that he hasn’t let himself slip and that he is still in excellent shape. Still, I really have no idea what he would have left at this point in his career. Things just never seemed the same for him after his crushing loss to Lennox Lewis

Adamek’s rise to both the cruiserweight and heavyweight ranks has been impressive. After his loss to Chad Dawson years ago I really didn’t know what he would come up with but he has shown a lot of perseverance in continuing to succeed against bigger man. I think he will find a way to defeat Grant and it will be interesting to see where he goes after that.”

Sean Sullivan (Editor-in-Chief Boxing Digest)

“Adamek should win with a mid-rounds stoppage. After a few rounds, he’ll have figured out how to deal with Grant’s size and reach advantages then will break him down physically. Grant will wilt from Adamek’s pressure and his own inactivity.”

Gary Williams (Journalist from Fight News/Boxing Along The Beltway)

“I like Adamek in this one. I know Grant’s the (bigger man), but I like the way Adamek has progressed from cruiser to heavy. I think he will stop Grant late.”

Lem Satterfield (Editor and Lead Writer of AOL Fanhouse)

“I would have to say that Adamek wins a track meet. I believe that he should be able to get in and out and as long as he doesn’t stand and trade (he could) potentially stop Grant late, if not win a decision.”

Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillan (Middleweight Contender)

“I am going with Adamek. He’s been the busier fighter. I got him by KO.”

Alan Hopper (Director of Publicity for Don King Productions)

“I liked Tomasz Adamek best when (Don King Productions promoted) him at 175 pounds, especially when he used his jab more. I was surprised when he carried his punch to cruiserweight, and I was shocked to see him become an elite heavyweight contender. Bottom line: He’s a fighter I admire with a lot of heart that you can never count out. Adamek by decision.”

Marc Abrams (Editor of 15rounds.com)

“I like Adamek to win the fight by late stoppage. He’s been more active lately against better competition. Adamek always shows heart and desire, which is one thing that has been questioned about for years. Plus he has fallen off the radar while Adamek has been fighting top competition”

Kevin Iole (Senior Boxing Writer for Yahoo Sports)

“I think its going to be a big win by Adamek. He has really turned into an elite fighter and is as good as anybody in the heavyweight division outside of the Klitschkos. His win over Arreola proved that. I think he is a very good and talented heavyweight in a division where there aren’t many good fighters out there. Grant will have to prove something. Ten years ago he was a fighter with the world of talent but when he stepped up he didn’t perform and I don’t think it will change against Adamek. I think Adamek gives him a boxing lesson and may stop him late, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he won by decision.”

Ryan Songalia (Journalist for Boxingscene.com)

“Adamek should win this fight pretty handily. He is pretty confident and has a string of good wins. The Arreola fight gave him a lot of credibility because his boxing ability and mobility helped him overcome a larger opponent. I would be shocked if Grant was able to win since his last loss (came via) devastating knockout to a small heavyweight like Adamek in Dominick Guinn. Grant’s size alone is not enough to overcome his opponents and this will be a major disadvantage for him. Adamek should stop him any time after the eighth round.”

Ryan Coyne (World Rated Cruiserweight Contender)

“I like Adamek. He is hungry and trying to move his way up the heavyweight ranks. He always steps up when he has a stiff test. Michael Grant is a mountain of a man but I think he is past his prime. The only time he really stepped up was against Lennox Lewis and Jameel McCline and he failed the test. His brief retirements, inactivity and what not will also hurt him come fight night. Adamek is taking this one by late stoppage.”

Aroz “Terrific” Gist (Trainer)

I heard Michael Grant had a great camp. This is a fight you really have to pay attention to because Grant has the chance to pull an upset due to his height and reach. If it gets past round 6 or 7, I’d lean towards Michael Grant. With that said Adamek has been fighting high quality opponents and beating them handily. He’s a very talented fighter who always comes in shape so I am going with Adamek by seventh round stoppage, but if it goes past that, watch out for Grant!”

FINAL TALLY ADAMEK: 12 GRANT: 0

According to Promoter John Lynch of Pound 4 Pound Promotions, Passaic’s Glen Tapia will return to the ring September 11 against rugged Edvan Barros at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV.

Tapia, 7-0 (5 KO’s), is amongst the most entertaining fighters in the Garden State, bringing the heat each and every time he enters the squared circle. Tapia, who was one of Joshua Clottey’s main sparring partners leading up to his fight against Miguel Cotto, stopped Nick Runningbear in two rounds on June 12.

Barros should serve as a familiar name to local fight fans, having lost a competitive eight round decision to Newark’s Alex Perez July 16 at the Prudential Center. At 10-10-1 (7 KO’s), the Florida based Brazilian is far tougher than his record indicates.

“This will be a good step up for me and it’s going to be a great show”, said Tapia, who will fight Barros at a 150 lb catchweight. “I know that he comes to fight, so when I beat this guy, it will be a statement that I am here to stay and will be a world champion.”

Tapia meets Barros over six rounds. The fight will take place on the untelevised portion of the Anthony Peterson-Brandon Rios, Yuriorkis Gamboa-Orlando Salido HBO aired doubleheader.

Rodrigues Ready to Return!

Vineland based Brazilian Isaac Rodrigues is slated to return to the squared circle Saturday, October 2 at the Turning Stole Resort & Casino in Verona, NY against Colombian banger Samuel Miller (20-4, 17 KO’s).

Miller, a poor mans version of countryman Edison Miranda, was defeated each time he stepped up in competition. Currently based out of La Habra, CA, Miller has never been stopped, most recently losing a decision to former world title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio in June.

Rodrigues, 17-0 (13 KO’s), has been out of the ring with a hand injury since defeating rugged Brian Vera by majority decision in February. The hard hitting 25 year old returned to the gym in July and could end up in a notable bout with a few more victories.

According to his manager Marie Suarez, Rodriguez and Miller will meet for the WBC/USNBC Middleweight title.

“We are excited to get him back in the ring”, said Suarez, the wife of late trainer Oscar Suarez. “We are most glad that he had the time to heal and Oscar always told me that a fighter’s health must come first, so I always keep that in the forefront of my mind.”

The card is being promoted by Dave Escalet’s Fistacuff Productions.

Singh Preparing for Title Bout with Ibragimov!

2000 Indian Olympian Guru Singh is back in the Garden State to prepare for his August 24 WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight title bout at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, FL against Timor Ibragimov.

Singh, who was born in India and is based in AC, has been inactive since March 2009, winning his last two bouts by decision in the United Kingdom. As an Indian heavyweight, Singh is definitely one of a kind, but his ability on a world class level will be tested for the first time on the 24th.

Ibragimov, 28-2-1 (15 KO’s), won the NABA heavyweight crown in June with a decision over former world champion Oliver McCall, and also defeated former heavyweight contender Timo Hoffman. Ibragimov was considered a notable heavyweight prospect before suffering back to back defeats to Calvin Brock and Tony Thompson.

To prepare for Ibragimov, Singh is picking up his training at Forked River’s Gladiator Gym, where he will work with standout amateurs Bobby “The Bull” McCarty as well as Danny Halligan and Rob Walder.

According to gym owner Shawn Darling, training sessions are open to the public. More information is available by calling 732-581-3766.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Devon Alexander’s speed, ring generalship, athleticism and pure boxing ability are without question.

Coming into Saturday night, Alexander impressively defeated three current or former world champions and at age 23, many felt he was one of the best young boxers on the planet. But following twelve tougher than expected rounds against Andriy Kotelnik, gaps in his defense were clearly exposed. The fighter dubbed as “Alexander the Great” looked far from it.

Alexander consistently worked behind a jab and straight left hand in attempt to keep his slower, more economical opponent off. The WBC/IBF Junior Welterweight champion dictated most of the pace throughout the twelve round contest however, Kotelnik had no problem tagging the unbeaten hometown favorite when he closed the gap.

On a number of occasions, Kotelnik effectively flurried which clearly made Alexander, who bled near his left eye in the second half of the fight from an earlier clash of heads, uncomfortable.

Alexander vacated his game plan down the stretch, fighting toe to toe to the delight of a packed house at the Scottrade Center and the dismay of Trainer Kevin Cunningham. Had Kotelnik been busier, he may have been able to overcome the 11 to 1 odds stacked against him, but Alexander’s ability to keep his hands moving gave him the nod.

Scores were 116-112 on all three cards; all four if you count mine.

Alexander, who hails from St. Louis, is now 21-0 with 13 KO’s. Although he fell to 31-4-1 (13 KO’s), Kotelnik returns to Kiev, Ukraine as a serious threat in the 140 lb division.

In the televised co-feature, Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud retained his IBF Light Heavyweight title with a hard fought twelve round unanimous decision over heralded tough guy and former world champion Glen “Road Warrior” Johnson.

Johnson and Cloud stood toe to toe in the opening two stanzas, with the latter getting briefly buzzed following a right hand in the second. The two fighters exchanged rounds from that point forward, as each man had spurts of success. The 41 year old Johnson worked well in close quarters, relying on jabs, right hands and body punches, giving Cloud all he could handle.

