Calzaghe Scores One More Win in Retirement
March 16, 2009
Joe Calzaghe may not do battle in the ring anymore, but he scored one last important victory in the courts, defeating his former promoter Frank Warren.
The High Court ruled that Warren’s Sports Network Limited must pay Calzaghe $2.8 million, the amount that Calzaghe claimed Warren owed him from his fight with Bernard Hopkins in 2008.
According to the Associated Press:
The undefeated former super middleweight champion claimed that Warren persuaded him to sign contracts under duress while he was suffering dehydration and hunger preparing for fights.
Warren argued he did not owe the boxer. He claimed Calzaghe owed him $1.4 million for breaking his contract over his last fight with Roy Jones Jr. in November.
The BBC , however, reported that the judge in the case rejected the claims from Calzaghe that he was made to sign contracts under duress.
Warren said in a statement that he never disputed the fact that he owed Calzaghe money from the Hopkins fight, he just says that they were in disagreement over the amount. He also said in the statement that they plan to appeal the ruling.
Sports Network, throughout the litigation, has always said that it would pay Joe Calzaghe but we disputed the sum he claimed (paragraph 16 of the Judgment: “The Claimant [Sports Network Limited] does not dispute that a substantial sum of money is owed by the Claimant to the Defendant [Joe Calzaghe] in respect of the bout with Mr Hopkins although it does dispute that the sum owed is as large as alleged by the Defendant”). We were right to do so and feel vindicated in defending Joe’s claim which we have reduced by almost £1.5million. Our lawyers have advised Sports Network to appeal to reduce the sum even further, which it fully intends to do.
The case came to life when Warren and Calzaghe split in 2008. Calzaghe went on to self-promote his fight with Roy Jones in November, prompting Warren to sue him for money that he felt he was due. Calzaghe then counter-sued for his Hopkins money, leading us to this ruling.
Apparently, Warren and Calzaghe had every bit of their relationship in writing and detailed contracts, but the judge couldn’t accept that Warren could not produce a single bit of evidence that Calzaghe had agreed to continue his relationship through the Jones fight. Warren was claiming that a verbal agreement was in place, but with his history of solid bookkeeping and records, a lack of evidence was what cost him.
Calzaghe retired from boxing in February, with an undefeated record of 46-0.
Video: Kirkland vs. Julio Highlights
March 11, 2009
James Kirkland takes on Joel Julio in the biggest test of his career on HBO’s Boxing After Dark.
Thanks to HBO and YouTube for this reel.
Undercard Set for Peter – Chambers
March 5, 2009
Via Press Release
LOS ANGELES, March 5 – What do California cities of East Los Angeles, City of Commerce and Covina have in common? They hold the distinction of being home to three of the top young fighters in the World today, Shawn Estrada, Javier Molina and John Molina, Jr. (no relation) respectively. All three cities will be well represented when each of these young men step into the ring at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on Friday, March 27.
Before World heavyweight contenders Eddie Chambers and Samuel Peter take to the ring at Nokia, one local kid from Covina whose trainer has nicknamed the “Sledgehammer,” John Molina, Jr. and two standout members of the 2008 United States Olympic team, Estrada and Javier Molina, will provide their own form of fireworks, as the up-and-coming prospects look to steal the show from the big men.
John Molina (15-0, 11 KOs) brings a whole new meaning to the “entertainment business of boxing.” Old-school fighting mentality, power in both hands, witty as George Lopez, good looks that are a cross between Mario Lopez and Elvis (the one with sideburns) with the only thing missing is “The King’s” guitar. Molina wants only one thing when the bell rings: to finish his opponent off while thoroughly entertaining the fans. He’s pure excitement, with a lot of risk being exciting. This mentality has led the 26-year old jr. lightweight to a perfect pro boxing record, and after making his national television debut in February with a third round knockout of Joshua Allotey, the buzz about Molina is getting louder.
East LA’s Estrada, nicknamed “El Chamuko” (“The Monster”) goes for his third straight knockout victory against Ray Craig, in a 4-round super middleweight bout, and in a 4-round junior welterweight contest, we’ll see Javier Molina from City of Commerce making his professional boxing debut.
Goossen Tutor Promotions presents this marquee night of boxing and entertainment, which will be televised live on a special edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights beginning at 10 pm ET / 7 pm PT. The Chambers-Peter Heavyweight Bout is being promoted in association with Duva Boxing.
