TalkingBoxing News
Mercer, Whitaker Prepared for Battle
THU August 25 - After 16 years in the professional boxing game, it takes more than a little trash talk from his upcoming opponent, Shannon Briggs, to get ‘Merciless’ Ray Mercer riled up.
“I’m too old for that type of stuff,” said Mercer (34-5-1, 25 KOs). “I do my talking in the ring with my fists, and I’ve got a lot to say to Shannon Briggs on Friday night.”
That’s tough talk from a tough man, one who is a former World Champion that has been in the ring with all-time greats Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and one who has a single goal in mind - beating Briggs in the main event of “HEAVYWEIGHT HEAT” on August 26.
“Beating Shannon Briggs is strictly business for me,” said Mercer. “He’s made it personal by saying I’m jealous of him, but I’m an Olympic Gold medalist and a former World Champion. What has he done?”
Mercer, a US Olympic Gold medalist in 1988 and a former WBO World Heavyweight Champion, is known for his relentless style, jackhammer jab, and granite chin. He holds wins over Tommy Morrison and former World Champion Tim Witherspoon, and after a brief foray into the world of K-1 kickboxing, he is back in the boxing game, where he has won four fights in a row (including a June win over Darroll Wilson) dating back to 2003.
“HEAVYWEIGHT HEAT”, an evening of world class professional boxing presented by Warriors Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with Cedric Kushner Promotions and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, takes place on Friday, August 26, at the Hard Rock Live Arena in Hollywood, Florida. The card will be televised live on Showtime Pay-Per-View beginning at 9pm ET / 6pm PT.
Warriors Boxing Promotions’ other standout Heavyweight contender, Lance ‘Mount’ Whitaker, will also be in action on August 26, as he faces a Luis Monaco in a ten round bout. Whitaker (29-3-1, 24 KOs) has no intentions on going the distance, though.
“I have a burning desire to win the Heavyweight Championship of the world, and I feel that the only way I’m going to do that is by knocking everyone in my path out,” said the imposing 6-8 Whitaker. “Starting August 26, boxing fans are going to see a new and improved Lance Whitaker, and I’m taking no prisoners.”
Whitaker, a former NABA, NABO, and WBC Continental Americas champion, has battled some of the top Heavyweights in the world over the course of his career, and he has won five of his last six bouts, four by knockout.
In the “HEAVYWEIGHT HEAT” main event, long-time contenders Shannon Briggs and Ray Mercer battle it out in a Heavyweight grudge match. In addition, Heavyweight standouts Jameel McCline and Lance Whitaker will compete in separate bouts, and IBF Cruiserweight Champion O’Neil Bell will make the first defense of his title against South Africa’s Sebastiaan Rothmann. Also on the card will be unbeaten Junior Welterweight sensation Juan Urango, who tangles with Brooklyn’s Andre Eason. Not to mention up and coming fellow Colombian, Edison “Pantera” Miranda as he looks to let his heavy –hands fly when he takes on Hailrio Guzman.
For tickets, priced at $150, $100, and $50, for more information please call 954.523.3309 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information on Warrior’s Boxing, please visit our website at www.warriorsboxing.com.
Peter, Klitschko, Cotto, Branco Ready for September 24th
THU August 25 - Confidence is the buzz word in the training camps of both Samuel "The Nigerian Nightmare" Peter, 24-0 (21 KOs) and Wladimir Klitschko, 44-3 (40 KOs), as they prepare for their IBF and WBO's number-one contenderships, September 24 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey presented by Duva Boxing, K-2 Promotions, Top Rank in association with Caesars Atlantic City.
"Samuel's confidence is very, very high right now," relates his trainer, Andy "Pops" Anderson. "He's ready for this, big time. It's one of those things where the timing is really great. His confidence is way up there."
Anderson says that early on in this Reno, Nevada training camp, the focus is on remembering the fundamentals he has patiently drilled into Peter for the past four years. "Klitschko has one of those jabs that could be bothersome if you don't keep your basics together and keep your hands up, so we're working on basics right now: upper body movement and bobbing and weaving and always moving forward."
The key to victory, according to Anderson, is to make Klitschko wilt from the heat. "We want to make him fight. We don't want him holding and grabbing and that type of thing. We want him spending himself, so Sam is really working on getting in tip-top shape because he wants to go in and make this guy work."
Does Anderson predict the fight will play out with his man moving closer and closer until he devours his prey, perhaps even surprisingly early in the fight? "Samuel is one of those guys; he has the eye of the tiger. He just goes in there and whatever happens happens. He's there to win any way he can - but I don't think he's looking for a long fight, I can tell you that."
Meanwhile, from high up in Pocono Mountains, where he is helping former WBO champion Klitschko prepare for the biggest crossroads fight of his life, legendary trainer Emanuel Steward strongly disagrees. "Peter is going to be in with a class-A fighter this time. He thinks he'll overpower this guy, but believe me, that is not going to happen. Peter is going in with an experienced big man this time, and he's going to realize it's a big man because of the way we're going to control him. This is a very experienced man who is focused. Peter is not going to just walk through him like he did these other guys."
Early in Klitschko's camp, Steward says the goal is to get his man re-accustomed to the roughness of the sport. "Wladimir is already in pretty good shape. He's always in shape, he's an athlete. He comes in weighing exactly what he'll weigh for the fight, so there's no need for him to detoxify or cut weight. Early on, the focus is just to get back in the ring and work on timing, get the feeling back of another human being throwing punches at you. Get the body-to-body contact you can't get from punching bags and doing exercises."
Steward maintains that much of the Peter mystique has been cleverly crafted by his handlers and their careful matchmaking.