The Tallahassee, FL based Cloud rocked and nearly dropped Johnson in rounds 5, 9 and 11 following a plethora of heavy head shots that would have decked any other fighter in the division. The younger and fresher Cloud clearly landed the cleaner, harder punches en route to sending Johnson, who gassed out in the final two rounds, home with yet another close defeat.

Scores were 116-112 on all three cards. 15rounds.com scored the bout 115-113 for Cloud.

Cloud, of Tallahassee, FL, is now 21-0 with 18 wins by kayo. Johnson, of Miami, FL via Jamaica, falls to 50-14-1 (34) following yet another tough defeat.

FLASH QUOTES

WBC/IBF 140 POUND LIMIT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

DEVON ALEXANDER VS. ANDRIY KOTELNIK

DEVON ALEXANDER

(Prior to the decision announcement) “We good. I think I did enough to win. (After the decision announcement) It was an okay performance for me. I am my own toughest critic. Kotelnik is a tough fighter, an ex-world champion. Like I told everyone, I have an A, B and C plan. I have all three, so I can adjust to whatever anyone brings. Kotelnik trained hard. Give him credit. I listened to my trainer (Kevin Cunningham). He told me to box. (Leg issue) My left leg was going out on me in the final round. I had a cramp. I trained for 12 rounds and got the victory. That is what I came here to do.

(On the cut to his right eye) It was my first cut, but I fought through it like a world champion does. We knew Kotelnik would come in, in shape and he did.”

ANDRIY KOTELNIK

“I want the belt. I deserve it. If the fight were anywhere but here, I would be champion. I am speechless. I have no words to describe what happened. That guy has something that belongs to me.”

TRAINER STACEY MCKINLEY (to Kotelnik are the fight)

“Everyone knows the fight was closer than that. In fact, you won the fight.”

IBF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

TAVORIS CLOUD VS. GLEN JOHNSON

TAVORIS CLOUD

“I was head butted a lot. It was a heck of a fight. I have a lot of respect for Glen. I had the most effective punches. I hurt him worse. Glen Johnson said I was off balance. It is the same thing. You got hurt because I hit you. I was looking for a shot to get him out. He’s a slick fighter, so I didn’t get the KO. I definitely want to fight Chad Dawson. I was a little rusty tonight, so I will be better next time. I am a bad man. I going to be a unified world champion and undisputed champion.”

GLEN JOHNSON

“I made some adjustments throughout the fight. He was throwing a lot of punches, but I was blocking most of them. But the judges were counting them all. He caught me with a punch over there that I was not ready for. I was off balance and that was the only time I got caught.”

WBC USNBC CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

RYAN COYNE VS. WARREN BROWNING

RYAN COYNE

“Browning was a tough guy. He thought he would have the power advantage, coming all the way down from heavyweight. The truth is, I will walk you down, lock you in the closet and defeat you. We did what we came to do. Win a championship and make my promoter, Don King, proud. This is a great fight town. Leon, Michael, Cory, Devon and all the rest. I am just proud to be following in their footsteps.”

IBF JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPCORY SPINKS VS. CORNELIUS BUNDRAGE

CORY SPINKS

“The referee stopped the fight, but I don’t know why. I totally disagree. He didn’t even hit me and I lost my title.”

TRAINER BUDDY MCGIRT

“Cory is a world champion and I think a world champion deserves the benefit of the doubt in that situation.”

REFEREE MARK NELSON

“Spinks had a staggered and dazed look. He shook his head (after the knockdown) as if to say, no. At the count of eight, he stepped backwards and I didn’t want his opponent to hit him again in that condition.”

CORNELIUS BUNDRAGE

“I knew I was going to get him. It was just a matter of time. I want Manny Pacquaio next. I am thankful. We have the best team in the land with Keith Lee, Emanuel Steward and Don King. I went after it. He was right there at the opening bell, so I went for it. I went right after him. It was just a matter of time.”

EMANUEL STEWARD

“It was a good fight. It could have been better. He was too anxious. He wasted a lot of energy. It has never been in this big of a fight. He is in a hot division and I am sure he will get a lot of offers.”

Nelson Fernandez, manager of former IBF Junior Flyweight champion Carlos Tamara, informed 15rounds that Universal Promotions is suing current champion Luis Lazarte and his his Promoter Osvaldo Rivero over their disregard of Tamara’s rematch clause. Tamara was slated to face Lazarte on September 4 in Argentina, but will now take on Nerys Espinoza on that very same date. Lazarte, who won the title by split decision in May, was contractually obligated for a rematch, which is standard when the champion loses his title.

“We had a date for the fight and (Lazarte’s promoter) tried telling us that the people putting up the money weren’t available”, said Fernandez. “It was a bunch of bull s*** and now they won’t answer any phone calls or emails now.”

Fernandez also said that everything was agreed to and there was no issue over the fight date or venue.

“The bottom line is that there is a written agreement between Lazarte, Rivero, Tamara and Universal Promotions for a rematch and they aren’t abiding by it.” “Our team is doing everything in our power to block the fight from September 4th from happening.”

Tamara, a North Bergen, NJ based Colombian, won the title in January 09′ with a dramatic come from behind stoppage over Brian Viloria and had been preparing for the rematch. In the mean time, Fernandez is fielding offers for Tamara to battle other top fighters at 108 and 112 lbs.

York, PA’s Carney Bowman informed 15rounds.com that he will battle Union City, NJ’s Roberto Acevedo tomorrow night at Sovereign Bank Stadium in the ten round main event of the “Battle of York 5”.

Acevedo, 9-10-3 (1 KO), is a tough veteran who has not been matched easy. The rugged Puerto Rican import battled both Bey Brothers (Mickey and Cortez), Jose Gonzalez, Chris Howard, Vincent Arroyo, Ramesis Gil, Adrien Broner, Kenny Galarza, Abi Santizo, Joshua Cordero, Ray Robinson and Khabib Allakhverdiev, all of whom were unbeaten at the time. Acevedo has victories over both Santizo and Cordero by decision, while also holding a decisioning the tough Lenin Arroyo. His most recent bout came against the aforementioned Howard, who beat him by decision.

Bowman was a highly touted amateur prior to turning pro. He won medals at a number of amateur tournaments and at 14-0 (6), is one of TKO Boxing Promotions’ prized prospects. This will be the local favorite’s first fight in 364 days.

The bout is slated to take place at 130 lbs, five pounds less than Acevedo has ever fought.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

15rounds.com Matt Yanofsky goes one on one with Danny “The Golden Child” Jacobs. Jacobs, a former amateur star, challenges Dmitry Pirog for the vacant WBO Middleweight title July 31 on HBO PPV.
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Many expected Jersey City, NJ native Danny McDermott’s March 25 clash with Brian Miller to be his coming out party.

Local fans and media had taken an interest in the bout leading up to fight night. A raucous crowd was on hand to support him. The vacant World Boxing Foundation All Americas title was up for grabs, providing McDermott an opportunity to leave North Bergen’s Schuetzen Park Ballroom with a minor championship belt.

The popular lightweight had an opponent in front of him who at 7-0-3, was unbeaten but yet unproven. The Schenectady, NY native had just one victory over a fighter with a winning record and fought a toe to toe style, which is McDermott’s bread and butter. Having previously battled to draws in his opponents’ hometown, Miller’s toughness was without question, but this was supposed to be McDermott’s time to shine.

Things didn’t go as planned.

McDermott’s troubles started twenty four hours prior to fight night during the weigh in, initially coming in over the contracted limit before scaling in at 135 lbs on his second try. Members of his team attributed his weight struggles to the fact that he was seemingly working double duty since his wife Anette recently gave birth to their first child. With the responsibilities of caring for a newborn baby during the most crucial part of training camp, many would have withdrawn from the fight altogether. McDermott never consider that an option.

“Not once did I think about pulling out.” “To me it was a responsibility. (Regardless of what kind of shape I am in) I had to go in and fight. As a fighter you fight, as a father, you have to provide for your family whether you are tired or not.”

McDermott’s choice turned out to be bitter sweet.

He fought his heart out, but was in the squared circle with a better conditioned opponent. In a bout that epitomized the term “phone booth battle”, McDermott had spurts of success before fatigue prevented him from effectively neutralizing his volume punching opponent down the stretch. Miller ultimately earned a split decision in one of the Garden State’s most entertaining club fights in recent memory.

McDermott was clearly dejected by the defeat and even refused a post fight interview to this writer immediately following the bout’s completion. His night it wasn’t.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it stung a bit”, said McDermott, who fell to 8-2-1 (3 KO’s) following the defeat. “It’s boxing you have your good nights and your bad nights. Miller outhustled me for sure that night and I tip my hat off to him. I can admit that.”

With more than three months in the history books and an ample amount of time to recover, John Lynch of Pound 4 Pound Promotions worked out a deal for McDermott to return against hardcore veteran Marty Robbins this Saturday at the State Fairgrounds Sports Arena in Nashville, TN. Robbins has an unimpressive 23-46-1 record, but has swapped punches with world champions, title contenders and unbeaten prospects. The Tennessee native is a prototypical stepping stone opponent and can take a decent punch, making it to the final bell in 33 of his defeats.