It will be the first ever boxing event staged from the world-class 7,100-seat Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, which is the centerpiece of L.A. LIVE, a 4-million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, residential and entertainment district adjacent to STAPLES Center.
The 23-year old Estrada (2-0, 2 KOs) came out of nowhere to earn an Olympic berth for the 2008 Games. His inspiring story captivated fight fans, and once they got a chance to see him in the ring, they were hooked. After going 1-1 in the Olympics losing to the eventual Gold Medalist from England, Estrada turned pro on November 29, 2008 with a knockout of Lawrence Jones in one minute of the first round. His next opponent Shaun Spaid fared worse, lasting only 43 seconds. On March 27th, Estrada looks to make it three in a row. Standing in the Olympian’s way will be 27-year old Oakland product Ray Craig (5-4, 2 KOs), a hard-nosed veteran who will be shooting for the upset against the Olympian.
Included on this blockbuster undercard and the newest member of Goossen Tutor Promotions and a teammate of Estrada in Beijing, China is the 2008 US Olympian Javier Molina. Molina, who is often referred to as “El Intocable” (“The Untouchable”) is a talented 19 year old, already drawing rave reviews from boxing insiders who believe a world title is in his future. Molina comes from a fighting family that has seen his father, uncle, and older brother fight professionally, while his twin brother Oscar was a member of the Mexican Olympic team. On March 27th he begins his own fistic journey.
“Get used to hearing Molina, Estrada, Molina because I believe all three have the ability to become boxing’s next generation of stars and all are Los Angeles hometown heroes. They’re young, talented and best of all, they love to fight,” said promoter Dan Goossen.
Tickets priced at $100, $75, $50, and $25 are available tomorrow, Friday, March 6 online at ticketmaster.com, via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (213) 480-3232 or (714) 740-2000. Tickets are also available at the STAPLES Center Box Office. Monday-Saturday Event Days: 9:00 AM – ½ hour after event start. Non-Event Days: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM – Sunday Event Days: 10:00 AM – ½ hour after event start. Non-Event Days: Closed.
Klitschko-Haye Back on For June 20 in Europe
March 5, 2009
The on-again/off-again matchup between heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye is back on again.
According to Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer via Doug Fischer of Ring Magazine, contracts have been exchanged and the details are being sorted, but the fight will take place on June 20 in Europe.
A specific location has not been agreed to, but that was the holdup for some time. The fight was close to done at other times, but has always hit breaking points. Originally, Haye was promising big crowds in London, but was unable to make the fight happen where he wanted to for economic reasons. Then, he offered to fight in Germany, but the holdup then came from other reasons and talks broke off.
Recently, Haye was apparently pushing for the fight to happen in the United States, but eventually all parties agreed to fight in Europe at a yet to be determined site.
According to Shaefer, Germany may still be the frontrunner for the fight, but nothing is for sure right now.
HBO will televise the fight.
Pacquiao Willing to Make Marquez Trilogy
March 4, 2009
Even though Juan Manuel Marquez said in the ring after his win against Juan Diaz that he didn’t think Manny Pacquiao wanted to fight him again, he continues to chase him and Pacquiao seems more than willing to fight him once again.
The two superstars have fought twice, with Pacquiao winning in 2008 by very narrow split-decision and they fought to a disputed draw back in 2004.
Marquez has been calling Pacquiao out for the last year, since the second bout. Many people feel that Marquez one at least one, if not both of the fights, while many Pacquiao fans feel the same about their fighter. Pacquiao would be 2-0 vs. Pacquiao if not for a scoring error in the first fight, while Marquez would be 1-0-1 if he could have avoided just one knockdown per fight.
Marquez called out former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather after his win over Diaz, saying that he didn’t feel that Pacquiao was interested in fighting him for a third time.
Upon arriving back in Mexico however, Marquez once again took the opportunity to challenge Pacquiao. Marquez said that he wanted to fight the winner of Pacquiao’s May fight with Ricky Hatton, but said that he hopes Pacquiao wins so they could fight for a third time.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, sounded recently as if he is more than willing to share a ring with Marquez for a third time.
Pacquiao told Setanta Sports (via BoxingScene):
“I did not see the fight but I heard that Marquez won the fight and if he wants to fight somebody, anybody, I wish that we will meet again. I think there would be more action in the ring after our two battles and we need to put into the minds of people that there is a winner.”
