TalkingBoxing News
Gatti\Baldomir Selling Out
THU June 29 -
If you are interested in attending Arturo Gatti’s July 22 showdown against WBC world-recognized linear welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir, then you’d better contact TicketMaster soon. Main Events CEO Kathy Duva announced today that only 300 tickets remain to the highly-anticipated welterweight battle that will take place at Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, NJ. (Boardwalk Hall Arena is scaled for a capacity of 12,000 seats).
Main Events is promoting the evening of boxing, in association with Sycuan Ringside Promotions of San Diego and Caesars Atlantic City.
The 12-round championship bout will be broadcast on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing” series.
Tickets, priced at $400, $250, $150, $100 and $ 50. They can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420.
Baldomir (42-9-6, 12 KOs) shocked the universally recognized welterweight champion Zab Judah Jan. 7, 2006, to win the welterweight title (W 12). The 34-year-old Santa Fe, Argentina, native has not lost a bout in more than five years, compiling an 18-0-2 record in his past 20 bouts.
Gatti (40-7, 31 KOs) is a two-time world champion who is responsible for several of the top non-heavyweight live gates in the history of Atlantic City, NJ. The
33-year-old Jersey City, NJ, resident by way of Montreal, Canada, dismantled undefeated Danish bruiser Thomas Damgaard in his most recent bout Jan 28, 2006, (TKO 11). Gatti has won six of his past seven bouts and is ranked No. 2 by the World Boxing Council and No. 6 by The Ring magazine.
New Addition to "Freedom" Card
THU June 29 - Former International Boxing Federation cruiserweight champion Kelvin “Lil’ Tyson” Davis has been added to an already explosive July 7 “Let Freedom Ring” championship pro boxing show at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc. (CES) in association with Lincoln Park and Four Points Sheraton Hyannis Resort, is promoting “Let Freedom Ring,” which will be broadcast in New England on Saturday, July 8 at 7:00 PM/ET on CN8, The Comcast Network. The event will re-air network wide on Saturday, July 29 at 7:00 PM/ET.
Davis (21-4-1, 16 KOs) has been matched in a six-round Special Heavyweight Attraction against former world heavyweight title challenger Charles Shufford (20-6, 9 KOs), who will be making his CES debut.
Davis won the IBF cruiserweight title with an eighth-round TKO of Extra Sellers in 2004. Kelvin, who’ll be fighting as a heavyweight for the first time, also won the USBA title in 2002 with a 12-round split decision against Arthur Williams. Davis has also fought current world cruiserweight champion O’Neal Bell, as well as top contenders Steve Cunningham and Guillermo Jones.
Shufford captured the IBA Americas heavyweight title in 2002 with a 12-round decision against Eliecer Castillo. Charles has been in the ring against the likes of present IBF heavyweight title-holder Wladimir Klitschko, world title challengers Samuel Peter and Jameel McCline, and U.S. Olympian Lawrence Clay-Bey.
The 12-round main event finds USNBC super middleweight champion Joey “KO Kid” Spina (18-0-1, 13 KOs), rated No. 17 by the World Boxing Council, defending his title and fighting for the vacant IBF International championship against local favorite Jay Pina (16-1, 12 KOs), who is from nearby Falmouth (MA).
“There will be fistic fireworks from start to finish on this sensational card,” promoter Jimmy Burchfield said. “We plan on making this the event of the summer every year on Cape Cod. In the truest sense of America, we’re featuring fighters from countries all over the world, including Brazil, Ireland, Ghana, and Sweden. Some of the trainers coming here are celebrities in their own right – 1976 Olympic gold medallist Howard Davis, Jr. (Gilberto Reyes), former world champions Buddy McGirt (Benjamin Kalinovic) and Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (Joey Spina), and one of my all-time favorites, Micky Ward (Joe Rea).”
IBA Intercontinental featherweight champion Agnaldo Nunez, two-time Brazilian Olympian, and is in the eight-round co-feature against an opponent to be determined.
WBC No. 16 rated super welterweight Ossie Duran (21-5-1, 9 KOs), fighting out of Providence via Ghana, takes on Davis-trained Gilberto “Sugar” Reyes (18-3-1, 11 KOs), born in Lawrence (MA) and fighting out of Miami, in a terrific six-round Special Super Welterweight Attraction.
Also on the card in four-round bouts are two newly signed CES fighters, super lightweight Benjamin Kalinovic (3-0, 2 KOs), 2001-2002 Swedish Championship gold medallist, versus Tomondre “Andre” King; former Philadelphia amateur star, lightweight “Hammering” Hank Lundy, who in his pro debut is matched against TBA.
Unbeaten Irish middleweight Joe “Sugar” Rea (5-0, 4 KOs), squares off against Valentino Jalomo (2-0), while two-time Golden Gloves champion Jeff Tavano (3-0, 2 KOs), from Harwich (MA), fights on the card against TBA.