Being the victor in the four round “keep busy” fight is expected but not guaranteed. He will enter the ring as the favorite, but also runs the risk of dropping a decision in his opponent’s hometown. McDermott has no logistical concerns.

“I am not worried whatsoever (about fighting in his hometown).” “The fight is to keep me busy to be honest with you. I plan on having more of these types of fights around different parts of the country. All the greats have done this. I’m just taking a page from them.”

If everything goes as planned against Robbins, all signs point to a rematch with Miler as part of the August 21 Tomasz Adamek-Michael Grant headlined card at the Prudential Center in nearby Newark, NJ. Upwards of 10,000 screaming fans flooded the very same arena to see Adamek defeat Jason Estrada in February. Each of the four times Adamek headlined in Newark, the attendance rapidly increased. With the potential of 12-15,000 fans in the arena, McDermott’s acknowledges there is no better time or place to seek revenge.

“I’d love to be on a big card like that, especially against Miller.” “I think the Prudential Center crowd would love a fight like that. What’s better than two guys who put everything on the line and go toe to toe for the love of the sport? I only can hope it happens.”

If the rematch – which according to reports, Miller initially rebuffed if it were to take place on McDermott’s turf – does happen, the latter recognizes he must come far better prepared than the first time around. His level of concentration would undoubtedly have to change and McDermott acknowledges that preparing for the rematch farther away from home would be a major x factor.

“The thing I would do differently is go away to training camp (to) get away from (the) distractions and get enough sleep every night. (This would enable me to) come in (tip top) shape; then you will see the difference.”

If Miller does in fact agree to a rematch and McDermott’s plan to prepare in a location far away from the many distractions in the New York metropolitan comes to fruition, the night of August 21 could very well be stolen by two lightweights that already displayed the willingness to duke it out as if there were no tomorrow.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to Gardenstatefightscene.com.

15rounds.com Matt Yanofsky goes one on one with former WBC Junior Middleweight champion and Contender Season 1 winner Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora. Mora is slated to battle the legendary Shane Mosley September 18 in the main event of a pay per view. Click below to hear what Sergio has to say about Mosley, his previous struggles as an unpromoted fighter and why The Contender failed after four seasons!
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15rounds.com Matt Yanofsky exclusively goes one one one with 1984 Gold Medalist/two time world champion Mark Breland. Breland, who is widely regarded as the greatest amateur boxer in history, currently serves as a trainer for 2008 Bronze Medalist Deontay Wilder.
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15rounds’ Matt Yanofsky goes one on one with former world champion Luis Collazo. Collazo, who has been inactive since his thrilling bout with Andre Berto, was on hand at Yankee Stadium for Cotto-Foreman.
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Mt. Arlington’s Pawel Wolak is a man on a mission to throw his name in the hat of top 154 pound fighters in the world. Wolak, 26-1 (17 KO’s), is amongst the most popular fighters in the Garden State and feels he is on the cusp of a big fight.

This Saturday, Wolak looks to take another step in the right directions since his lone defeat to Ishe Smith when he battles fellow brawler James Moore in a highly anticipated ten round bout as part of the Miguel Cotto-Yuri Foreman untelevised undercard at the new Yankee Stadium.

MY: You are going to be taking on James Moore Saturday on a big card at Yankee Stadium. Tell us about it.

PW: I am excited for the fight and am definitely ready for it. I have trained extremely hard for seven weeks, have done the proper weight training and proper running, so this should be a great fight for me. I can’t wait!

MY: What is your assessment of James Moore? Have you watched any tapes?

PW: Yes I have seen a number of tapes. James is tough and he definitely brings the fight, but I have seen some mistakes so I am going to try and expose them.

MY: James Moore is somewhat similar to you in the sense that he likes to come forward and has bleed in past fights. With that said you have been boxing a lot more lately and did a good job doing so in your most recent bout against Ishmail Arvin. Against Moore, are you planning to fight fire with fire or box and move like Yuri Foreman did when he defeated him?

PW: I am going to do a little bit of both and adjust as the fight goes on and we will see what works better. I am definitely a fighter that likes to come forward and land big shots but it all depends how the fight goes.

MY: A fight between Moore and yourself had been discussed over the last few years locally. Both of you have since suffered defeats and are somewhat on different paths at the current moment. Do you feel this is a good time to face him or do you wish you faced him earlier?

PW: It’s definitely a good time! This is the first card at the new Yankee Stadium plus its taking place in New York where it should be.

MY: Both Moore and yourself are big ticket sellers. This is a huge card with Puerto Rican fans coming for Cotto, Jewish fans supporting Foreman, the Irish backing Moore, and of course, the Polish fans who follow you. Will the crowd size play a factor since it’s such a big card?

PW: There is always pressure, but the pressure for me is to win and be impressive in doing so. The stadium isn’t going to add any extra pressure, but I just have to win and that’s it.

MY: I know you work with trainer Aroz “Terrific” Gist in Paterson. Yuri Foreman also trains in Paterson with Joe Grier. Have you two ever sparred?

PW: I have been in the gym with him but we haven’t ever sparred together. I have been doing a lot of work with (unbeaten prospect) Steven Martinez for this fight.

MY: Tomasz Adamek is the biggest draw amongst Polish fighters. Being that he is a heavyweight on the cusp of a huge payday, he is likely going to have to fight in a casino or over in Europe, so Newark may very well be out of the picture. Would you feel comfortable being billed as the next big time Polish fighter and do you think you can draw sizeable numbers in Newark like Adamek?

PW: Of course that is the whole point! I want to move into that spot. Hopefully my fights can be exciting and the fans will want to come and see them.

MY: Shortly after your bout against Moore ends, a junior middleweight match up between Vanes Martirosyan and Joe Greene will air on HBO. If Vanes wins, do you see a match up between you two happening since you have been working with Top Rank?

PW: Definitely! I would love to face Vanes for a title or in an eliminator or something of that nature. I am not looking past Moore, but if I look good, the next step is going to be a top guy at 154!

MY: In your only defeat, you were outpointed by a slick boxer in Ishe Smith. What have you learned since then?

PW: I learned that at the top level, I have to be smarter. I knew that I was strong but I made some changes since then and my style has changed since training with Terrific. I am definitely going to be ready for a big shot a few months after the Moore fight.

MY: What do you most likely see happening next? Is there a specific fight or scenario in your mind?

PW: I see a title eliminator coming next.

MY: You are in a 154 lb division which does have some good fighters along with guys moving in and out of the division such as Paul Williams and Sergio Martinez. There is also Sergiy Dzindiruk, Yuri Foreman and Cory Spinks along with exciting contenders like Alfredo Angulo. Where do you feel that Pawel Wolak fits in?

PW: The division is tough and there are a lot of good fighters, but I also believe it is anybody’s division. Whoever prepares properly and lives the best outside of the ring (amongst the elite) will be on top. I definitely feel I belong with the elite at 154 lbs!

MY: As a fan of the sport, what is your take on the main event?

PW: I don’t know what is going to happen, but I am good friends with Yuri so I wish him the best. Yuri has to box and move, while Cotto will have to cut of the ring, fight on the inside and bang to the body to slow Yuri down, so whoever executes better will be the victor.

MY: Pawel, thanks for the interview. Do you have anything to add in closing for your fans and the readers of 15rounds.com?

PW: Thanks to all my fans out there and make sure to come out to Yankee Stadium Saturday night.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Carlos Tamara was clearly behind against IBF junior flyweight champion Brian Viloria midway through their January 23 bout, but overcame far too much to let short term frustrations deter his championship dreams.

Tamara, like most immigrants, came to America in search of a better life. From the moment he turned pro, Tamara envisioned a world title strapped around his waist and enough financial security to provide a happy life for his two young daughters back home in Colombia.

“Since day one, my biggest goal was to make my family better off financially” said Tamara, who grew up dirt poor.

Things didn’t go as planned.

Fours years after representing his homeland in the 2004 Olympics, Tamara was in Miami, Florida wondering what went wrong. Three controversial losses and a one sided defeat to WBO flyweight champion Omar Narvaez put him in a tough spot. He received a paltry $2,000 for a 12 rounder against future world champion Giovanni Segura, while walking away with just $5,000 for fighting in Narvaez’ home country.

At a time where everything was going wrong and his career was on a downward spiral, Tamara got back on track by defeating fellow comebacking contender Juan Esquer. The Esquer fight was a huge breath of fresh air; just not financially.

Shortly after defeating the highly regarded Esquer, Tamara, now a world rated contender, couldn’t afford his rent and was hours away from living on the streets. A dispute with then manager Tony Gonzalez left him with one final prayer to avoid being homeless; a call to trainer Butch Sanchez in New Jersey. Sanchez quickly agreed to let Tamara live in his house and continued to train him along with Angel “Ping” DeJesus.

“Carlos was 24 hours away from being homeless”, said Nelson Fernandez, who now manages Tamara. “It was a bad situation for him in Miami and he was in need of help. We had to take care of him not just because he is my fighter, but because he is a human being and nobody (deserves to be homeless).”

Things in North Bergen, NJ quickly looked far brighter than they did in sunny Miami.