"Peter's going to find out that this is not the place for him. Wladimir is not another class-C guy. He was fighting the B-level boys, the Charles Shuffords and Jovo Pudars and he struggled with them. So then, they brought back the class-C level guys again for him to walk through. The perception of this fight is that it's a rough, tough, hard-punching guy going against the most fragile, no-chin, and no-confidence fighter in the heavyweight division. In the public's mind, it's the meanest and the toughest guy against the most timid and fragile guy and Peter wins by KO. But don't forget, Klitschko can punch also. To be hit by a 250-lb man who knows what he's doing will be a new experience for Peter."
Steward says that he and Klitschko are planning on changing people's perceptions of the big Ukrainian with this performance. "If I had any doubts about Wladimir's confidence, I would not be here. Wladimir has never doubted himself. He's the most confident fighter I've ever dealt with. Right now, the only people who don't doubt him are me and him, but he's never even thought about losing. I think this fight will be over after round two. After two rounds of eating the kinds of punches Wladimir will hit him with, he won't want to fight anymore. It will be a strong kid against an experienced man in a higher class than he's ever been in with."
"Is that what he said?" laughs Anderson. "Emanuel is going to find out that the better the fighter, the better it is for Samuel. Samuel really thrives on challenges. He'll rise to the occasion. I hope this guy Klitschko is at his best because when Sam knocks him out. I don't want to hear excuses about somebody put salve on his legs,' and things like that. I hope Klitschko comes ready, no excuses."
Five weeks away from his fourth world title defense Miguel Cotto is stepping up the pace for his September 24 showdown with Gianluca Branco.
Cotto is training in the Beiora Gym in Caguas, Puerto Rico and has begun sparring with former world champion Vince Phillips who has been working with Cotto over the last couple of years, and with Luis Galarza a Puerto Rican now residing in Nashville. He has done about 40 rounds of sparring so far.
"The work is getting more intense as we go. We still have a few weeks to go but we have begun increasing his workload," said Evangelista Cotto, uncle and trainer of Miguel Cotto.
Evangelista Cotto said he has seen the tape of Branco fight with Arturo Gatti and will work from that for this fight.
"He has a very European style and was very competitive with Gatti," said Evangelista Cotto.
For the rest of the training camp Miguel Cotto will stay in the gym and in a nearby dormitory only going home on Sunday's to see his family his uncle said.
BRANCO TRAINING IN ROME
Gianluca Branco knows how good Miguel Cotto is, but he is sure that the young Puerto Rican sensation is in for the fight of his life when they meet on September 24 in Atlantic City.
"I am going to be in great shape to face a great champion. I know the fight is for a world title and that's why I have prepared so well for this bout," said Branco who is training in Rome for the fight against Cotto.
Branco has being running in the mornings and has been sparring in the afternoons for this fight.
"I want to thank Cotto for the opportunity to fight for the world title, but I also want him to know that this title is coming home with me as I expect to win this fight either by points or knockout," said Branco, whose only loss was a world title defeat to Arturo Gatti back in 1994 in a bout for the WBC Super Lightweight championship.
Thomas Ulrich to challenge Tomasz Adamek for WBC title
THU August 25 - On October 15 German Thomas Ulrich will challenge for a world title for the first time in his career. The 30-year-old man from Berlin is ranked WBC number and will officially challenge reining champion Tomasz Adamek from Poland for the World Boxing Council title.
„Düsseldorf is a perferct place for this. Over here Graciano Rocchigiani, Henry Maske and Sven Ottke have become world champions“, Ulrich reminds. The Beau of German boxing vacated the European title in order to challenge for the WBC crown. “It’s an honor for me to fight for the WBC title. I’m aware it’s the title once held by the great Roy Jones Jr.”
The event takes place in the Mehrzweckhalle of Düsseldorf which holds up to 4.000 spectators. ZDF will broadcast live.
Ulrich will meet a difficult opponent with Tomasz Adamek. The 28-year-old champion captured the title in May with a majority decision over Australian Paul Briggs. Adamek is 29-0 with 20 knockouts.
Ulrich, 28-1 (19), has the same number of fights in his record as Adamek, but includes one loss – against former world champion Glencoffee Johnson in July 2001.
Coach Michael Timm is convinced that Ulrich will succeed in his world title premiere against Adamek, a charge of promoter Don King.
“Adamek can’t move his upper body very well. I’m convinced that Thomas is going to win”, Timm said. Ulrich will prepare for the most important fight of his career in Hamburg.
It’s been six years ago that Düsseldorf was the site for a world class boxing show. On October 15 Universum Box-Promotion and Düsseldorf Marketing & Tourismus GmbH want to continue the sport tradition of the Landeshauptstadt.
Thomas Ulrich is regarded as one of the most talented fighters from Germany – a great stylist with excellent technique and an athlete who is always in top shape. In May 2003 Ulrich ended the career of former world champion Graciano Rocchigiani with a shut out victory over twelve one sided rounds.
Graciano Rocchigiani himself won his first world title in Düsseldorf in 1988 before continuing a career full of surprises and controversis. Other German boxers who became world champion in Düsseldorf were Henry Maske in 1993 and Sven Ottke in 1998. It almost seems like this city is propelling German professional fighters to top performance.
The first Universum event in Düsseldorf took place almost ten year ago, when in 1995 Dariusz Michalczewski made only the third defense of his WBO light heavyweight title. Universum’s latest event in this city was a fightnight with Wladimir Klitschko and Juan Carlos Gomez in 1999. Gomez like Universum returns to Düsseldorf on October 15 and will fight on the undercard.
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