More than likely, a third fight between them would have to take place at 140 pounds, since Manny has made it clear that he has no intention of going back to lightweight, while Marquez is already planning to move up in weight to challenge some of the bigger names in the sport.
Even if Pacquiao were to lose to Hatton, there would surely be huge interest in a third fight with Marquez, as well as the possibilities of Hatton-Marquez and Hatton-Pacquiao II. But a Pacquiao win over Hatton would only work to set up Pacquiao-Marquez III.
No matter who wins the Hatton-Pacquiao fight, we are sure to see an even bigger fight later this year with one of them fighting Marquez.
What to Watch For: March 2009
March 3, 2009
After an amazing February, boxing looks to continue its hot streak into March, with even more big fights on the horizon.
The first edition of March’s Friday Night Fights on ESPN is headlined by Delvin Rodriguez, who takes on Isaac Hlatshwayo in a rematch that is an IBF welterweight title eliminator. Demetrius Andrade will fight on the undercard.
HBO starts things off on March 7 with a card that features some fantastic young fighters. Joel Julio takes on James Kirkland in a junior middleweight fight that promises fireworks and the impressive Victor Ortiz is in action against Mike Arnaoutis. Robert Guerrero will also fight on the card.
The following week sees some big names in action in mid-week contests.
On March 12 in Tokyo, Hozumi Hasegawa puts his WBC bantamweight title on the line against Vusi Malinga, and Oscar Larios fights Takahiro Aoh in a rematch for Larios’ WBC featherweight title.
The following night in Montreal, Lucian Bute looks to rebound from his near disastrous defeat against Librado Andrade as he takes on Fulgencio Zuniga. Bute’s IBF super middleweight title will be on the line.
March 14 features a handful of the sports marquee stars, spread all over the world fighting.
In Christian Mijares will look to bounce back from his knockout loss to Vic Darchinyan, while Jorge Linares will put his WBA junior lightweight title on the line in a separate bout.
Over in England, the young Amir Khan will take on the much older Marco Antonio Barrera in a fascinating matchup. Also on that card is Nicky Cook, defending WBO junior lightweight titlist, and local favorite Enzo Maccarinelli.
Swinging over to Germany on the same day, Arthur Abraham defends his version of the middleweight title against a completely overmatched Lajuan Simon, while Oleg Maskaev fights in Mordovia on the same day.
Midweek fights the following week feature the highly touted prospect Andy Lee fighting in New York on March 16 and Edison Miranda fighting on the 20th.
Also on March 20, ESPN is back with another Friday Night Fights, featuring Fernando Beltran Jr. vs. Thomas Mashaba in a featherweight contest in the main event.
On March 21, Vitali Klitschko returns to the ring in Germany to face Juan Carlos Gomez in a fight being televised on ESPN for the WBC heavyweight title.
Meanwhile, back in the United States, Roy Jones continues his career with a fight against Omar Sheika in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida.
On the final weekend of the month, the heavyweights will take over Friday Night Fights, as Sam Peter will climb back into the ring for the first time since Vitali Klitschko made him quit and took his belt last year. Peter will be taking on “Fast” Eddie Chambers in a very important fight for both men.
On Saturday, March 28, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. is in action against a typically overmatched opponent with a misleading record on a Top Rank PPV. Also on that card is Humberto Soto defending his WBC junior lightweight title, as well as Jose Luis Castillo, Fernando Montiel, and Cesar Canchila all in separate bouts.
Showtime will also have fights on March 28, featuring Andre Dirrell and Ronald Hearns in separate bouts.
While March lacks the marquee matchups that we got in January with Mosley-Margarito and February with Darchinyan-Arce and Diaz-Marquez, there are some great fighters fighting and some matchups that should make great fights.
The highlights are Kirkland-Julio and Klitschko-Gomez, but there are sure to be great fights along the way.
Ring Life: James Kirkland
March 2, 2009
HBO has put together a new and exciting video series that is only available online called “Ring Life.” It is like a miniature version of 24/7, featuring up-and-coming fighters, available at HBO.com.
The series is inspired by the real lives of eight hopeful boxers with dreams of becoming champions. Each of the promising contenders will have their stories told in three four-to-six minute segments which will play in weekly installments through April 2009.