Even with more than a year of inactivity by the time numerous situations were sorted out, Tamara maintained a top ten world ranking by the International Boxing Federation at junior flyweight. He scored two nondescript victories in Colombia before the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself; a bout with Viloria.

Tamara knew this was his chance to shine.

Viloria was a well regarded and skilled champion, but unbalanced performances made him a vulnerable target for one of the sport’s hungriest fighters. With another defeat likely knocking him out of contention in the immediate future, Tamara had a tremendous training camp at the Hackensack Police Athletic League gym and was ready for whatever his opponent had to offer. He was an inspired fighter confident of victory, but once the bell rang, he was having a difficult time.

Viloria was boxing his way to victory, tagging the aggressive Tamara with hard punches to both the body and head. His terrific start was met by cheers from 12,000 fans at the Cuneta Astrodome in the Philippines. Although Tamara never stopped giving it his all, the champion continued to control the fight and Viloria by decision was the census opinion amongst ringsiders. This was until the bell rang singling the 8th.

Viloria’s punch output drastically decreased and he appeared to tire out from a high workrate in the earlier rounds ala Miguel Cotto against Antonio Margarito. Tamara continued to press the fight and Viloria was now struggling to keep him off. Tamara seemingly had everlasting stamina, as Viloria’s best shots couldn’t slow him down.

Viloria was nearly stopped on his feet during a dramatic 11th round, where an onslaught of punch came oh so close to ending his night in stunning fashion. With three minutes left in the biggest fight of his life and a major swing in momentum, Tamara went for the kill.

Viloria was damaged goods from the bell singling the start of the 12th. He was barely able to stand and it was evident he had nothing left to keep one off one of the hungriest fighters in boxing. The championship that he dreamed of since turning pro was as close as it had ever been. Tamara wasn’t going to let it fall through the cracks.

Tamara swarmed Viloria, who twice hit the canvas due to exhaustion. The same fighter who was cruising to victory early on was now hanging on for dear life. He wasn’t able to hang on much longer.

With Viloria lifeless near the ropes, Tamara tagged him with a multi punch combination, forcing referee Bruce McTavish to save the defenseless Viloria from further punishment. Mission accomplished.

“I am a twelve round fighter (not a four round fighter)”, Tamara said shortly after his victory. “My plan all along was to start building momentum and peak during the championship rounds.”

With the stamina of a horse and heart of a lion, Carlos Tamara officially became a world champion. The long term sacrifices were now all worth it. The same man who was close to being homeless was now in the driver’s seat and thinking about a unification bout.

“I (wanted) to fight (lineal world champion Ivan) Calderon since he has been the number one guy in the division”, exclaimed Tamara. “People (have been proposing) that fight since I took out Viloria and I am all for it”.

With Calderon tied up in the immediate future, Tamara will have to wait for his crack at the number one fighter in his division, but the show must go on.

This Saturday, Tamara returns to the lion’s den for his first title defense when he takes on hometown favorite Luis Lazarte of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Having fought for a world title five times, Lazarte is expected to present difficulties for Tamara, thus is more than just an opponent.

“Lazarte is (definitely an) extremely hungry (fighter)” said Tamara. “(This is) his last hurrah, so I (expect him to be) hungry and (do everything in his power to) take my title. I’m still hungry and I have a lot of personal goals to fulfill, (so) Lazarte better come in the shape (or he’ll have) no chance.”

The length of Tamara’s heroic run remains to be seen. A victory on Saturday night propels him into a tough mandatory defense against former titleholder Ulises Solis, but regardless of how long he remains champion or the amount of money he makes, Tamara will forever serve as a prime example of how hard work, dedication and perseverance can overcome life’s ultimate hardships.

15rounds’ Matt Yanofsky exclusively goes 1 on 1 with unbeaten 140 lb contender Joan Guzman. Guzman, a former two division world champion, also informed us of his upcoming bout July 31 against Joel Casamayor. Here is what he had to say.
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15Rounds.com Matt Yanofsky speaks with contender Kermit Cintron surrounding his controversial defeat to Paul Williams and 2010 outlook.
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On September 19th Floyd Mayweather’s successful return to the ring was interrupted by a welterweight champion who commanded the respect of the boxing world by demanding Mayweather face him. The best move for Mayweather at the time seemed naturally to be taking on Manny Pacquiao. I don’t think I need to go into how Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fell apart, but it’s clear that if one man benefited from the debacle it was Shane Mosley. Mosley will have an opportunity to grab his largest pay day to date, and grab the boxing world’s respect by taking on the best in the sport on May 1. Here is a breakdown of what looks to be the toughest bout of both fighters’ careers.

Mayweather
40-0 (25 KO’s)
Age: 33
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Notable wins: Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Zab Judah, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo

Shane Mosley
46-5 (39 ko’s)
Age: 38
Hometown: Pomona, California
Notable wins: Oscar De La Hoya 2x, Fernando Vargas, Antonio Margarito, Ricardo Mayorga
Notable losses: Winky Wright (twice), Vernon Forrest (twice), Miguel Cotto
Speed/Athleticism

This fight is nothing short of comparing a Ferrari to a Lamborghini. I don’t care that both fighters are well into their 30’s both men are capable of blinding combination, and both have solid reputations as gym rats. Mosley at his peak is one of the fastest fighters of my lifetime pound for pound, and he showed the world he isn’t slowing down when he dismantled Antonio Margarito in 2009.

Floyd’s hands on the pads are a sight to be seen, and at this point in his life he probably is faster than Shane, but athletically I think Mosley may have more tools. Strength and speed are a deadly combination and I think Mosley still has a world of both. It’s not often I’d give another man the edge over Mayweather in this category but I think Shane at his own weight is the guy to take it.
Advantage: Mosley by razor thin margin

Matt’s Take: Mosley-Mayweather was always a fantasy match up amongst fight fans, especially as the latter rose to the top of pound for pound lists. Shane was always one of the few men who could match him athletically. Both had lightning fast hands and were elite natural athletes. The two are arguably the most gifted fighters in the last 15 years with all due respects to Roy Jones Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. As of their last bout, both had their athleticism and speed in tact. Unfortunately for Mosley, 39, his last bout was almost a year and a half ago.

By watching HBO’s award winning 24/7 series, it is evident that Shane has aged considerably since we saw him demolish disgraced Antonio Margarito in January 09 and fighters don’t improve athletically in their late 30’s. This gives me every reason to believe that there will be SOME repercussions on fight night, especially considering who will be standing across the ring from him.

Whether you like it or not, Mayweather has shown few (if any) signs of slowing down. The snappy jab and famed shoulder roll were intact when he fought Marquez, so without serious aging issues or injuries, expect his elite athleticism to be full in effect.

Advantage: Mayweather

Power
If there is one category Shane takes the cake in its power. The fight is at 147, where Mosley has dropped some major names. A Dazzling left hook that stretched both Vargas, and Mayorga is an image that stands out when weighing Shane’s power, and that’s a weapon Floyd will have to look out for.

Mayweather is not known for his power. Despite knocking out Ricky Hatton, and putting Marquez on the canvas Mayweather probably won’t be banking on knocking Mosley out. I’m not saying he doesn’t have the ability, but with his prowess Mayweather’s best bet is aiming for a 12 round outclassing of his foe.

Advantage: Mosley

Matt’s Take: Even if my observation about Mosley’s aging is correct, anybody that knows boxing will tell you that the last thing a fighter loses is his power; just ask Michael Moorer, who was knocked out by a 45 year old George Foreman. From lightweight to junior middleweight, Sugar Shane exemplifies what “Pound for Pound” punching power.

He has the ability to finish a fight with either hand and his last two bouts ended in dramatic knockouts, putting both Ricardo Mayorga and Margarito to sleep impressively. Against Mayweather, Mosley must use his biggest advantage if he hopes to be victorious; power.

The majority of Mayweather’s offense is jabs and counter shots, giving him little opportunity to knockout a naturally bigger opponent. Mayweather’s two knockouts above 140 lbs came against blown up (perhaps literally in Ricky Hatton’s case) opponents. He was unable to hurt Carlos Baldomir, Zab Judah or Oscar De La Hoya and deep down, the six division champion knows this category isn’t one he takes the nod in.

Advantage: Mosley

Defense/Chin

Mayweather’s best weapon is his own defense. When he is in the zone he is virtually un-hittable. Mayweather’s patented shoulder roll defense has been giving opponents headaches for years and that will be Mosley’s egg to crack on May 1.

The category is defense and chin, Mosley showed the world he has a chin when he fought Miguel Cotto in 2007, but it’s hard to make up ground in this category on one of this era’s great defensive fighters. Floyd’s elusiveness could very well end up being the storyline Saturday night and with that said this category belongs to him.
Advantage: Mayweather

Matt’s Take: Mayweather’s defensive abilities rank alongside fighters such as Willie Pep and Pernell Whitaker as the greatest ever. His tremendous movement, aforementioned reflexes and shifty shoulder roll are yet to fail him. This has helped him steer clear of danger throughout his career and he has rarely been hit flush.

