TalkingBoxing News
Hatton/Collazo Quotes
WED April 26 - Association welterweight champion Luis Collazo, like heavyweight champions Lennox Lewis, John Ruiz and many other world champions before him, has returned to the Pocono Mountains in the state of Pennsylvania to train to fight Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston on May 13.
Collazo (26-1, 12 KOs), from Brooklyn, N.Y., likes training in the seclusion of the Poconos because it allows for little else than focusing on boxing. Focus is important when preparing to face The Ring magazine and Boxing Writers Association of America recipient of the Fighter of the Year designation in 2005.
The undefeated Hatton (40-0, 30 KOs), from Manchester, England, has set aside his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association junior welterweight titles won in his last two appearances to move up to 147 pounds to face Collazo, who thinks “The Hitman” made a miscalculation when he signed the contract.
“They picked the wrong guy,” Collazo said in reference to Hatton and his camp agreeing to fight him. “I'm a slick southpaw. Styles make fights. I'm the exact wrong style for Hatton.
“They're looking past me. He's one of the best at 140 pounds, now he's moving up to 147. It's a whole new ballgame.
“You (the media) don't know me. Don't be fooled by my innocent face. I'm a different guy in the ring. He likes to come. I like to come, too. I can go either way. If he wants to box, I can box. If he wants to bang, we'll bang. It's going to be a great fight.”
Tickets priced at $50, $100, $150, $250, $400 and $500 are on sale now at the TD Banknorth Garden box office, online at TicketMaster.com, or charge by phone at 617-931-2000. The fight will be televised live domestically on HBO World Championship Boxing at 9:45 p.m. ET/6:45 p.m. PT.
Prince Vs Jones Jr
WED April 26 - Silverhawk Boxing today announced that it has reached an agreement for Prince Badi “The Boxing Prince” Ajamu (25-2-1, 14 KOs) to fight former undisputed light heavyweight champion Roy Jones, Jr. (49-4, 38 KOs) on July 29 at a site to be determined.
Prince Badi, rated No. 5 by the World Boxing Council, is the reigning NABO, WBC Continental Americas, WBC CABOFE, IBC Intercontinental and Pennsylvania State light heavyweight champion.
The Camden, New Jersey-native learned to box in Philadelphia and now lives and trains in Vero Beach, Florida. “Once the American people see me fight Roy Jones, Jr.,” Prince Badi said, “I have no doubts that I’ll be fighting for major world title belts. I want to do what hasn’t been done in my division for a long time, since Roy Jones, Jr., and make my mark by bringing all of the major belts back to the United States.”
Prince Badi also is rated by the World Boxing Organization (#8) and International Boxing Federation (#13).
Boxing Hall of Fame-bound Jones has been a world champion in the middleweight (IBF), super middleweight (IBF), light heavyweight (3-time WBC, WBA, IBF, IBA & 2-time IBO) and heavyweight divisions (WBA). He holds wins against, among the more notables, Bernard Hopkins, James Toney, Mike McCallum, Virgil Hill, Otis Grant, John Ruiz and Antonio Tarver.
“We’re excited about Prince Badi getting a shot to fight the great Roy Jones, Jr.,” Prince Badi’s promoter (Silverhawk Boxing founder) Dennis Rider added. “The Prince has worked very hard and he’s certainly earned this opportunity.”
Prince Badi is promoted by Silverhawk Boxing, managed by Rider Boxing, and trained by Buddy McGirt. For more information about Prince Badi or Silverhawk Boxing go to www.silverhawkboxing.com.
CES Signs Ossie Duran
WED April 26 - Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc. has signed World Boxing Council No. 18-rated super welterweight Ossie Duran (20-5-1, 9 KOs, former Commonwealth (Great Britain) light middleweight and welterweight champion, to a promotional contact.
Duran, now fighting out of Providence via his native Ghana and adopted home in England, makes his CES and United States debut May 18 in a six-round “Special Attraction” against an opponent to be determined. Ossie also was the WBF welterweight and WBF Pan-European welterweight title-older. “
“I’ve been looking for somebody to back me up,” Ossie said. “I now have that in Rhode Island with Jimmy and I will win a championship.”
Duran’s most significant victory to date was a stunning third-round knockout of Jamie Moore (20-1), current British lightweight champion, June 26 2004 for the vacant Commonwealth light middleweight title.
“Ossie Duran is a world-class fighter and we’re excited to have him on Team CES,” Burchfield noted. “He never had anyone protecting him before and took fights on short notice. Now he’s living in Providence with his cousin and being trained by Peter Manfredo, Sr. He’s going to fight a few times at 154 pounds, but we believe he’ll be a world champion at 147.”
