CASAL, SERRANO WIN AT HAMBURG

NEW YORK (April 26, 2011) – Welterweight Nick “Hands of Gold” Casal and unbeaten lightweight Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano made impressive Boxing 360 debuts last Friday night in Hamburg, New York.

Fighting for the first time in 1 ½ years, Casal (30-4-1, 16KOs) stopped veteran Martin Tucker (7-9, 3 KOs) in the third round, while unbeaten 23-year-old Serrano (9-0-1, 5 KOs) completed her trilogy with former IWBF champion Ela “Bam Bam” Nunez (9-9, 2 KOs) by way of a fourth-round knockout.

“We’re very happy with the performances by Nick and Amanda,” Boxing 360 CEO & Founder Mario Yagobi said. “We’re going to keep them busy, move them up the ratings ladder, and position them for world title fight shots.”

Tucker has been somewhat of a gatekeeper for the 147-pound division having fought top prospects such as undefeated Sharif Bogere (19-0, 2 KOs) and Ivan Popoca (15-0-1, 10 KOs), and he also upset previously unbeaten Michael Torres (13-0). Casal dropped a game Tucker at the end of the opening round, once again with a flurry of punches in the third, after which the fight was halted.

“It felt great,” Casal spoke about his ring return. “There were a lot of people there supporting me. It’s always good fighting at home (Casal is from nearby Niagara Falls).

I was a little rusty but did a good job, especially after being off for 1 ½ years. But I’m only 25 and been fighting seven years.

“I want to stay busy and fight as often as possible. I think Mario can do that for me. Everybody makes mistakes when they’re young. I’m more mature today and I’m looking forward to fighting for a world title. No more time to play, it’s now or never for me.”

Serrano and Nunez had fought to a four-round draw in 2009, marking the lone blemish on Amanda’s pro record, and Serrano won a six-round decision (59-55, 59-55, 58-56) this past January. Serrano wanted one more fight against Nunez to make a statement by knocking her out. She did just that midway through the fourth round. Their trilogy fight is scheduled for six rounds.

Serrano is rated in the top six of four ratings groups: WBAN #3, WBC #4, GBU #5 and WIBA #6. “After the draw, we asked Nunez for a rematch and she agreed,” Serrano explained the making of their third fight. “After I beat her by decision, she asked is for a rematch and we gave it to her. My trainer was a little upset with me because I didn’t stop her, so I went back to the gym to work even hard, and ran more. I watched the (Victor) Ortiz-(Andre) Berto fight and thought about Ortiz refusing to lose. I wanted to show my profession going from a draw, to winning by decision, and then stopping her. I want to win major title this year. I want to become the face of women’s boxing.”

Other members of Boxing 360’s stable include USBA heavyweight champion Maurice

“Sugar Moe” Harris, former IBF super middleweight champion Alejandro “Naco” Berrio,

WBC No. 3 super bantamweight Leon “Hurry Up” Moore, NY State super middleweight title-holders, middleweight Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen and welterweight Danny Sostre, KO king Tyrone Brunson, middleweight prospect DonYil Livingston, Joshua “The Juice” Harris, Emad Ali, Angel “Toro” Hernandez and “King” David Estrada.

Go to www.Boxing360.com for more information about Serrano, Boxing 360 or any of its other fighters, as well as its scheduled events.

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Posted By Michael Gerard Seiler - Creator, Editor & Writer to BOXING LEDGER | LATEST BOXING BLOGS | BOXING ARTICLES | BOXING BLOG FIGHT at 4/26/2011 06:48:00 PM

ALBERT AND BARTHELMY LEAD MIAMI PUNCH PARADE

  • -Ron Ross
Miami, Fl  Feb. 11, 2011
 
The rain over Miami stopped in the late afternoon. The thunder and lightning began at 8:30 PM but it all took place in an outdoor ring at the Magic City Casino and no one in the crowd ran for shelter. Nigerian self-proclaimed Bad Boy, Eromosele Albert and Lester Gonzalez, San Diego by way of Cuba, had the crowd roaring throughout the scheduled ten-round main event for the IBO Latino Middleweight Title held by Albert and coveted by Gonzalez. There was no let-up from the opening bell as the two waged an all-out free-swinging war that saw the determined title-holder, Albert, getting the better of most of the exchanges but the southpaw Gonzalez never stopped firing back and kept it competitive all the way.
 

