Kelly Swanson

Thanks, everybody, for joining in. I’m so excited about this particular show in general, Saturday, June 22nd at the Barclays Center featuring as its main event, Paulie Malignaggi against Adrien Broner, but I’m really excited about this fight we’re going to talk about on this call today.

Joining us with have Johnathon Banks, the NABO and WBC International Heavyweight Champ as well as Seth Mitchell. We are also joined by Dave Itskowitch and Tom Loeffler who’s the managing director of K2 Promotions, and everybody knows Dave, Chief Operating Officer of Golden Boy, and we will be hearing from both fighters who are on the line at the same time. So, without further ado, I’m going to turn it over to Dave to make the introductions. So, Dave, go ahead.

David Itskowitch

Thank you everyone for being with us this afternoon. June 22nd Barclays Center in Brooklyn, we’ve got a great show, our main event Paulie Malignaggi versus Adrien Broner in a 12-round fight for the WBA Welterweight World Championship. Of course, we have Johnathon Banks versus Seth Mitchell for in a 12-round fight for Banks’ NABO and WBC International Heavyweight Championship. This is actually going to be the first heavyweight fight in the history of Barclays Center by my calculations, so that’s a little added piece of history for the show, and then, opening the Showtime broadcast will be Sakio Bika versus Marco Antonio Periban in a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Middleweight World Championship.

The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Banks versus Mitchell is presented in association with K2 Promotions. We’re sponsored by Corona and AT&T. We’ll be live on Showtime Championship Boxing at 9:00 Eastern Time with preliminary fights airing on Showtime Extreme at 7:00 Eastern Time, and the event can be heard in Spanish using second audio programming.

Those of you who are in the New York area, no excuse not to be there. We have great seats still available, but they’re going fast and very reasonably priced starting at $25 and ringside $250, which is again, in this day and age, two world title fights and a great heavyweight fight, you really can’t go wrong. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at the American Express Box Office at the Barclays Center.

Now to say a few words, I’d like to introduce a young man who’s a former standout Michigan State University linebacker who found his true calling in the boxing ring. In the first four years of his career, he tore through all of his opposition, beating Taurus Sykes, Timur Ibragimov and Chazz Witherspoon, all those by knockout. He’s extremely eager for the opportunity to avenge his only pro loss when he faces Banks and he’ll look to show the resilience of a champion when he attempts to even the score on June 22nd. He has a record of 25, 1 and 1 with 19 KOs. From Brandywine, Maryland, Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell. Seth? Continue reading →

By now boxing fans know about the sport’s latest impediment- the war between Golden Boy (with USADA and Showtime apparently in the promotion’s corner) and Top Rank (with VADA and HBO apparently on board).  As a result, many fights boxing fans want to see have not come to fruition.

However, let’s look at some matchups that have taken place as a result of “Boxing’s Cold War” and how they have benefitted fight fans.  Then moving forward, let’s explore some possibilities of good matches taking place if the status quo remains intact.

Golden Boy vs. Golden Boy
We’ll base this piece under the assumption that Floyd Mayweather, Jr is a Golden Boy fighter.  We recently saw his matchup with Robert Guerrero and he just signed on for one of the most significant fights of his career, Saul Alvarez.  We also were treated in 2010 to the forever-talked-about Mayweather/Ortiz fracas.

We’ve had intriguing matchups such as Saturday’s very entertaining scrap between Erislandy Lara and Alfredo Angulo.  There have also been good fights with Abner Mares/Daniel Ponce De Leon and Mares/Anselmo Moreno.  Let’s not forget the Maidana/Ortiz battle that generated multiple knockdowns by each fighter. 

How about Lucas Matthysse vs. Lamont Peterson?  The fight, as short-lived as it was, cleared up some questions that needed to be answered in the junior-welterweight division. Continue reading →

5-Time World Boxing Champion Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver is no stranger to overcoming the odds.  The Orlando, Florida native who shocked the world with his one punch knockout of the great Roy Jones Jr. is poised to prove doubters wrong and make his return to the ring.  “This has been a long tough year for me being away from the sport of boxing.  I’ve learned a lot about myself and others”, said Tarver.  “I’m putting the Cruiserweight and Light Heavyweight divisions on notice that “The Magic Man” is back and I’m here to claim what’s rightfully mine”!

Tarver (29-6 20 KOs), who starred in the blockbuster film Rocky Balboa, opened up the possibility of his next fight being overseas.  “My passport stays ready, and I’m never afraid to travel to hand out an ass kicking to anyone.  Danny Green knows that which is why he refuses to be 50 feet from me now.  Any Champion overseas can get it.  All these guys with belts across the pond can get it.  Marco Huck can get it. Don King has a Cruiserweight Champion now (Guillermo Jones), Krzysztof Wlodarczyk is holding on to the (WBC) green belt and he can get it too. I will be back this August and more than likely it will be overseas so the fight game better take notice that Antonio Tarver is back!  Once I take care of business at Cruiserweight I’m coming for Bernard Hopkins and I’m coming to GET WHATʼS MINE!”  Speaking of Hopkins, Tarver had a chance to talk with his old foe recently in Vegas and was MORE than open to taking on Tarver after his mandatory defense with Karo Murat.  “Not only is his name as big as mine and I mean that out of respect, but in the Light Heavyweight division we need that name and that’s Tarver and that’s myself,” stated Hopkins.  “It was a good fight for me and hopefully he trains the same way the second time around!” joked Hopkins.  “Antonio Tarver is already in the gym and is as focused as ever.  “He’s ready to take on all challenges and we are ready to put this year away from the ring behind him”, stated Team Tarverʼs Public Relations Director George Cotton Jr.  Tarver hasn’t ruled out acting again after boxing. “There’s nothing like the experience of working on the set of a big movie. It was truly a blessing. I plan on getting out there more this year. My team and I are putting some things together to keep working outside the ring,” stated Tarver.  “There’s only one

Antonio Tarver.  He’s just as dedicated to success outside the ring as he is inside of it,” said Marketing Director Derrick Ellis.