Ring Life chronicles the lives of these aspirants as they define the spirit of boxing, balancing jobs, family life, training, expectations and the pursuit of their dreams.
Ring Life: James Kirkland
Part One:
Part Two:
Part Three:
Bute Risks IBF Belt Against Zuniga
March 2, 2009
THERE ARE QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED WHEN POPULAR LUCIAN BUTE DEFENDS IBF TITLE AGAINST HARD-HITTING FULGENCIO ZUNIGA
Via Press Release
Coming off one of the most controversial victories in years, undefeated Lucian Bute will return to SHOWTIME® to risk his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight crown against hard-hitting Fulgencio Zuniga on a special World Championship edition of ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, March 13 (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Last October in his hometown of Montreal and his first ShoBox appearance, Bute dominated the initial 11-plus rounds against Librado Andrade but fell apart late and was brutally knocked down in the final seconds. Visibly shaken and hurt, Bute barely made it to his feet as he beat the referee’s 10-count to retain his belt on a lopsided decision.
A battered Bute, however, escaped with a triumph that was questioned by many who feel the time elapsed during the 10-count was closer to 20 seconds or more and that the ref’s decision-making after the knockdown aided the exhausted hometown hero. Most notably, the ref has been criticized by many members of the media for devoting too much concern – and precious time – to the whereabouts of Andrade and a neutral corner.
Bute (23-0, 18 KOs) did not depart the ring with the look of a winner, which is a reason he must be admired for coming back so quickly against a determined, dangerous slugger like Colombia’s Zuniga (22-3-1, 19 KOs), who is no stranger to hostile environments and whose only defeats were to world champions.
But is southpaw Bute coming back too soon? Is the aura of invincibility still there? How much did the final round drubbing by Andrade take out of him physically, emotionally and mentally? What is the homefield advantage worth to a classy young man with widespread popularity in Montreal? Is Bute truly a boxer you can never count out of a fight?
Tune in on March 13 for those answers and more.
ShoBox announcers Nick Charles (blow-by-blow) and Steve Farhood (expert analyst) called the Bute-Andrade fight and are eager to see how this one plays out.
“What makes this fight so fascinating to me are the question marks about Bute’s state of mind and especially his confidence,” Charles said. “He’s still champion — barely — but the way he left the ring against Andrade on ShoBox makes me wonder whether he’ll have the confidence to weather the storm against a hard-hitting power puncher like Zuniga.
“I love the fact Bute is fighting so soon and not just sitting around, but he had his world rocked. How he responds is difficult to measure, which is what makes this matchup even more interesting and compelling than it already is.”
Added Farhood: “Given what happened in the last 20 seconds of Bute’s fight with Andrade, there’s a strange curiosity to want to see this guy in another tough fight. Zuniga has the credentials and the punch to supply Bute with exactly that.”
A 29-year-old, 6-foot-2 inch Montreal-based Romanian, Bute will be making the third defense of the 168-pound belt he won with an 11th-round TKO over Alejandro Berrio on Oct. 19, 2007, in Montreal, where the defending champion’s last 11 fights have taken place.
With several more potential major fights looming if successful, the talented Bute, who possesses huge advantages in height and reach over Zuniga, is determined to make a statement on March 13.
“I want to put on a great show,” he said. “Zuniga is a very aggressive fighter and I know he will try to pressure me. But his style will be very beneficial for my career.
“Friday the 13th will be very unlucky for Zuniga. He will not leave the Bell Centre with the IBF belt in his bag but rather with a fourth career defeat.”
Zuniga, not unlike Andrade, is an aggressive-minded puncher. He has excellent experience against top-level opposition. He is gritty, rugged-chinned and fights with pressure and purpose.
In his ShoBox debut, Zuniga put on a sensational performance against a previously undefeated fighter that came in with a record of 26-0 with 26 knockouts. Zuniga overcame a disputed first-round knockdown to out-work, out-punch and, ultimately, outclass the highly regarded Victor Oganov.
“That was obviously a very important victory for me and the best of my career,’’ said Zuniga, a natural junior middleweight. “I think I proved what kind of fighter I am.”
His only setbacks have been against Kelly Pavlik (the lone fighter to stop Zuniga), Daniel Santos and Denis Inkin.