Mosley’s chin is amongst the best and he was only dropped twice in his 52 fight career while standing up to punchers like Fernando Vargas, Ricardo Mayorga, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. He is usually found standing directly in front of his opponent but tremendous ring awareness and staying on his toes help him avoid punches. Defensively, he is no Mayweather, but is adequate.

Advantage: Mayweather

Heart
If there is one thing we don’t know about Floyd its how would he react when he’s under fire. Mayweather’s defense is so remarkable he has not honestly been in a firefight and hasn’t had an opportunity to show the world his heart. Mosley on the other hand has shown a number of different sides, including brawler. His fight with Cotto should serve as a prime example of what the man is willing and able to go through.

It’s hard to fathom one fighter losing a category based on his excellence in another but that is exactly what is happening right now. Shane Mosley wins the heart category by default, because it’s an asset Floyd has never had to use.
Advantage: Mosley

Matt’s Take: Mayweather’s only true test under pressure was in his first fight with Jose Luis Castillo. Many considered his antics unsatisfactory due to his inability to deal with adversity down the stretch. Outside of a few rough rounds against Castillo, his exceptional skills have cleared him free of anything more than an in fight hand injury. He has never been completely knocked off his feet as a pro, yet to bleed and outside of being briefly buzzed by Demarcus Corley many years ago, hasn’t had to fight in danger. Mayweather deserves the world of credit for being able to avoid danger all these years, but at the same time, his heart remains a big question mark.

Mosley has never backed down in a fight. His ability to take shots and keep on coming is a major attribution to his heart. He stood directly in front of some of boxing’s best and is yet to be phased. Being able to overcome distractions from a nasty, well publicized divorce prior to dominating Margarito also earns him major kudos.

Advantage: Mosley
Experience

Both have taken part in highly publicized fights, and shared the ring with only the best over the past five years. Mosley has tasted victory and defeat, whereas Mayweather has seen only success. When a fight of this magnitude goes down, I almost feel like experience goes out the window.

When you have stared down Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao and even Ricky Hatton you’ve peaked. Both Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather have fought on the biggest possible stage over the course of their careers and both have been to this dance before. Neither fighter’s experience will make a difference come May 1.

Advantage: Draw

Matt’s Take: Simply put, Mayweather and Mosley, two of boxing’s top fighters in the last 15 years, have fought some of the biggest names to get to the top. Collectively they have faced Oscar De La Hoya (three times), Winky Wright (twice), Vernon Forrest (twice), Fernando Vargas (twice), Jose Luis Castillo (twice), Miguel Cotto, Diego Corrales, Ricky Hatton, Arturo Gatti, Antonio Margarito, Zab Judah and Juan Manuel Marquez. If this were chess, it would be a stalemate.

Advantage: Draw

Verdict

Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era, and possibly of all time, but on May 1 he will face a fighter that is in that same category, and five years younger. Mayweather opponents are almost automatically labeled underdogs, but I don’t think there has been one as live as Mosley. Live as he may be, Shane is still an underdog.

If Floyd brings his A game I don’t feel like anyone in the world can beat him, and if you expect anything less than his a game for this bout you are mistaken. I see Floyd showing up in one of the toughest fights of his career and coming out on top again. Mosley will make it a war, and probably get the respect he’s sought in what may be one of his final appearances. Mayweather meanwhile will pick up a major victory and some heavy negotiating leverage for a bout with Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather UD

Matt’s Take: Mayweather has plenty of advantages. His body is fresher. He is younger. His last bout was more recent than Mosley’s. But something tells me Sugar Shane is going to pull out one for the ages. This bout has been proposed for years and a victory moves either fighter up on the all time pound for pound list. With the huge fight just days away, Mosley is humble as always, while Mayweather is cocky as ever. Physically, Mayweather has plenty of reasons to be, as he looks to be in perfect form, but there is one major x-factor Sugar Shane has that Floyd doesn’t; Nazim Richardson.
Richardson has long been boxing’s most underrated trainer, as few give him the proper credit for helping Bernard Hopkins expose previously unbeaten opponents in Felix Trinidad and Kelly Pavlik. Those that know Richardson will tell you that he is more prepared than any trainer in the world. In his lone appearance working with Mosley, he helped him upset the highly favored Antonio Margarito in what many considered the best performance of his career.

Richardson and Mosley will be the team to figure out Mayweather’s seemingly unbeatable style, and while Shane may get outboxed in the early going, he will be the first man to really catch “Pretty Boy” Floyd. Expect to see Mosley use feints followed by right hands to bust up Mayweather’s shoulder roll. Enough clean shots from Mosley are enough to end any opponent’s night, including Floyd Mayweather, who will get stopped in one of the most storied victories in boxing history.
Mosley by late stoppage

15rounds.com was notified that Team Bryan filed a formal protest on Jeremy’s behalf surrounding the outcome of his April 17 fight with Vincent Arroyo. The Paterson based Bryan was clearly ahead going into the final round when Arroyo put him down with a solid punch. Arroyo landed a few more flush head shots that knocked Bryan out cold, giving the Amherst resident a stunning upset. That is where the controversy began.

Many ringsiders claim that the knockout blow came when Bryan was down on the canvas, while others state that the finishing shot was landed AS he was going down, therefore it was the fighter’s duty to defend himself. Referee Samuel Viruet and the New Jersey State Athletic Commission saw nothing unusual about the ending, thus treated it no differently than any other bout that ended in a knockout.

Managers Sal Alessi and Pat Lynch each notified us immediately after the bout in Atlantic City that they were going to file a protest and have now officially done so.

“He got buzzed with a hook and took a knee”, Alessi said shortly after filing the protest. “When he was down (Arroyo) hit him twice. I still have to look at the tape so I can verify what happened but (Jeremy getting hit when he was down) is what I saw as did most ringsiders.”

Even though Alessi is yet to review the official outcome, he is confident that the right ruling will be made once the New Jersey commission discusses the fight in their next meeting.

“I am sure that the tape will tell the story and they will rule accordingly.”

Bryan, who is 13-1 with 6 KO’s following his lone defeat, displayed a true fighting spirit by expressing more interest in a rematch than the official result.

“I am telling you, I want this rematch real bad!” “Right now (I am accepting it as) a loss, but he hit me twice when I was on my knee, (so) it’s up to the commission to (overrule) that.”

Alessi wasn’t willing to commit to his fighter’s next move, but did say that a return bout with Arroyo wasn’t completely out of the picture.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Tomasz Adamek is just one day away from what is literally the biggest test of his career. The former light heavyweight and cruiserweight titleholder jumped to the heavyweight division in October 09′ with dreams of capturing a belt in a third division. The Secaucus based Pole has had success thus far in the 201 plus pound weight class, stopping badly faded countryman Andrew Golota and earned a competitive decision over 2004 US Olympian Jason Estrada.

Tomorrow night many think his heavyweight run could come to an end against hard hitting contender Cristobal “The Nightmare” Arreola at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, CA. The bout, which will air at 11:15 pm, looks to be a fight of the year candidate with the winner likely securing a title shot. Heres what Adamek had to say about his toughest fight since his lone defeat to Chad Dawson in 2007.

MY: Tomasz, in your last bout, you scored a tough decision over crafty boxer Jason Estrada. Tell us about the fight as well as what it was like to have 10,000 fans backing you at the Prudential Center?

TA: The fans are something that I always cherish, without the fans boxing means nothing. I of course fight for money, this is my job, but I would never fight in empty arena. Hopefully I will be back in Prudential center soon.

MY: Tomorrow you are taking on a top ten heavyweight in Cris Arreola. What do you think of him as a fighter?

TA: He is one of the best I will have ever fought, although you never know before you fight somebody. I never wanted to take the easy way. If you want to be the best, you fight all of them.

MY: Cris’ weight ranges from 240-260 lbs and he is heavy handed. Are you worried at all/planning to change your game plan since Cris is naturally bigger and you are known for slugging it out with your opponents?

TA: In(the) heavyweight division everybody hits with power. Arreola wants a slug fest, but I always believed that you win in the ring with your head first. I will impose my way of fighting. He will have to fight my way. Weight doesn’t matter. What I will do (in the ring) does.

MY: On the contrary, you have a terrific jab for a brawler. Is the jab going to be one of your main weapons on the 23rd?

TA: Speed and ring movement will be my weapon. Plus everything I have. Let him guess (what I will do).

MY: Arreola refused to fight you in New Jersey and now you have to fight him his backyard. Is the possibility of getting robbed by the judges something you are worried about?

TA:. You cannot think about what you cannot control. IBF is in charge, millions will be watching. I expect fair judging.

MY: Even though you are always in exciting fights, this is your first fight on premium cable (HBO/Showtime) in a few years. Does it upset you that both networks have put on insignificant fights and left you off the schedule previously?

TA:. Again, it was outside my control but I knew they have to acknowledge what I’d doing in the ring, why people wanted to see my fights. Somebody told me that last year only Mayweather and Pac man brought more people to arenas. I can live with this comparison.

MY: For the last few years, fight fans were anxious to see a match up between you and current WBA Heavyweight Champion David Haye. If you get by Arreola, is David Haye somebody on your radar?

TA:. Haye talks a lot and now he’s got a title. We both started as a cruiserweight, both have entertain styles. It’s up to TV to put us against each other. They know I will be ready.