The tough Nigerian mixed up his attack by digging full-power hooks to the body and a left jab that was more power punch than a snapping flick in combination with a right hand that was always thrown with everything behind it. But there was Gonzalez, always firing back and much of the time wading in and bringing the fight to Albert. The beginning of the end came early in the sixth round when Albert landed that right hand flush on Gonzalez’ nose. The blood gushed and Gonzalez obviously had trouble breathing but continued fighting. In fact, he had his best round in the seventh when he let everything hang out and outslugged the Nigerian Bad Boy in several toe-to-toe exchanges. 

 

Nothing, however, was able to deter Albert, who came back in the eighth round, which saw the two battlers continue their free-swinging slugfest and for Gonzalez, it was a last hurrah as he was unable to come out for the ninth round. The crowd, mostly Gonzalez fans, cheered their vanquished hero and booed the smiling victor as Albert, stood up on the first strand of ropes smiling good-naturedly as the boos cascaded down. 
Albert, 159 1/2, is now 24-4-1, 12 KO’s while Gonzalez, 159 1/2, falls to 11-3-1, 6 KO’s.

Rances Barthelmy, Miami, 133 1/2 came for a fight but wound up in a foot race with Bahamian Anthony Woods, 137 3/4 who seemed determined to set a world sprint record as he dashed around the ring with Barthelmy chasing after him and, at times, looking in wonderment as though he might be at the wrong place for the wrong event. Woods, 7-15, 3 KO’s, was obviously trying to either stave off the inevitable or hope that Barthelmy, with a perfect record, 9-0, 7 KO’s, would possibly fall over from the exhaustion of chasing him. Barthelmy opened the second round scoring with a left jab and doubled up with a left hook. Then the race was on again. At one point in the round Barthelmy just stopped and stared at his opponent in amazement after watching him dashing madly at full speed, first to the right and then to the left. With seconds remaining in the round, Barthelmy, tired of the chase, fired a long range left hook that virtually propelled Woods and sent him flying across the ring, bouncing on the seat of his pants and then flat on his back. The flight was over and the fight was over as Woods was unable to answer the bell the third lap .. er, sorry, third round.

In a six rounder between two very big heavyweights, one, Glendy Hernandez, Miami, was svelte at 245 and came in with a perfect record of 4-0, 2 KO’s. His opponent, Jerry Butler, Nassau, Bahamas, well, let’s just say was very big and not svelte at all, at 289 3/4. His record coming in of 8-9-1, 8 KO’s was an indication that you do not want him to catch you. Hernandez did not allow that to happen as he jabbed and boxed his way to a convincing unanimous decision (60-54,60-54, 59-55) victory. The power punches that Hernandez threw seemed to bounce off Butler’s stomach. He never gave Butler the opportunity to land a telling blow.
 
In four rounders:
 
Light welterweight Puro Pairol, Miami, 136 1/2,  improved to 3-0-1, 1 KO, pounding out a unanimous decision victory (40-36,39-36,39-37) over Jones Petit-Homme, Ft. Meyers, Fl, now 5-20-4, 3 KO’s.
 
In a light-heavyweight bout, Orlando’s Chris Kahn, 176 1/4,  picked on the wrong guy for his debut fight - Cuban Yuniesky Gonzalez, 176 1/2, 3-0, 3 KO’s. Nailed by a picture-perfect right cross to the jaw that dropped him in his tracks, Kahn went over on his back, out cold. There was a collective sigh of relief as he regained his senses and left the ring under his own power. The knockout came at 2:30 of round two.

Ricardo Hernandez, Miami,  115 1/2, 5-0, 1 KO, won a majority decision over fellow Miamian, Jessy Cruz, 118, 3-3, 1 KO by a count of 40-36, 39-37, and 38-38. 

 
Chris Velez, Ponce, PR, 142 1/2, now 2-0, 2 KO’s, was very impressive in his second round TKO stoppage of Miami’s Alejandro Artola, 143 3/4, 0-3. Punching crisply and throwing barrages of blows from all angles, referee Frank Santore, Jr. had to step in and halt a savage pummeling that, amazingly, Artola refused to go down from. The TKO came at 1:54 0f the second round.