“Let It Ride” Pro-Am Show May 18 at R.I. Convention Center
“Let It Ride,” promoted by CES and sponsored by Lincoln Park, will be the first Pro-Am boxing show in Rhode Island history. Burchfield recently announced that “Let It Ride,” headlined by the intrastate rivalry between IWBF lightweight champion Jaime “The Hurricane” Clampitt (16-3-1, 7 KOs) and IWBF featherweight title-holder Missy “The Fury” Fiorentino (13-1, 6 KOs) for Clampitt’s belt, also includes several amateur matches Thursday night, May 18 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.
Tentatively slated to box is two-time U.S. Championships welterweight champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade, of Providence, a bonafide candidate for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, as well as another national contender, Mark DeLuca, of Duxbury (MA). Providence’s 13-year-old Hector Colon is expected to box and a match has been made between locals Diego Pereira and Jesus Cairo.
Providence’s 2004 US Olympian and heavyweight prospect, Jason “Big Six” Estrada (5-0, 1
KO), super welterweight Ossie Duran, lightweight Eddie Soto (4-0, 3 KOs) and middleweight Richard “Bobo” Starnino (6-1-1, 1 KO), as well as South Boston via Ireland super middleweight Joe “Sugar” Rea (5-0, 4 KOs) are other pros scheduled to fight on “Let It Ride.” All bouts and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets for “Let It Ride” are priced at $150 (limited Jimmy’s Platinum Club), $100 (ringside), $60 (reserved) and $30 (general admission). Call 401.724.2253 to order tickets, for additional information, sponsorship/advertising opportunities, or special VIP table seating. Or go to www.cesboxing.com.
“Put Up or Shut Up,” ESPN2 Wednesday Night Fights, May 10 at Foxwoods
Unbeaten super middleweight Elvin Ayala (13-0, 5 KOs), of New Haven (CT), has been added to the CES-promoted “Put Up of Shut Up,” featuring a pair of WBC USNBC title fights, on ESPN2 Wednesday Night Fights at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The two 12-round, co-main events matches Providence cruiserweight Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey (11-0, 6 KOs), WBC USNBC title-holder, and NABA champion Shaun George (11-0-2, 5 KOs) in a unification bout, in addition to WBC USNBC super middleweight champion Joey “KO Kid” Spina (17-0-1, 12 KOs), of Providence, versus challenger Jessie Brinkley (26-3, 17 KOs), a semifinalist in The Contender television reality series
Ayala is matched in a six-round bout against Dan Thornton (15-15, 11 KOs), of Columbus, Ohio. Also scheduled to fight are unbeaten Connecticut (Manchester) featherweight Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard (8-0, 6 KOs), former Everlast two-time Under-19 National amateur champion; undefeated Las Vegas via Cleveland cruiserweight Aaron Williams (7-0-1, 5 KOs), 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials bonze medallist; Connecticut (Hartford) heavyweight Tony Grano (3-0, 3 KOs), former U.S. Championships amateur heavyweight champion. All bouts and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets, priced at $150 (Platinum Main Event Ringside), $100 (Gold Co-Feature Ringside) and $50 (Silver Reserved), are on sale and available by calling CES (401.724.2254/2253), Foxwoods’
box office (800.200.2882) or online at www.foxwoods.com. For more information visit www.cesboxing.com. Fans purchasing tickets for “Put Up or Shut Up” and the May 18th “Let It Ride” show in Providence will receive a 10-percent discount. Buses will be available to take fans from Providence to Foxwoods on May 10.
Froch Declines to Comment on Magee
WED April 26 - The normally confident and talkative British and Commonwealth Super Middleweight Champion Carl Froch was uncharacteristically quiet when asked to contribute to a Maloney Promotions press release publicising the Nottingham man's upcoming clash with Belfast's hard hitting southpaw and former IBO Champion Brian Magee taking place at London's York Hall on Friday, May 26. While Froch stated that he was simply following the request of his backers to hold off speaking to the media until next week's official press conference, the promoter of the May 26 show, Frank Maloney, had a different take. "We tried to do an interview with Carl Froch, but in fairness to him, he declined to say anything, until the press conference," said Maloney. "This is unusual for a man who's had a lot to say in the initial buildup to this fight before it had to be rescheduled to May 26. Maybe he realises his limitations now after his subpar performance against Australian journeyman Dale Westerman."
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