MY:. Does a fight with either of the Klitschko’s interest you at this point in time or do you want a few more fights before facing either of them?

TA:. I already had 2 offers to fight Klitschkos but my team decided that we need more time before we fight them. Two more fights, maybe. I will fight them not for a payday but to win.

MY: What is your outlook for 2010 and beyond?

TA:. This year could be crucial for me, so I don’t really think about what happens in 2011. Winning brings more interest, it takes care of everything else.

MY: Tomasz, thanks for stopping by. What do you have to say in closing to all your fans and the readers of 15rounds.com?

TA. I would like to say a warm “thanks” for all the support. I wanted to fight in Prudential Center, Newark, but Arreola declined, maybe he decided it would be too much to face me and my rabid fans in my home arena.

For more New Jersey boxing news, check out Gardenstatefightscene.com

Looks like Cris Arreola and his trainer didn’t keep true on their promise that the hard hitting Californian would weigh in under 240, but he manage to scale in 12.5 lbs less than his last bout. The naturally smaller Adamek, who is likely to go after a title in a third division if he is victorious Saturday, was 3 lbs down from his fight with Jason Estrada.

15ROUNDS’ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ADAMEK WILL BE POSTED SHORTLY SO MAKE SURE TO STAY TUNED!!!

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

We had the opportunity to catch up with highly regarded junior middleweight prospect Glen Tapia of Passaic. Tapia, 5-0 (4 KO’s) faces the toughest opponent of his career in James Winchester Saturday in AC as part of the Pavlik-Martinez undercard. For more on Tapia and other New Jersey fighters, check out Gardenstatefightscene.com

MY: Saturday night you will be taking on James Winchester and will once again appear on a big card. Does fighting on a big card add any pressure or do you think it brings out the best of Glen Tapia?

GT: It doesn’t add any pressure at all. I am ready to go. I love having people watch me, I love boxing and fighting; this is what I do best.

MY: Your opponent has a 10-3 record but is from North Carolina. Those that know boxing will tell you that fighters from his region with good records aren’t what they are made out to be. What are you expecting from him come Saturday night?

MY: I don’t know but I can tell you what I expect from me. Everyone tells me he hasn’t been knocked out and just fought a good opponent, but he hasn’t fought Glen Tapia! If he comes out thinking he isn’t going to get caught or hurt, he has something coming!

Editors Note: Winchester’s last opponent was 2008 Olympian Matt Korobov.

MY: I know you had a great amateur background and were one of the more heralded prospects coming up. Tell us about your career as an unpaid boxer with headgear.

GT: I had 143 fights and finished 130-13. I won the Silver Gloves in 2003, the Ringside Tournament, USA Junior Olympics in 06, Bronze Medal (while competing) in Turkey and the Junior Golden Gloves.

MY: Your last bout was nationally televised on Fox Espanol. The fight was entertaining and you scored a stoppage, but you were a little wild and got hit with a few punches you shouldn’t have. Did you slug it out because you knew you were stronger than him?

GT: I honestly felt a little tense. I should have tried to get him out of there earlier, maybe been a little quicker with my shots but he didn’t hurt me so I knew I was going to stop him.

MY: You are also recognized for your work as a sparring partner. Previously, Joshua Clottey used you as his main guy for the Miguel Cotto fight. As a young fighter, what was it like working with a big, strong, experienced world class guy like that?

GT: I love sparring with him and I was actually his only sparring partner. We worked 4 days per week 8 rounds per day. We ran in the morning too. It was a great experience to see how he trains and the kind of shape a world champion is in.

MY: On a side note, Clottey disappointed a lot of people with the way he fought Pacquiao. Seeing how he trains, spars and how hard he works, were you let down with how he fought?

GT: Yes I was very disappointed! He could have done a lot more. When he threw punches he hit Pacquiao. He should have committed more but may have been scared of getting counter punched. If he did commit he would have had a much better chance to win. Honestly I don’t know who is going to watch him now but still, he is a good fighter.

MY: Three of your five fights have been in Jersey or New York. What does it mean to you to be able to fight in front of a lot of your fans while many other fighters have to travel to fight?

GT: it means a lot since I can show them what I can do. Since I have been fighting close to home its easier for them to get to me. I love it and they (they love it too)

MY: I know you are with the Pound 4 Pound team and are a tight knit group, training in Passaic and Hoboken. Most of the crew is trained by Mikey Red (Mike Skowronski) and you workout alongside Jeremy Bryan, Victor Valenzuela Jorge Diaz and Pat Farrell. What does it mean to have a close training circle? How does it help you prepare?

GT: It’s great! We all train so hard and push each other. I feel we will all be world champions and it’s going to be crazy! If we all win belts at the same time, that would be crazy, especially because we come from the same gym. We push each other daily so hard to be the best. That’s how it is! We are all A class fighters so this is the best gym to be in for me.

MY: Glen Tapia fighting out of Passaic at 5-0 with 4 knockouts. What is your outlook for 2010 and beyond?

GT: I want to be one of the best prospects coming up this year and for the future, I want to become one of the best world champions. My dream is to be considered a legend.

New York Giants running back, Brandon Jacobs talks to Matt Yanofsky about his fledgling manager career in boxing

15rounds’ Matt Yanofsky catches up with former IBF Cruiserweight Steve “USS” Cunningham, who has had a lot going on as of late, even though he has been out of the ring since July 09′. Check out the interview for more!
steve-cunningham

Pound 4 Pound Promotions’ maintenance crew would have been wise to remove ring following the co-feature as Jersey City, NJ’s Danny “Little Mac” McDermott and Brian Miller seemingly fought in a phone booth throughout the eight round main event.

Miller came into the bout with a boatload of confidence as did McDermott. Both men were looking to stamp their ticket as a rising prospect in the lightweight division. Neither wanted to lose. Each refused to quit. But following eight competitive rounds, Miller’s consistency and conditioning helped him score the minor upset.

Miller of Schenectady, NY improved to 8-0-3 (3 KO’s) after pulling out an entertaining eight round split decision over the popular McDermott. McDermott got off to a solid start over the first two rounds, landing a number of hard head shots on his hard charging opponent. Miller controlled the pace of the third round by volume punching and crowding McDermott, as the latter began to show signs of fatigue.

Rounds four through six were action packed, with the heavier handed McDermott landing hard shots while Miller continued to keep his hands busy from bell to bell. Neither fighter gave an inch and the majority of the standing room only at North Bergen’s Schuetzen Park remained on their feet.

McDermott had difficulty regaining his wind in the seventh, as struggles making weight and consecutive action packed rounds can be torture for any fighter. The multi time Golden Gloves champion fired heavy hooks, but Miller slipped under a majority of the punches and remained busy in close quarters. With the fight up in the air, the two exchanged leather as if there were no tomorrow, with McDermott landing the bigger punches and Miller once again keeping his hands moving in a definite Garden State Fight of the Year candidate.

The first two scorecards read 77-75 McDermott and 78-74 Miller. The third judge somehow scored the bout a ridiculous 79-74 but unlike the majority of asinine scorecards, this one didn’t go to the hometown fighter. GSFS scored the ultra competitive contest 77-75 for Miller, who won the WBF All Americas title in the process.

“It was definitely a tough fight and knew it was going to be, but I give 110% every time I enter the ring”, Miller said after the fight.

As a fighter who received two questionable draws in his opponent’s hometown, Miller initially thought the final scorecard was going to be responsible for his first defeat.

“I fought twice in Jersey before and this is boxing. If you fight in the other guys hometown and the fight is close, the decision can go against you. Fortunately this wasn’t the case tonight.”

McDermott drops to 8-2-1 (3 KO’s) after the tough defeat.

Hard hitting Union City, NJ based super middleweight Jason “Monstruo” Escalera embarrassed previously unbeaten Jesus Torres, stopping him inside of one round. Torres entered the squared circle for the first time in 11 years, but would have been better off staying away for good. From the moment Escalera landed his first shot, Torres was clearly looking for a way out. His opponent had no problem giving him one. Escalera dropped him three times en route to a TKO victory at 2:14.

“I was very disappointed with my opponent”, Escalera said after a quick night of work. “I figured he was going to give me more of a challenge because of his record but as you saw, I got him out of there quickly.”

Escalera moves to 8-0 (7 KO’s). Torres heads home at 5-1-1 (4 KO’s)

Newly signed super bantamweight Elion “Nono” Kedem of Queens, NY via Israel earned a hard fought six round unanimous decision over Puerto Rico’s Pedro Salcedo. Kedem controlled the majority of the action and was the busier fighter, but the game Salcedo had his moments as well. Scores were 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56. Kedem improves to 11-3-4 (7 KO’s). Salcedo falls to 3-3 (2 KO’s).

In an all-Jersey matchup between two raw fighters, Todd “Viking” Eriksson of Dover viciously stopped Newark’s Eddie Edmonds. Both fighters missed with a number of wild shots in the opening two rounds, but Eriksson managed to briefly hurt Edmonds. Eriksson lined up a huge right hand in the third, sending his opponent tumbling to the deck. Edmonds, who has a striking resemblance to actor Luis Guzman, got up on unsteady legs, forcing the stoppage 59 seconds in.