The decision loss to local hero Inkin in September 2008 came on a controversial 12-round decision in a world title fight in Germany the 5-foot-10-inch, 31-year-old Zuniga took on two weeks notice.
“I had visa problems and didn’t get to Germany until six days before the fight,’’ said Zuniga. “I never adjusted to the time. But even though I was tired and Inkin is a good boxer, I believe I outworked him and won.”
Zuniga rebounded in his next fight (November 2008) to register a third-round knockout over Diego Castillo and has now won five of his last six.
For his next venture onto foreign soil, Zuniga plans to keep it simple. “I will pressure Bute from the first round,” he said.
Zuniga’s hopes of an upset likely were bolstered by developments in two recent, major boxing main events in Montreal. In both, local favorites Steve Molitor and Herman Ngoudjo were soundly defeated by Celestino Caballero (on SHOWTIME) and Juan Urango, respectively, in IBF championship fights.
“I sparred a week with Bute,” Zuniga said. “He is a fast, hard hitting boxer. But I’ve always been confident I could compete with the top guys. I have the power to knock him out and the skills to decision him. I’m working hard. I will be a world champion soon and I need to bring the belt back to Colombia.
“I only ask for a fair referee.”
Fantastic February Goes Out With a Bang!
March 2, 2009
Before the fights even got underway for the month of February, the rankings were shaken up. Pound-for-pound superstar and light-heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe announced his retirement, leaving the sport undefeated. Calzaghe was a great champion and truly one of the sport’s elite, and the sport will miss him. Due to his retirement, BoxingInformer.com has removed Calzaghe from the pound-for-pound rankings, as well as from the light-heavyweight rankings.
Also taking place outside of the ring in February was the suspension of Antonio Margarito and his trainer, Javier Capetillo by the California State Athletic Commission. Both men had their boxing licenses revoked for one year. Margarito may seek to fight in Mexico, as his promoter, Bob Arum, and WBC President Jose Sulaiman swear to his innocence.
Starting off the month of February in the ring was the much anticipated showdown between Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce, a fight that was three years in the making. Darchinyan showed just why he is the undisputed champion at 115 pounds and dominated Arce from corner to corner before the fight was stopped prior to the 11th round. Since his stunning KO defeat at the hands of Nonito Donaire, Darchinyan has taken huge leaps forward in terms of boxing ability and defense, and combined with his devastating left hand, earns him a spot in the BoxingInformer.com top ten Pound-for-Pound list, replacing the retired Calzaghe.
The following week was one of the more interesting cards you’ll see — and not in a good way. In HBO’s many-times-changed triple header, we got a little bit of everything. In the first fight, Alfredo Angulo did exactly what he was supposed to, dismantling Cosme Rivera for a fifth round knockout.
But the second fight of the night was where it took a turn for the worse. In one of the more controversial fights you’ll ever see, Sergio Martinez managed to knock Kermit Cintron out, dominate the fight, and get a draw. That’s right, he knocked him out — referee Frank Santore counted to ten, said “it’s over,” and the celebration ensued. Then the ref said, “sorry, my bad…” and told the fighters to keep fighting. Martinez finished the one-sided fight and was awarded a draw by one legitimate referee and (evidently) two blind men. This fight was boxing at its worst.
In the finale of that card, Nate Campbell scored a hard-earned majority decision over the very game Ali Funeka. Campbell lost his titles on the scale the day before the fight, failing to make the 135 pound limit. He will move up to junior-welterweight and campaign at 140 pounds.
The following weekend brought a pair of elite fighters back into the ring to try to get back on their winning ways, but first was a crazy night of action on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.
On the undercard, Yuriorkis Gamboa displayed his dazzling hand speed with an early knockout, needing just 35 seconds to earn his check. But the crazy came in the main event, when Humberto Soto, down badly on the scorecards, took a bite out of Breideis Prescott’s shoulder. Kudos to the officials on the scene who made the call correctly and disqualified Soto.
On Saturday the 21st, Kelly Pavlik and Miguel Cotto both were back in the ring following each of their first respective losses. In a split-location pay-per-view, Cotto had his way with Michael Jennings, dropping him twice in the fourth round before finishing him off in the fifth.
Pavlik looked good also, stopping Marco Antonio Rubio when Rubio didn’t come out for the tenth round. Pavlik dominated early before coasting through the middle rounds. In the eight, he finally hurt Rubio, making the challenger do his best to survive the round. After more punishment in the ninth, Rubio called it a night.