 
Leduan Barthelmy, 122 3/4, the younger of the Cuban brothers, made his professional debut a “knockout success” as he dismantled Shane Tenney, Arcadia, FL, 122 1/4, 0-2. The southpaw Barthelmy showed a sharp right jab and a strong right hook as he pounded away at Tenney in the opening stanza, mixing in a couple of left uppercuts that Tenney had no answer for. He continued his domination of Tenney, finishing the fight with a whip-like right hook that virtually duplicated his brother’s earlier feat by sending his opponent flying backwards, bouncing on the seat of his pants. Trying to get up, Tenney was floundering like a fish out of water, causing Referee Sam Burgos to call a halt at 2:23 of the second round.

 
The next edition of the Badia Friday night fights will be March 11th.
 

-RR-
 

 

 

                   

Quotes from Judah vs. Mabuza Undercard

and AmeriHealth/Ice World Press Conference

February 10, 2011 - Brick City Bar and Grill, Newark NJ

 

Kathy Duva, CEO Main Events - "We are marking another beginning and it relates back to a really long time ago. We used to have fights in a place in Totowa NJ called Ice World. It was a hockey rink, and as a matter of fact, there was a new hockey team that used to practice there called the Devils. We started putting fights on there in about 1979, and in 1980 ESPN came in and started broadcasting some of the fights. That was kind of how our business started. My late husband Dan became the promoter and I learned how to be a publicist there. We sold 3,000 tickets to each fight. For a few years it turned into a true phenomenon in boxing."

 

"When I was doing the research about the Ice World days I pulled up the records on Boxrec, and I was amazed at how many of the newcomers who boxed in Ice World actually turned into champions and stars. The reason we're talking about all this, is because for the first time we are going to be putting a fight card in Prudential Center's AmeriHealth Pavilion. It's the place where the Devils practice. Coincidentally, Jeff Vanderbeek, the owner of the Devils, told me when I first met him that he was a youth coach. He used to come to Ice World and coach (hockey) teams when he was just getting his start as well. There are a lot of wonderful parallels here."

 

"There is a low ticket price ($53) that was designated as standing room. People should not be afraid of that ticket. We have set up bars at both ends of the rink, so those tickets are actually opportunities for people to mingle. There'll be bar tables and it'll be a social place to be. It adds to the intimate atmosphere of the venue."

 

"If young fighters have to wait for big shows with 10 - 20,000 fans in attendance, they're not going to get to fight very often. This (AmeriHealth Pavilion) is going to be our incubator: our lab where we're going to build up talent; and give guys the kind of fights they need to develop; and become great pros; and not get rushed into fights they're not ready for; not get put in with stiffs who are going to fall down when they breathe on them. It's simply going to be a place where we can put guys in the kind of fights that they need to learn and grow, and develop as pros so that they can become champions, the way the list of champions from Ice World did. This venue gives us the opportunity to do that."

 

 "Tarvis Simms will be on this card. I think he may be the first to become a world champion in this group, just because he's been at it longer. He signed with Main Events recently and is a middleweight contender who we are trying to move into a title fight hopefully in the very new future. He's from Norwalk, CT, 26-1-1, with 11KO's."

 

Sadam Ali, 11-0, 6 KO's, Brooklyn, NY - "There's are a lot of Brooklyn fighting on this card! It's going to be very exciting. I'm looking forward to these fights myself. I'm going to be in the dressing room and I don't know if I can get to see everyone, but I would like to see the undercard also. I'm an exciting fighter. I like to excite the viewers. This is my 7th fight at the Prudential Center and you'll see nothing but good at this fight!"

  

Kathy Duva - "Dong-Chul Yun has already made a name for himself in South Korea and is coming to the US to make a name for himself here. As you can see, 'Mickey' as he's called here in America, already has his hands taped, so he's ready to go! That should give you an idea of how anxious he truly is."

 

Through a translator Dong-Chul Yun, 9-4-1, 7 KO's, South Korea, said he "wants to show you not only a winning fight, but more of an exciting, full fight." 

 

Joseph Judah (aka Christopher Joseph Crosby), 5-1, 1 KO, Brooklyn, NY - "I was looking for my opponent. I was here to talk to him, to tell him what was going to happen. But he's not here so I'm just going to tell you all what is going to happen. It's going to be a good night on March 5th, with my brother in the main event. Get your tickets and get there early, because he (opponent) is going out early!"

 

Shemuel Pagan, 1-0, Brooklyn, NY - former amateur standout: "This time I will guarantee that I will perform better than the first time. Every fight I will perform better." Kathy Duva said "Apparently Shem screwed up his opponent already! He's pulled out so we are going to get him a new one."