Eriksson wins his first bout and is 1-3-1 (1 KO). Edmonds, whose father is a local promoter, drops to 1-1-1

With former world champion Paulie Malignaggi guiding his ring walk, welterweight Christian Martinez of The Bronx impressively stopped debuting Union City native Hector Collado in three rounds. Martinez was clearly the more polished fighter and needed little time to prove it, decking his counterpart seconds after the opening bell. Martinez controlled the second round and ended Collado’s night with a big right hand at 1:09 of the third. Martinez is now 3-0 with all 3 coming by way of KO.

In the opening bout of the evening former National Amateur Champion Steven Martinez destroyed debuting North Carolinian Michael Ransome in 1:59. Martinez, a talented Bronx based Middleweight, put Ransome down twice. Martinez is now 4-0 with all four wins coming by way of kayo.

Dubbed as “March Badness”, last night’s card was Pound 4 Pound’s seventh consecutive show at Schuetzen Park. Notables on hand included New York Giants running back/boxing manager Brandon Jacobs, former IBF Cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham and the aforementioned Paulie Malignaggi.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to Gardenstatefightscene.com

This great show can be seen by clicking:

http://www.gofightlive.tv/showEvent.do?eventId=658

Pound 4 Pound Promotions returns to the elegant Schuetzen Park Ballroom for what looks to be a solid night of boxing topped by one of the Garden State’s most entertaining up and comers. Tomorrow night’s card is Pound 4 Pound’s seventh consecutive show in North Bergen, NJ and one of their first featuring a title bout.

Jersey City’s Danny “Little Mac” McDermott (8-1-1, 3 KO’s) is taking a step up in competition to challenge unbeaten Brian Miller (7-0-3, 3 KO’s) for the vacant NABC Lightweight title over eight rounds. McDermott, a crowd pleaser making his seventh appearance at Schuetzen Park, is fighting eight rounds for the first time. The multi time Golden Gloves champion won his last four bouts comfortably since his lone defeat, most recently stopping Italian import Floriano Pagliara inside of two rounds.

Miller also has a reputation for coming to fight and has been in hostile territory before. The Schenectady, NY based 24 year old battled to a draw against both Ryan Belasco and Linwood Hurd in their hometowns.

Hard hitting super middleweight Jason “Monstruo” Escalera takes on unbeaten Jesus Torres (5-0-1, 4 KO’s) in the six round co-feature. Escalera, 7-0 (6 KO’s), has been a regularly discussed prospect since viciously knocking out Alan Lawrence in the amateurs a few years back. This is his first bout since August 09, but considering he has an opponent who has been out of the ring more years (11) than he has months, Escalara looks to be in position for a quick knockout victory.

Newly signed featherweight Eilon “Nono” Kedem (10-3-4, 7 KO’s) makes his Pound 4 Pound debut against Puerto Rico’s Pedro Salcedo (3-2, 2 KO’s). Kedem, who hails from Israel looks to rebound from a second round knockout loss to Eden Sonsana.

Also featured on the card is former amateur standout Steven Martinez against Michael Ransome, Christian Martinez batteling Hector Collado and a local match up between Newark’s Eddie Edmonds and Dover’s Todd Eriksson.

Tickets are available by calling 561-503-9948. and can be seen via tape delay on www.gofightlive.tv by clicking:

http://www.gofightlive.tv/showEvent.do?eventId=658

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Manager Nelson Fernandez informed 15rounds that North Bergen based Colombian Carlos Tamara will make the first defense of his IBF Junior Flyweight championship May 29 against four time title challenger Luis Alberto Lazarte in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Tamara, 21-4 (15 KO’s), captured the title January 23 by scoring a dramatic stoppage over Brian Viloria in the Philippines. The 2004 Olympian was hoping to take Viloria’s spot in the proposed title unification with WBO champion Ivan Calderon, but the unbeaten Puerto Rican signed to face another opponent.

Lazarte, who has challenged for belts at 105,108 and 112, looks to make the most of his fifth opportunity ala Jose Lopez, and will have the hometown advantage. The Buenos Aries native is currently 46-9-1 with 18 KO’s and has won his last six bouts since dropping a decision to Daniel Reyes. His in ring antics however must be questioned, as four of his nine professional defeats have come via DQ.

For the record, Tamara will next have to face the winner of this Saturday’s IBF eliminator between Ulises Solis and Bert Batawang. According to IBF rules, Tamara will have to fight Solis or Batawang by October 24 2010.

International television rights for Tamara-Lazarte are currently in the works, but the bout is expected to be aired in Colombia and Puerto Rico.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to www.gardenstatefightscene.com

From the second the opening bell sounds, New Brunswick NJ’s Jorge “Kid” Diaz is ready to go to war. The all action Diaz has already been in a number of entertaining bouts, making him a pugilist that thrives on giving fans their moneys worth in the entertainment department. Although he was a notable local prospect following a good amateur career, Diaz gained notoriety outside of the Garden State after viciously knocking out 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Yan Barthelemy last October.

On Saturday night, Diaz, 12-0 (8 KO’s), looks to take another step in the right direction when he takes on unbeaten Mexican Alejandro Lopez in Key West, FL on Fox Sports Espanol. We had the opportunity to catch up with Diaz, who is just one day away from his first televised bout.

MY: Saturday night you are taking on an unbeaten opponent in Alejandro Lopez. What do you know about him besides that he is 13-0 with 2 knockouts?

JD: That on March 20 he will be 13-1 with 2 knockouts (laughing)!

MY: This will be your first time on National TV. Does this add any extra pressure for you?

JD: No not at all. All jokes aside I know Lopez is a boxer but I am going to come in and apply pressure and make it a war. In terms of pressure fighting (on TV), there isn’t any because I know at the end of the day win, lose or draw, I am going back to the projects, so I have everything to gain!

MY: You are known as an action fighter who goes for the knockout. Considering this is yet another step up and your first eight rounder, are you planning to box a little more and take your time?

JD: I am prepared to go eight hard rounds to the point where I am so tired after the bout that I feel like passing out! Leather will still be flying though because that is how I fight!

MY: There are a lot of good up and comers in the featherweight division such as Mikey Garcia, who has been featured on TV as well. Who is on Jorge Diaz’ radar considering he has been moving up?

JD: That isn’t my job I just go out there and fight. Everything else is up to my promoter Pound 4 Pound, my manager Sal Alessi and trainer Mike Skowronski.

MY: I know you were in camp with two time world champion Juan Manuel Lopez last year. What was it like to spar with one of the top fighters out there?

JD: It wasn’t what I expected. I got there the first day, worked out and it didn’t go as I wanted. I wasn’t pleased with what I did. The experience actually makes me not want to go back to a training camp. They ended up changing my opponent anyways.

Editor’s note: When Diaz was in camp with Lopez, both were preparing for fights on October 10 at Madison Square Garden.

MY: Moving back to October 09’ when you had the best win of your career against 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Yan Barthelemy. You were put in with a skilled boxer and an enormous amateur pedigree. Coming into the bout, were you worried at all about the fight considering it was a huge step up in competition?

JD: To be honest with you, I didn’t know who he was until I knocked him out. I don’t get into that, I just fight. They tell me the day I am fighting I say ok. They tell me (Barthelemy is the new opponent on short notice) I said ok. I just fight.

MY: So I take it you don’t watch tapes of your opponents based on your last statement?

JD: Yeah I leave that up to my coach. I am not the coach you know so I let him (Mike Skowronski) do that. I don’t watch any tapes but maybe in the future I will.

MY: Being that you are an action fighter from New Jersey with a warrior mentality and are willing to take two punches to land one, is the late Arturo Gatti a fighter you try to emulate?

JD: It would be a pleasure to be mentioned in the same sentence as him. However Gatti is Gatti, Jorge Diaz is Jorge Diaz. I do whatever it takes to win the fight but it would be nice to help Arturo’s legacy live on, but it isn’t my initial plan.

MY: What is your plan from Saturday forward if you are victorious and it were up to you.

JD: Sh*t if it was up to me, I would get paid like $40,000 (laughing). They told me if I win on Saturday, they are putting me in Yankee Stadium (on the Miguel Cotto-Yuri Foreman) undercard on June 5, but first I have to take care of business.

MY: Is that something you are potentially looking forward to because that will be a big card with 30,000 plus fans there?

JD: That right there would be to me, the highlight of my life! My only highlight I have in boxing is beating Yan Barthelemy. Now if I do get to fight at Yankee stadium, that would be such a great privilege since it would be the first fight ever at (the new) Yankee Stadium. That would be history!

MY: Jorge thanks for the time best of luck Saturday. What do you have to say in closing to all your fans and the readers on Gardenstatefightscene.com?

JD: I hope I don’t disappoint y’all on Saturday. Make sure to tune in watch. I will give you 100%!

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Shamone “The Truth” Alvarez is looking to get back into contention following his impressive 7th round TKO victory over hard hitting Alexis Camacho March 6 in his hometown of AC. Alvarez, now 21-2 with 12 KO’s, is looking hungry as ever to prove that he belongs among the upper echelon welterweights, even though both of his defeats came when he stepped up. We had the opportunity to catch up with the confident Alvarez. Here’s what he had to say.

