TalkingBoxing News
Ricky Hatton Meets Mike Tyson 
SAT March 18 - WBA/IBF Light Welter Champion Ricky Hatton took a break from his busy training
schedule on Thursday to meet with heavyweight legend Mike Tyson. The two pressure fighters got on like a house on fire at a popular restaurant in Hatton's hometown of Manchester, England. "The Hitman" is coming off an impressive destruction of Carlos Maussa almost four months ago and the devastating Fight Academy/Banner promoted body puncher remains on the hunt for an opponent for his American Championship debut, scheduled to take place on May 13 at Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut with HBO televising.
"Lil But Bad" Wants Hatton on May 13th
SAT March 18 - A few weeks back WBA/IBA World Light Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton sat in the ESPN studios on a Friday night proudly proclaiming that he has come to America to train and fight to test his skills against the best fighters America has to offer and to let the American public get a chance to see him in action.
Stevie Johnson sat in his home in Vero Beach, FL. Thinking this is great news. I’ll definitely be in line for a shot at his titles sometime in the near future.
Johnston and everyone else was caught by surprise when it was announced that Mexican Juan Lazcano would be the first opponent to face Hatton on American soil at the Foxwood Casino and on HBO on May 13th.
Hatton said he came here to fight the best fighters America has to offer not fighters from Mexico or Latin American countries, Johnston said. Why would they overlook me to fight a Mexican fighter?
As a current IBO Light Welterweight World Champion and two time former WBV World Lightweight Champion Johnston has an outstanding professional record of 38-3-1 with 17 KOs and has won 8 of his last nine fights while proving to be a crowd favorite with great appear during his appearances on HBO especially with his great fights against Jose Luis Castillo.
Johnston also has had major wins over James Page, Sharmba Mitchell, Angel Manfredy, Corey Johnson, Jean Baptiste Mendy, Saul Duran, Cesar Bazan and Steve Quinonez to name but a few.
As fate would have it Lazcano suffered a broken finger in training this past Wednesday and has had to withdraw from the fight with Hatton. Johnston believes he is the perfect replacement and has called upon Hatton to fight me or go home.
Hatton was very respectful to all fighters during his commentary on ESPN, Johnston states, I am not being disrespectful when calling him out to accept my challenge and to fight the best American fighter available in his weight class ¦ ME!
Styles make for good fights, Johnston continues, and with his aggressive style against my boxing skills it will be the classic boxer/brawler match up and make for a great fight. Come on Ricky, lets get it on!
Johnston has moved to Vero Beach, FL. and has been training with Buddy McGirt for his upcoming fight Mar. 31st vs. Luis Ernesto Jose (24-4-2) in Tampa, FL.
His manager Jim Rider and promotion company Silverhawk World Class Boxing are very serious about Johnston’s challenge to Hatton and are working aggressively to make it happen.
It’s time for Hatton to back up what he said on ESPN, Johnston adds, time for him to step into the ring with me.
Golden Boy Signs Top Filipino Talent
SAT March 18 - In recent years, some of the most exciting and talented fighters have hailed from the Philippines. In 2006, Golden Boy Promotions will bring some of that talent to the United States, as the Los Angeles-based promotional company is pleased to announce an alliance with international matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz, SGG Promotions, and ALA Boxing Management that will bring the best of Filipino boxing to American arenas and living rooms.
The first two signees from this alliance are unbeaten and top world ranked bantamweight Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista (19-0, 14 KOs) and super bantamweight Z “The Dream” Gorres (22-1-1, 12 KOs).
“The hottest talent pool in the boxing world right now is in The Philippines,” said Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya, “so to bring exciting young fighters like Bautista and Gorres to the States to train and fight is an important step in the development of our company because we want to continue to bring the best fighters in the world to fight fans, and this is just another avenue of doing so.”
Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista may only be 19 years old, but the native of Candijay has already established himself as one of the most dangerous 118-pounders in boxing. The WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight champion, Bautista has shown an ability to not only take out his opponents with either hand, but to also box effectively over the 12 round championship distance, something he did impressively when he decisioned Vuyisile Bebe last year. In his last bout, on December 23, 2005, Bautista fought for the third time in the United States, decisioning tough veteran Gerardo Espinoza over eight rounds.
Another young gun at just 23 years old, Z “The Dream” Gorres is the younger brother of former junior welterweight contender Jun Gorres, but he has done more than enough to carve out his own identity in the fight game. A native from Cebu Province, Gorres made his debut in 2001 with a win over Rudy Hibaya and he hasn’t looked back since. Holder of an impressive first round stoppage win over fellow Philippine prospect Glenn Donaire in his US debut last March, Gorres returned to the States in his last fight, nearly shutting out Jose Tirado in February.
Both Bautista and Gorres are expected back in the US rings this spring.
For more information on Golden Boy Promotions, please visit our website at www.goldenboypromotions.com.
Tarver/Hopkins Media Tour to Kick-Off
SAT March 18- Antonio Tarver & Bernard Hopkins will kick off a 4 city media tour beginining Tuesday, March 21 in New York & Philadelphia with stops in Tampa (Wednesday, March 22) and Los Angeles (Thursday, March 23). Tarver vs. Hopkins, "Fight To The Finish", which is presented by Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9pm (ET) / 6pm (PT).
The terms have been agreed to, the contracts are signed; now all that's left is for boxing superstars Antonio Tarver and Bernard Hopkins to lace up the gloves and settle their score inside the ring. Will Hopkins end his career with a legendary finish, or will Tarver finish a legend? Boxing fans will find out on Saturday, June 10th at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
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