 

Kathy Duva - "Another gentleman here today is Lou Esa. I take this as a sign that something's are just meant to be. He's here with a young fighter he is working with, Vinny O'Brien, and Lou is on the list of fighters who fought at ice World.  He will be one person on the card that ties us to Ice World days and brings us into the new times."

 

Lou Esa, Vinny O'Brien's trainer - "I used to fight back in the day of Ice World. I used to fight out of Miami for the Dundee's back then and I used to come up here because I'm from NJ and I fought a few times in the area. Ice World did a lot for us. You got your chance, you were in front of so many people and then when ESPN came in it was off the hook. You were actually in the back vomiting; scared to death, but you did the right thing when you came out. It was really a lot of fun. Now Kathy Duva is doing the same thing. She's going to take it to the next level and do the same thing in this new venue. They shortened the venue so we don't have to sell 15 to 20,000 seats. We can have shows every couple months and these kids can get fights and they can be seen by the people and be built up, and they can go places. These kids deserve it, they're working hard"

 

"I'm not patting myself on the back because I'm his trainer, but you watch this kid (Vinny O'Brien) and you see his work ethics in the gym and he's off the hook. I think you're going to be seeing a lot of him and I think he's gonna grab a belt soon. As you can see he's a good looking kid for now (laughs), we'll see what happens down the road. I think you are going to like him. Just come and see him at the fights."

 

Vinny O'Brien, pro debut, NJ Golden Gloves Champion - "I'm kind of new to all this. I'm anxious and excited to get out there and show everyone what I can really do. Especially in my own backyard. Boxing can do a lot of things for me, but I want to do a lot of things for boxing. I want to bring class in. I want to bring it back to the days where my Mom used to be excited to see boxing. I want to be a fighter; I want to be a world champion some day."

 

Joe Judah, Shem Pagan, Vinny O'Brien, Kathy Duva, Sadam Ali, Dong Chul Yun

 

 

 

 

John Duddy returns to the ring

Jan 24,2011

The recently retired middleweight contender puts on the gloves one more time as the lead in the one-act Off Broadway play, "Kid Shamrock"

Ireland's John Duddy makes his theatrical debut next month in the title role of the one-act play, "Kid Shamrock," at the Atlantic Theater Company in Manhattan.

The play is written by boxing writer Bobby Cassidy Jr. and is based on the life and career of his father, former contender, "Irish" Bobby Cassidy. The play also 
stars former cruiserweight contender Seamus McDonagh, referee Wayne Kelly, Cassidy Sr., former New York Golden Gloves champion Gary Hope and Patrick Joseph Connolly. The piece is being directed by Dublin's Jimmy Smallhorne, whose debut feature film "2by4" won a cinematography award at the Sundance Film Festival.

In the play, Duddy will square off against actor Nick Roman, who portrays former world middleweight champion Rodrigo Valdes.

The play is an homage to the vibrant blue-collar tradition of Irish-American boxing. Performances will take place at the Atlantic Theater Company, 330, W16 Street, between 8th and 9th Aves from February 8th through February 13th. Seven performances only. Beginning on Tuesday, tickets can be booked online at www.ticketcentral.com or by calling 212-279-4200.

CAST

John Duddy -- The recently retired middleweight contender begins his foray into acting, playing the role of young Kid Shamrock. Look for John later this season in the finale of the critically acclaimed, "Lights Out." As an amateur boxer, John was a national champion with over 100 wins. In the pro ranks, he retired with a 29-2 record with 18 knockouts. Among his victims were former world champion Yuri Boy Campas and former European champ Howard Eastman.
 
Seamus McDonagh -- Former New York Golden Gloves champion and graduate of St. John's University. Seamus was ranked No. 3 in the world as a cruiserweight and in 1990 he fought Evander Holyfield. Among his acting credits include, "2by4," "Whatever Happened to Rocky Sullivan?," and the Off-Broadway production, "Bobby Sands' M.P."
 
Patrick Joseph Connolly -- His film credits include, "Gardener of Eden," which premiered at The TriBeCa Film Festival and was directed by Kevin Connolly and produced byLeonardo DiCaprio. He also appeared in the final scene of the final episode of the HBO hit series, "The Sopranos." His theater roles include, "Prisoner of Second Avenue," and "A Letter from Ethyl Kennedy." He is a former Golden Goves winner.
 