Manny Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz is saying that Pacquiao can fight on other networks besides HBO for his fights. If this is possible then a fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. would have more of a chance of taking place because both fighters currently fight on different networks. Mayweather fights on Showtime, while Pacquiao has been fighting on HBO.

Koncz said to RingTV “Manny’s not tied to any network, so if the fans still want to see this fight, we’re willing to do it.”

Pacquiao is going to have to look really good against Brandon Rios for Mayweather to even want to bother with him because he already said the fight’s not appealing right now because Pacquiao has lost his last two fights.

In addition to Pacquiao being open to fighting on other networks, he’s also reportedly okay with taking a smaller cut than Mayweather at 60-40 rather than a 50-50 split. Mayweather said he offered Pacquiao a fight not long ago but Pacquiao wanted a 50-50 split of the money. Mayweather offered him $40 million. That would have been a great deal for Pacquiao and I’m wondering if he’d turn that same deal down now if it were offered to him because where is he going to get that kind of green. Continue reading →

Fans get your tickets now, as TOP FLIGHT PRODUCTIONS, LLC Presents… KO Veteran Homelessness at the Washington Convention Center on Saturday June 15, 2013. Doors open at 6:00pm in what promises to be a fantastic night of fights.

Featured on the card in the main event is the always exciting Ty Barnett. The Washington, DC resident Barnett sports a record of 20-3 (13 KO’s) and will be looking to bounce back against the durable Stephan Alexander, out of Norfolk, VA. This lightweight bout is scheduled for 10 rounds.

Also on the card will be super featherweight Kevin “K-Smoov” Rivers, who will try to keep his 7-0 record unblemished as he takes on Michigan journeyman Rasool Shakoor.

Also seeing action will be undefeated Washington, DC heavyweight prospect Dan Kelly, undefeated welterweight David Grayton, also from our nation’s capital, lightweight Renaldo “Misunderstood” Gaines out of District Heights, MD and undefeated light welterweight Mike Reed of Waldrof, MD.  As always, the DC Fight Diva Crystal Hamlin will be in the house. 

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by going to www.TopFlightProductionsllc.com.  Due to overwhelming requests VIP Tickets are now $150, Ringside Seats are $75, and General Admission  is $35.

Come out to support a great cause!  A special shout out and thanks to April Hairston.

For the visually-impaired, please listen to audio below:
http://www.spokentext.net/members/gregboogie/Boogie.mp3

For boxing enthusiasts, it doesn’t get better than the International Boxing Hall Of Fame weekend that begins this Friday and runs through Sunday in the small town of Canastota in upstate New York. ShoBox: The New Generation will broadcast a doubleheader live on Showtime this Friday, June 7th (10 p.m. ET/PT delayed on the West Coast) from the Turning Stone Casino in nearby Verona, NY. Many former and future Hall of Famers may partake in the fights, including one who will be inducted during Sunday’s ceremonies, longtime Showtime ring announcer, Jimmy Lennon Jr., who will work the fights on Friday and will be interviewed ringside on the telecast.

“This is a great setting for a ShoBox show because Canastota is so close to Verona (approximately 10 miles apart),’’ said ShoBox analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood. “Canastota is boxing heaven for fight fans and the Hall of Fame weekend is the greatest weekend of the year for them.’’

In the main event, knockout specialist Jorge “Destroyer” Melendez (26-2-1, 25 KOs), of Bayamon, P.R., faces former amateur standout Nick “The Machine Gun” Brinson (14-1-2, 6 KOs), of Rochester, N.Y., in a ten-round middleweight match. Also, Jonathan “Pitbull” Vidal (16-0, 8 KOs), of San Juan, P.R., and Mario “Yayo” Muñoz (13-0-1, 1 NC, 10 KOs), of Guadalajara, Mexico, clash in a battle of bantamweights in the eight-round co-feature.

The streaking Melendez is not known for putting in a full night’s work. Only two of his 29 fights have gone the distance, and he has gone more than six full rounds only one time. One of the most prolific knockout artists in boxing today, the 5-foot-11, 24-year-old has won 13 in a row, 12 by knockout, and has not lost since July 2010. Continue reading →

Sources have contacted The Fight Journal to notify us that an announcement is coming. Floyd Mayweather will fight Saul Alvarez on September 14, 2013.

Mayweather confirmed the news moments ago when he tweeted: “I chose my opponent for September 14th and it’s Canelo Alvarez. I’m giving the fans what they want. It will be at the MGM Grand.” We’ve also just been informed that both sides agreed to face each other at a weight of 152 pounds.

Stay tuned for more as news breaks.