All bouts and boxers are subject to change.
Tickets are priced at $40 and $50 (general admission), $75 (Silver VIP), $100 (Gold VIP) and a limited Jimmy’s Platinum Club tickets are available. To order tickets call CES (401.724.2253), the Cape Cod Melody Tent (508.775.5630) or go to www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets also are on sale at David’s Gym in South Dennis (508.394.7199), Pizza 1 – Subs 2 in Falmouth (508.457.1212), Mike’s Barber Shop in Dennisport (508.798.8913), Cape Cod Nutrition in Hyannis (508.775.5697), and Goose Hummock in Orleans (508.255.0455). For additional information, or sponsorship/advertising opportunities, call CES or go to www.cesboxing.com.
Doors open at 6:00 PM, first bout at 7:15 PM.
Keene\Williams Added to Jones\Badi Card
THU June 29 - Much more than his 52nd victory may be on the line for Idaho icon Kenny “The Emmett Eliminator” Keene when he fights ex-International Boxing Federation champion “King” Arthur Williams (42-14-1, 29 KOs) on July 29 in a 10-round Special Cruiserweight Attraction bout at the Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho.
Keene (51-3, 28 KOs), fighting out of Emmett (ID), reportedly is being considered for a title fight later this year against World Boxing Association cruiserweight champion Virgil “Quicksilver” Hill (50-5, 23 KOs), contingent upon Keene defeating Williams in their chief supporting bout on the July 29 “Hold Nothing Back!” pay-per-view show, headlined by the return of five-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. challenging North American Boxing Organization light heavyweight champion Prince Badi “The Boxing Prince” Ajamu. Three-time world title-holder Hill, who lives in North Dakota, will be at ringside July 29 as a PPV broadcast color commentator.
At a Boise press conference last Friday, Hill said that he will be scouting Keene as a potential opponent for his next fight, providing Keene defeats Williams and secures a top 15 rating in the WBA. Hill mentioned that North Dakota would be more than accommodating in terms of hosting a Hill-Keene fight, but that it will be determined by economics, including site fee offers. Kenny has mentioned many times that he would like to end his career with a fight against Hill.
“Our July 29th pay-per-view show will serve as a test for a potential Hill-Keene fight in Boise,”
SEMI Director of Operations Ritch Danner said. “We’ll see if Boise, all of Idaho, will support Hill-Keene based on the July 29th turnout.”
Keene has been the WBF, IBC and IBA cruiserweight title-holder during the course of his 15-year pro career. He is riding an eight-year, 11-fight win streak. His most notable victories have been against Rob Calloway, Richie LaMontagne and Andrew Maynard. Williams captured the IBF cruiserweight title in 1998 with a ninth-round knockout of Imamu Mayfield. He also has beaten Dwight Mohammad Qawi and Adolfo Washington.
“Hold Nothing Back!” -- presented by Xyience, Inc. in association with Sports and Entertainment Media, Inc. (SEMI) -- will be broadcast live in North America on cable and satellite PPV beginning at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT. The event is being produced and distributed for North American Pay Per View by Integrated Sports and will be available in more than 50-million homes in the United States and Canada via InDemand, TVN, DirecTV & Dish Network in the US and Viewer’s Choice & Bell ExpressVu in Canada. The suggested retail price for the PPV telecast is only $24.95.
Hall of Fame bound Jones (49-4, 38 KOs) has been world champion in four different weight classes, ranging from middleweight up to heavyweight. His much-anticipated comeback after 10 months away from the ring is against Prince Badi (25-2-1, 14 KOs), who is rated No. 5 by the World Boxing Council and No. 8 by the World Boxing Organization. Prince Badi has dedicated the fight to the memory of his first cousin, the late Floyd Patterson, two-time world heavyweight champion.
Former IBF light heavyweight champion William “Chocolate” Guthrie (33-3-2, 26 KOs), fighting out of Palm Beach Gardens (FL), has been added to the card. He’ll take on Luke Munsen (19-5, 13 KOs), of Spokane (WA), in a 12-round title fight for the vacant IBF International cruiserweight belt.
Unbeaten Crow Creek Sioux cruiserweight Shawn Hawk (11-0, 8 KOs), fighting out of Coeur d’Alene (ID), is on the undercard against Doug “The Kid” Kaluza (17-5-1, 10 KOs), of Lincoln (NE), in an eight round match. The exciting uncle and nephew combination of light middleweight Edgar Hernandez (3-0) and lightweight Mario Hernandez (3-0, 2 KOs), from Caldwell (ID), are scheduled to fight opponents to be determined.
Tickets, priced at $50, $100, $150, $250 and $350 (plus handling fees), are on sale and available exclusively at the Qwest Arena Box Office. Call 208.331.TIXS (8947), toll free 888.330.TIXS (8497), or go on line at www.qwestarenaidaho.com.
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