Irish Bobby Cassidy - A veteran of 79 pro fights and a top-10 contender in the junior middleweight, middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. He fought in both the current and old Madison Square Garden. He also trained two world champions -- Lonnie Bradley and Donny Lalonde. He has appeared in four films, including the original "Rocky," which won an Oscar for best picture in 1976.
 
Wayne Kelly - Referee who has officiated 50 world title fights. The Garden City resident turned pro in 1975 as a light heavyweight and campaigned for five years. He fought at the fabled Sunnyside Garden and Nassau Coliseum.
 
Director Jimmy Smallhorne is a native of Dublin Ireland and directed 2by4, a Sundance winner for cinematography. For the stage he has directed Away Alone, Once a Catholic, The Risen People and King Lear.

 

 

Former NFL placekicker Benny Ricardo is a man of many talents. In addition to being a stand-up comic who will play two sold-out shows New Year's Eve in San Diego, Benny is a veteran boxing analyst on television, often teaming with Hall of Fame blow-by-blow announcer Col. Bob Sheridan. Here's a unique look at Ricardo's comedic ideas about how to improve boxing in 2011:

Improving Boxing in 2011

  1. Three ring card girls, two outfits for every fight.
  2. A boxer any boxer to date Kim Kardashin so it will once again be recognized as a major Sport.
  3. Firm but Fair chest protector for all female boxers, bottoms optional.
  4. Firm but Fair groin protectors for all male boxers, tops optional.
  5. Decrease America’s dependence on foreign Heavyweight Champions.
  6. Fighters flip a coin before the fight to choose red or blue corner.
  7. Senate Investigation into the fact that the Red Corner wins every time on Free Television.  It’s the You betcha bet.  I mean come on, the ambulance is parked behind the blue corner.
  8. American Heavyweights can train for their fights working as TSA pat down agents.
  9. Hire Halliburton to rebuild the American Heavyweight Division.
  10. Have the next Super Six tournament on a Carnival Cruise line 200 miles off the Mexican coast, nobody gets off till we have a clear winner.
  11. Have the next G20 Summit meeting include a World Championship fight in every division.  Have Chris Arreola emcee  and do all the interviews among world leaders.  Watch the Korean interpreter translate Arreola’s four letter F words to Kim Jong II.  Everybody can learn how to say the four letter world in every language.
  12. Celebrity Judges for Championship fights, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, let’s see once and for all if they recognize weapons of mass destruction when they see them.
  13. To fool people on Free TV that this boxing show is equal to MLB and NFL, mention every two rounds that this fight can not be rebroadcast without the express written consent of Mike Tyson.
  14.   Or how about a warning “The fight on your TV is closer than you think.
  15. Hire Bernie Madoff as a consultant to straighten out the WBC financial situation and show Jose Sulaiman the way.
  16. The Chilean Miners were rescued in quicker time than it took British Heavyweight Audley Harrison to throw a punch against David Haye.  He still hasn’t thrown a punch.  BP plugged the oil leak in the gulf,  quicker than Harrison threw a punch.  Bernie Madoff will get out of jail before Harrison throws a punch, feel free to add you own here..
  17.   Arthur Abraham had a legitimate excuse for not throwing a punch at Carl Froch, too busy focusing on Froch’s screaming girlfriend and the small revealing dress with the bay window she almost had on.  
  18.   English courses for the TV interpreters.  Where do they find these guys?  at the Verizon tech support center?  Thank God I speak spanish, cause when I press one, I never understand what the heck they’re saying.
  19. Signs it’s time to retire, you begin to slur your breath and stutter your grunts.  You understand perfectly what Harold Lederman is saying on the air to Jim Lampley.  When the referee asks if you have any questions, you  actually have a question.
  20. Make every heavyweight drink two 5-hour energy drinks right before their fight.
  21.   Manny Pacquiao’s wish for 2011, lose birth certificate so he can become Governor of California and then President of the United States.  Pacquiao is so unbeatable, politicians can’t beat him.  Pacquiao as a politician who can throw mean lefts and tortures right.
  22. And still...Lady Gaga.
  23. Just threw that in, but most of all for 2011, I ask for your prayers for one of the greatest ambassadors Boxing has ever had, my announcing partner Col. Bob Sheridan.  Colonel Bob heard the eight count and he got back up and is fighting his way back to health.  As his dear friend Marty Corwin put it, “Soon he will be complaining again”  I look forward to his complaints and the joy of having him next to me bringing boxing to the world behind a microphone as only Col. Bob can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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