MIAMI, Wednesday-Nov.6 -With less than two weeks to go before the fight that could determine the entire direction of his boxing future, Jermain Taylor is both calm, cool, confident and anxious to get in the ring. Taylor has less than one week left in his Miami-based training camp before shifting to Nashville, Tennessee, site of his 12-round Super Middleweight Eliminator fight with Jeff Lacy on November 15th “All Or Nothing”..
HBO World Championship Boxing will televise the bout from Memorial Gymnasium on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee (10:15pm ET / 9:15pm CT / 7:15pm PT).
DiBella Entertainment is presenting the 12-round super middleweight title eliminator in association with Prize Fight Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions. Tickets are on sale now at $275, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, and available through all Ticketmaster locations at 615-255-9600 or www.ticketmaster.com .
“Everything is peaking at the right time,” Taylor said. “I’m ready. I feel great, and we have a good game plan for Jeff. I have the skills to go in there and win, and look good doing it. I’m hungry, and I’m ready to fight.”
Taylor’s hunger has been building all throughout training camp. He and lead trainer Ozell Nelson have watched plenty of film of Taylor’s two losses to Kelly Pavlik — the only two of the Little Rock, Ark.-natives professional career — and Taylor said he has worked all camp long on correcting any mistakes that Lacy may feel he can take advantage of. Nelson said all the hard work has paid off. Taylor has been well within his target weight for several weeks, and Nelson said training has gone better than planned.
“Things have really come together perfectly,” Nelson said. “Jermain has been sharp and focused since the beginning of camp, and I can really tell he is as determined as he ever has been. I couldn’t have asked for a better effort from Jermain at this training camp.”
Coming off two losses has a way of sharpening a fighter’s focus. Taylor said his bouts with Pavlik have motivated him in a way no opponent has before.
“It pushes me like nothing else,” Taylor said. “This is a fight both of us need to win, especially me, coming off two losses.”
The hype surrounding this fight is growing, in large part because this is a fight that is so crucial to the careers of both Taylor and Lacy. Both fighters know a loss will be very difficult to come back from.
“Jermain knows how big this is,” Taylor’s promoter, Lou DiBella, said. “He’s very aware. This is the kind of fight that will escalate him back to the top. He has to win the fight. I do think he’s hungry again. He wants this fight.”
BROOK OUT TO EMULATE NAZ
Kell Brook has promised a performance worthy of his boyhood hero Naseem Hamed next Friday night after returning to the gym that made “The Prince”.
Brook, the current British Welterweight champion, fell in love with boxing after spending hours as a youngster watching Hamed train at Brendan Ingle’s Wincobank Gym.
After spending his formulative years with the Ingles, Brook left amicably after a few professional fights but has now returned to one of the country’s most famous gyms.
“Naz was an inspiration when I was a kid, he was the man back then,” said 23-year-old Brook, who makes the first defence of his Lonsdale belt against Kevin McIntyre at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall next Friday. Sky Sports televise live.
“I remember seeing him on the pads and I was mesmerised,” added Brook. “Everyone in the gym wanted to be like him and I copied his style.
“Going back to the Ingles has been like going home, to be honest. It feels like I’ve never been away – the sparring I’ve had in the last six weeks has been absolutely amazing.
“It’s brought back a few memories of when I was youngster and Naz was in the gym.
“He was such a great talent. Hopefully I fight like him – and if I achieve just a fraction of what he did then I’ll be a very happy man.”
But Brook, who has stopped 10 of his 17 victims to build an impressive unbeaten record, could go on to emulate Hamed as another Sheffield world champion.
“In 12 months time I want to have won the Lonsdale belt outright, picked up the Commonwealth title and be challenging for European honours,” said ambitious Brook.
“Every boxer says he wants to fight for a world title, but that’s my ultimate goal. I’m now fighting in a gym where they breed world champions, and I want to follow in the footsteps of Hamed, Junior Witter and Johnny Nelson.”
***FIGHT CARD***
FRANK WARREN PROUDLY PRESENTS CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
KELVIN HALL, GLASGOW
FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER, 2008
THE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF GREAT BRITAIN
Kell Brook (Sheffield, England) vs. Kevin McIntyre (Paisley, Scotland)
THE COMMONWEALTH SUPER-FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Ricky Burns (Coatbridge, Scotland) vs. Yakubu Amidu (Accra, Ghana)
8 X 3 Minute Rounds Welterweight Contest
Michael Jennings (Chorley, England) vs. Jason Rushton (Doncaster, England)
8 X 3 Minute Rounds Super-Middleweight Contest
Kenny Anderson (Edinburgh, Scotland) vs. TBA
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Middleweight Contest
Ciaran Duffy (Glasgow, Scotland) vs. Ernie Smith (Stourport, England)
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Welterweight Contest
Gary McMillan (Edinburgh, Scotland) vs. TBA
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Lightweight Contest
George Watson (Newcastle, England) vs. John Baguley (Rotherham, England)
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Welterweight Contest
Ryan Scott (Wishaw, Scotland) vs. Mark Betts (Glasgow, Scotland)
World Champion, Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham, To Guest At New York City Veterans Day Parade
IBF Cruiserweight World Boxing Champion, Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham will be taking some time out from training camp and preparations for his upcoming title defense to honor his fellow servicemen, past and present, by taking part in the annual New York City Veterans Day Parade on Tuesday 11th November 2008.
Cunningham, who defends his crown against former WBO light heavyweight world champion, Tomasz ‘Goral’ Adamek, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, exactly one calendar month later, on Thursday, December, 11th, 2008, started his boxing career whilst in the Navy and he firmly believes that the disciplines he learned whilst serving as an aircraft refueler aboard the USS America and the USS Enterprise in the mid ’90s, were the springboard to his success as a professional prize fighter.
A rightly proud Cunningham said, “Being in the parade is a true honor. I served four years in the Navy. I know what it means, you know, the recognition given to people who, like me, served their country. I feel privileged to be taking part and while doing so will be remembering those heroic men and women that will not be there, those who were killed fighting in the wars, as well as honoring those that are. I’m going to march with dignity and pride.”
New York City Veterans Day Parade Fifth Avenue, from 26th Street to 56th Street
11:30 AM – 3:00 PM Tuesday, November 11th 2008.
This parade is the largest of its kind in the nation, providing an opportunity for New Yorkers and visitors from across America and around the world to honor those who have preserved our freedoms.
The theme for 2008, “Legacy of Honor,” pays tribute to veterans of all eras, and also serves to welcome home the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
The New York City Veterans Day Parade features over 20,000 participants, including veterans of all eras, active duty military, ROTC and JrROTC nits, civic and youth groups, all accompanied by music performed by a dozen of our nation’s best high school marching bands.
Floats, military and vintage vehicles and other special contingents add to the spectacle and excitement of the parade, which is viewed by over 400,000 spectators. The parade route is approximately 1.5 miles, and takes 30-40 minutes to complete.
Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham Vs Tomasz ‘Goral’ Adamek The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey Thursday 11th December 2008
The International Boxing Federation World Cruiserweight Championship Title Fight between Champion, Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham and challenger, Tomasz ‘Goral’ Adamek is co-promoted by Kathy Duva’s Main Events and Don King Productions
Tickets priced at $303, $153, $78, $53, $38 are on sale now and can be
purchased at The Prudential Center box office or by calling TicketMaster
on 201-507-8900.