HOLLYWOOD, FL, January 8th, 2009- The day before super middleweight star Edison “Pantera” Miranda and junior middleweight contender Sechew “The Iron Horse” Powell step into the ring and begin their 2009 campaigns, these two fistic standouts will meet the press for the first time this year to discuss their pivotal bouts on January 14th’s “Hard Knocks at The Hard Rock” event. The final press conference for “Hard Knocks at The Hard Rock” will take place on Tuesday, January 13th at 1pm at Paradise Live, which is located in Seminole Paradise next to Hard Rock Live..
The press conference will be followed at 5pm by the event’s official weigh-in at the Lucky Street Boxing Gym. The gym is located at 5440 South State Road 7 in Hollywood.
Tickets for “Hard Knocks at The Hard Rock”, which is headlined by the return of junior middleweight contender Sechew Powell against Christian Lloyd Joseph, a super middleweight bout between Edison Miranda and Manuel Esparza, and the debut of 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian Jonathan Gonzalez, are priced at $152, $102, $52, and $22, and are available now at the Hard Rock Live Box Office or TicketMaster.com.
Also in action on January 14th will be highly touted Cuban defector Stalinn Lopez in his pro debut and Star Boxing standout Yathomas Riley.
Chagaev-Drumond PPV
HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 8, 2009) – Integrated Sports will distribute “The Champion Returns” show, featuring WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan “White Tyson” Chagaev against unbeaten challenger Carl Davis Drumond, February 7th on pay-per-view in the United States live from Rostock, Germany. “The Champion Returns” card, presented by Universum Boxing-Promotion, will also feature on PPV the WBA light welterweight title fight between title holder Andreas Kotelnik and undefeated No. 1 contender Marcos Rene Maidana, as well as hot Russian prospect Denis Boytsov against a challenger to be determined for the vacant WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship.
The broadcast of the three 12-round title bouts is being distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports for live viewing at 2 PM/ET – 11 AM/PT on cable pay-per-view via iN Demand and TVN for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. A same day replay will be shown at 9 PM/ET – 6 PM/ET.
“We thrilled to bring such an exciting PPV card to the United States, featuring the only undefeated world heavyweight champion, Ruslan Chagaev, who if he wins will fight the ‘Russian Giant,’ Nicolai Valuev, in a rematch for the outright WBA championship,” Integrated Sports president Doug Jacobs said. “American fight fans are intrigued by Chagaev and he’s in tough against a very dangerous puncher in Drumond, even though he may not be a household name, yet. The co-feature is a classic match-up between a pure boxer, defending champ Kotelnik, and a feared knockout artist, Maidana. And Boytsov looks like he may be the next great Russian heavyweight. It’s going to be a helluva PPV card for fans to watch in America.”
Injuries have been the only thing to beat Chagaev (24-0-1, 17 KOs), the 2000 Uzbekistan Olympian and The Ring’s No. 3 rated heavyweight, who captured the WBA crown on April 14, 2007 via a 12-round decision against Valuev (46-0). However, due to injuries, Ruslan has fought only once since then, winning a 12-round decision against Matt Skelton (21-1) a year ago. An Achilles tendon injury prevented Chagaev from defending his title last year against Valuev and the WBA has stipulated that WBA Interim champion Valuev and WBA champion (in recess) Chagaev must fight no later than June 26 for the outright WBA championship.
“My injury was a big mishap for me and very lucky for Valuev,” Ruslan said. “But now I’m fit again and I’m looking forward to the fight against Drumond. This is a good test. I will prove to Valuev and all of the ‘experts’ that I am the true champion. My dream remains to be world champion of all associations and to unify all the belts. For this dream, I will also propose a fight with the Klitschko brothers.”
Drumond (26-0, 20 KOs), promoted by Warriors Seminole Boxing, fights out of Costa Rica and presently is rated No. 10 by the WBA. His most notable win was in 2007, when he won a 10-round decision against former world champion Kelvin Davis. Drumond is the former IBF and WBO Latino champion, as well as the ex-WBC FECARBOX title holder.
Ukrainian-born Kotelnik, rated No. 3 by The Ring magazine, won the WBA light welterweight title last March with a 12th round TKO of previously unbeaten Gavin Rees (27-0). Kotelnik, now living in Hamburg (Germany), had previously fought Souleymane M’baye to a draw in their 2007 WBA light welterweight title fight.
WBA No. 1 contender Maidana (25-0, 24 KOs) is a little know yet punishing puncher who has stopped 24 of his 25 pro victims. The Argentinean, rated No. 9 by The Ring, is a former WBA Fedelatin light welterweight champion.
The undefeated 22-year-old Boytsov (23-0, 18 KOs), a native of Russia now living in Germany, is rated No. 11 by the WBA. He was a decorated amateur whose many titles included the 2004 Junior World Championships in the super heavyweight division.
For more information about the “The Champion Returns” PPV show, go on line to www.integratedsportsnet.com.
ELVIN AYALA SIGNS WITH TKO BOXING PROMOTIONS
LAS VEGAS, NV (January 9, 2009) Former world title challenger Elvin Ayala has joined forces with Las Vegas based TKO BOXING Promotions in an exclusive promotional agreement, it was announced today by Chet Koerner, its President.
The 27 year old Ayala, carrying a record of 18-3-1 (8KO’s), will return to the ring at the inaugural “FIGHT NIGHT AT THE PLAZA” on Friday January 23rd at the Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas , NV .
In Ayala’s last bout on March 29, 2008, he battled IBF Middleweight Champion Arthur Abraham over twelve hard fought rounds before being stopped in the final stanza in Schleswig-Holstein , Germany .
“Elvin has all the tools to be a world champion and our goal is to get him another shot at the title this year. Prior to the fight with Abraham he had the draw with Sergio Mora who went on to beat Vernon Forrest so there’s no question in our mind that he can compete at a world class level.. We’re proud to add him to our team at TKO Boxing” said Koerner.
Ayala fought to a draw with Sergio Mora on October 16, 2007 in a bout broadcast on ESPN from the Home Depot Center in Carson , CA .
Details of Ayala’s upcoming bout on January 23rd will be announced shortly. He is managed by Alan Haddleman.
Formed in early 2008, Chet Koerner’s Las Vegas based TKO BOXING Promotions stable also includes; super middleweight Joey Gilbert, middleweights Bastie “THE BEAST” Samir and James Countryman, junior middleweight Anthony Thompson, lightweights Rolando Reyes, Raul Tovar and Terrance Crawford, the sister team of Katy and Emily Klinefelter, featherweight Carney Bowman and super bantamweight Rafael Valenzuela.
Further information on TKO Boxing Promotions can be viewed at www.tkoboxingpromotions.com