Garden State Fight Scene: Shamone, congrats on your knockout victory over Alexis Camacho. Tell us about it.

Shamone Alvarez: I am very happy that I won. This was a very difficult fight for me and I won it and won it (impressively). I am happy and pleased.

GSFS: It was impressive, but you do have a bunch of wins over Camacho type opponents such as Jose Luis Cruz. Some would question you ability to beat a top guy since both of your losses were when you stepped up against Joshua Clottey and Delvin Rodriguez. Are you planning to switch things up so you can beat one of these guys?

SA: I am waiting to see what (promoter) Joe (Deguardia) is going to do but I am willing to fight any of these guys. (Mike) Jones, that boy (Antonin) Decarie, and I would love a rematch against Delvin or Joshua Clottey to show I can beat those guys. The Delvin fight was bs but its whatever. I have my daughter and my lady so they are my motivation!

It doesn’t matter who they put in front of me because I will put them down and beat the hell out of them to show that I am worthy. Now I am what Clottey once was; a fighter who isn’t respected or looked upon and look where (Clottey) is now (getting big fights).

GSFS: We know that you are promoted by Joe Deguardia’s Star Boxing. Who manages and trains you?

SA: Arnold Robbins is my trainer and manager. William Johnson, the father of (the late Levander) Johnson is my assistant trainer. I have strength and conditioning coach (as well), plus Donnell Parker is my third man in the corner.

GSFS: You previously mentioned Mike Jones, who just won in AC and like you, has a local fan base. Mike is also eager to get a big fight and has been on the ESPN-Fox Espanol type cards. Is he somebody you are willing to fight to make it to the next level?

SA: Yes! Joe and I have discussed this. I was at his last fight against (Henry) Bruseles and I was looking at him like I am ready to step up and take on this guy.

GSFS: Is Shamone Alvarez calling out Mike Jones?

SA: I am calling out anybody I am calling out Jones, Decarie, Clottey, Delvin, all of these guys! I am not calling them out because I have beef or anything, but I want these guys because I am willing to fight anybody. If Mike Jones is guy they want me to fight that’s fine. Delvin is cool too. I would also love to fight Clottey again since he was the first to beat me. I really want to fight anybody I don’t want to specifically say Mike Jones. It’s also up to Joe and my manager.

GSFS: Most of your fights have been in or around Jersey. Are you willing to travel whether it be to Canada, Las Vegas or wherever?

SA: Yes! I was going to fight (unbeaten) Saul Alvarez but they wanted to do it in Mexico. I will fight him in Vegas or wherever but he is their golden boy. We were scheduled to fight Antonin Decarie before but we had to pull out with a knee injury. I am down for whatever as long as its fair.

GSFS: I believe Saul Alvarez’ next fight will be on the Mayweather-Mosley undercard on May 1 (cutting in).

SA: Yeah I knew (his next fight) was on some big undercard. If we fight in Vegas that is cool with me but if we were to fight in Mexico it would have to be for a lot of money. Once I beat him, I will be in position for a big money fight. So it is about the money, but it also isn’t about the money if you follow.

GSFS: What is your outlook for 2010 and beyond?

SA: I am just looking to fight! Joe and I have spoken (about future bouts). It would be nice to have three more fights this year but realistically, as a ten or twelve round fighter, I should get two more bouts. Like Antonio Tarver said, if you keep on winning, they will have to give you a shot!

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

New York State Heavyweight champion Darrel “King David” Madison is willing to fight anyone at any time, but has repeatedly been rebuffed. As a southpaw with good boxing ability and a strong amateur record, matchmakers have been heartbreakers, as Madison’s aspirations to fight the best is yet to come. After last night’s impressive performance at the Yonkers PAL Gym, it’s perfectly understandable why Madison has been turned down time and time again as an opponent.

Madison of Central Islip, improved to 15-1 (4 KO’s) after battering Providence, RI based gatekeeper Robert Wiggins over two one sided rounds. With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, Madison entered the ring in multi-colored checkered trunks and a brand new game plan. Madison previously boxed his way to skillful decision victories, which weren’t always entertaining, but the Irish style trunks seemingly turned him into a new fighter.

Madison came out unusually aggressive in the opening round, tagging Wiggins with a number of right hooks and body shots to take the first three minutes of the fight with ease. The former amateur standout went back to work in the second, buzzing Wiggins on a number of occasions with a heavy onslaught of punches. Madison was ready for more, with a group of his fans cheering him at ringside, but Wiggins wasn’t. The latter surprisingly remained on his stool after the second round and was met by a chorus of boos for doing so.

“I have been in the gym with him before and am surprised he quit”, Madison said after the fight. “Now I want a fight with (unbeaten Harlem based) Tor Hamer. He has a big mouth so let’s see if he can back it up!”

Wiggins falls to 20-8-1 (12 KO’s) with the defeat.

The co-feature pitted a counter puncher against an opponent who simply didn’t punch. O’Shea Brothers Boxing newly signed light heavyweight prospect Ronson “Perfectly” Frank scored an eight round shut out decision over Raynard Darden of Detroit, MI. Frank took his time in the early going, waiting for opportunities to counter, but Darden didn’t give him the chance simply because he didn’t move his hands.

Frank stepped up his punch output beginning in the third round, using a nice southpaw jab, body blows and right hooks. Darden was decked hard in the fourth with a nice check hook, but the hardcore veteran did a good job of surviving throughout the contest. Scores were 80-71 on all three cards.

Brooklyn’s Frank improves to 14-0 (7 KO’s), while Darden, who had longtime friend and Dibella Entertainment matchmaker Joe Quiambo assisting in his corner, falls to 11-22-1 (4 KO’s).

In the fight of the night, local featherweight Nydia Feliciano and Jennifer Han battled to an entertaining six round draw. Han, who entered the ring with a deceptive 0-1 record, had good ring generalship and worked behind a peppering jab. The hard charging Feliciano, who has a Juan Diaz type style, pressured Han, and found success with combinations in close quarters. Neither fighter cared much about avoiding punches, thus many clean shots landed in one of the most entertaining woman’s fights in recent memory. Scores were 59-55 Han, 58-56 Feliciano and 57-57, forcing the draw.

The Bronx based Feliciano remains unbeaten at 2-0-2. Han returns to El Paso, TX with a 0-1-1 record. 15Rounds scored the closely contested bout 58-56 for Han. On an interesting note, one of Feliciano’s cornermen shouted instructions while talking on his cell phone during the fourth and fifth rounds. Perhaps he was telling one of his confidants about the entertaining bout just inches away?

Crowd favorite Lambros “Linheart” Karaolides, 6-0 (4 KO’s) pounded out a one-sided six round decision over Medford, NY’s Ashantie Hendrickson in a junior middleweight contest. Karaolides, an Astoria based Cypriot outpunched his game opponent from bell to bell. Scores were 60-54 and 59-55 twice. Hendrickson falls to 1-6.

If boxing was UFC, Brooklyn light heavyweight Ariel Espinal would have received a nice bonus on his check for knockout of the evening. Espinal, a true fighter at heart, stepped into the squared circle on 24 hours notice with unbeaten Hajro Sujak. Espinal was less than two weeks removed from his last bout, a fourth round TKO over Anthony Pietrantonio, in Atlantic City and wasn’t in the best of shape. Like the majority of out of shape fighters, Espinal was looking to end the fight early. Success!

Espinal scored a jaw dropping second round KO over Sujak with a monstrous overhand right. Sujak crashed to the canvas and the referee Ricky Gonzalez took more time than necessary to direct Espinal to the neutral corner ala Lucian Bute-Librado Andrade. It made little difference. Gonzalez eventually began to count and Sujak bravely stood up, but only to fall a split second later. Time of stoppage was 2:59.

Espinal improves to 8-13-3 (4 KO’s), while The Bronx’ Sujak drops to 5-1 (2 KO’s).

Good looking bantamweight prospect Raul Lopez of The Bronx forced Puerto Rico’s Reinaldo Cintron to quit on his stool following the opening round. Lopez and Cintron mixed it up early, but the latter got dropped by a hard left hook to the body about 2:30 in. Lopez gunned for a knockout, throwing a terrific body combination, but his badly hurt opponent managed to get out of the round on his feet. Cintron’s corner threw in the towel shortly after the round ended, as their fighter had enough.

Lopez, who received praise as a sparring partner for world champion Carlos Tamara, ups his record to 3-0-1 (3 KO’s). Cintron heads home with a 1-2 professional ledger.

In the opening bout of the evening, former New York Golden Gloves champion Chazz McDowell shut out iron chinned Mexican Filberto Nieto over four rounds at junior lightweight. McDowell hit the defensively inept Nieto with everything he had, but Nieto had no quit in him. McDowell, of Yonkers, improves to 2-0 (1 KO). Nieto falls to 1-6.

The “St. Patty’s Day Brawl” was promoted by O’Shea Brothers Promotions, who have put together a string of scintillating club shows in recent months. Their next card is slated for April 2 at the Masonic Temple in Brooklyn.