On Wednesday the 25th, Troy Ross took home the title as the winner of the fourth season of The Contender, this year on Versus. Ross knocked out Ehinomen “Hino” Ehikhamenor in the fourth round to win the title.
The last weekend of the month got off to an exciting start with a busy Friday night. Glen Johnson avenged a draw from a few years back by soundly defeating Daniel Judah in the headline match on Friday Night Fights.
Also on Friday the 27th, Tomasz Adamek defended his cruiserweight championship on Showtime against a very game Johnathon Banks. Banks had his moments early and landed some solid shots, but Adamek’s body work broke the previously undefeated Banks down as the fight wore on. By the eighth round, Adamek had taken control and was able to finish Banks off with a beautiful right-left combination to put Banks down. Banks would make it to his feet, but one more flurry from Adamek put him on the canvas for good.
The last night of the month provided us with the best matchup on paper that we’d see in February, and they didn’t disappoint in the ring. In what will certainly be a finalist for Fight of the Year, Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz put on a show for the ages.
The fight was fought at an unbelievable tempo for the whole fight, with Diaz getting the better of Marquez on the ropes and in the corners, but Marquez controlling the middle of the ring. As the fight wore on, Marquez appeared to be tiring, but he caught Diaz with some great shots in the eight round that hurt Diaz and opened a bad cut on his left eye.
Diaz came out strong in the ninth round, but Marquez caught him again, this time with a right hand to the temple that led to Diaz hitting the canvas. He beat the count, but his lack of survival defense led to a brutal uppercut that dropped him for good.
Marquez retained his Ring title, and picked up a handful of vacant trinkets in the meantime with the win.
After the fight, Marquez called out former pound-for-pound king, the retired Floyd Mayweather. Marquez said he’d love to fight the winner of Hatton-Pacquiao in May, but doesn’t believe that Pacquiao is interested in making a third fight with him.
On the undercard, American fans got to see former Marquez defeater Chris John defend his featherweight crown against local favorite Rocky Juarez, and they got to see a great boxer outbox a solid pressure fighter, but the judges saw it even and called it a draw. Juarez scored with his pressure and power shots, but John controlled the action for most of the fight, landing 300 more punches over the 12 rounds.
Fantastic month of February with a fantastic ending.
Changes in this months rankings:
- Joe Calzaghe removed from pound-for-pound list and as light heavyweight champion due to retirement.
- Antonio Margarito removed from rankings due to one-year suspension.
- With Calzaghe’s retirement, BoxingInformer.com has left the pound-for-pound #1 spot vacant.
- Vic Darchinyan enters the pound-for-pound rankings at #11.
- Chad Dawson becomes the new #1 light heavyweight, following Calzaghe’s retirement.
- Luis Collazo enters the welterweight rankings at #5 with the departure of Margarito from the list.
- Nate Campbell removed from lightweight rankings as he will move up to junior welterweight.
- Manny Pacquiao removed from lightweight rankings as he will remain at junior welterweight.
- Edwin Valero enters the lightweight rankings at #4.
- Joan Guzman enters the lightweight rankings at #5.
- Humberto Soto becomes new #1 super featherweight, with Valero moving to lightweight.
Adamek, Banks Make Weight
February 26, 2009
The four fighters who will appear on ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow/Friday, Feb. 27, on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) made weight on their first try Thursday at The Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Tomasz Adamek (36-1, 24 KOs), who weighed 199 pounds, will defend his IBF cruiserweight belt against Johnathon Banks (20-0, 14 KOs), who weighed the division-limit 200 pounds, in the ShoBox main event.
Giovanni Lorenzo and Dionisio Miranda will collide in a 12-round IBF middleweight elimination bout in Friday’s ShoBox co-feature at The Prudential Center.
Lorenzo (26-1, 18 KOs), of New York City via the Dominican Republic, and Miranda (19-2-2, 17 KO’s), of Barranquilla, Colombia, could be next in line to challenge IBF 160-pound champion Arthur Abraham.
The event is promoted by Main Events and Ziggy Promotions, in association with K2 Promotions. Tickets, priced from $38, can be purchased at the arena box office or by calling Ticketmaster (201) 507-8900. The first live fight starts at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Photos: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
