HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 19, 2009) – Undefeated Argentinean knockout artist Marcos Rene “El Chino” Maidana, the WBA No. 1 contender, challenges WBA light welterweight champion Andreas Kotelnik for the title belt and worldwide respect February 7 on “The Champion Returns” card, featuring WBA heavyweight “Champion in Recess” Ruslan “White Tyson” Chagaev versus unbeaten challenger Carl David Drumond, live on pay-per-view in the United States from Rostock, Germany..
Styles make fights and Kotelnik-Maidana shapes-up as a potential classic featuring a pure boxer, Kotelnik (30-2-1, 13 Kos), against a dangerous power puncher, Maidana (25-0, 24 KOs), in the 12 round co-feature
“The Champion Returns” card, presented by Universum Boxing-Promotion, will broadcast three 12-round bouts. Integrated Sports is distributing it in the United States 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. The event will also be available in Canada on TSN. Hall of Fame announcer Col. Bob Sheridan will handle blow-by-blow duties and Benny Ricardo, former NFL placekicker, will serve as color commentator.
Maidana, the former WBA Fedelatin light welterweight champion, puts opponents to sleep. Twenty-four of his 25 victims to date never went the distance against The Ring’s No. 9 rated 140-pounder, who was the 2002 and 2003 Argentine National champion and reached the quarterfinals of the 2003 World Championships. “El Chino” has never fought in the United States but he plans to prove to American fight fans Feb. 7 on PPV that he is a legitimate contender. German fans are much more familiar with Maidana because five of his last seven fights have been held in Germany.
Ukrainian-born Kotelnik, rated No. 4 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.
2000 Uzbekistan Olympian Chagaev (24-0-1, 17 KOs), The Ring’s No. 3 rated heavyweight, captured the WBA crown on April 14, 2007 by 12-round decision against Nikolai 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 regulated him to its “champion in recess.”
Ruslan has been sparring in Hamburg, Germany with American heavyweights Leo Nolan (27-1, 10 KOs) and Terry “The Troublemaker” Smith (30-6-1, 18 KOs). “The last sparring I had done was in May last year,” Chagaev reported from Hamburg. “Afterwards I had a long rehabilitation period which was quite tiring. But now I am looking to this fight. I can hardly wait to be back in Rostock.”
WBA No. 10 rated Drumond (26-0, 20 KOs), promoted by Warriors Seminole Boxing, fights out of Costa Rica and remains a relative mystery to boxing fans outside of Central America. His most notable win to date 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.
Unbeaten heavyweight Denis Boytsov (23-0, 18 KOs), a native of Russia now living in Germany, faces veteran Israel “King Kong” Garcia (19-2, 11 KOs) in a 12-round bout for the WBA Intercontinental title. The 22-year-old Boytsov, rated No. 11 by the WBA, is the latest hyped prospect in a long line of Russian heavyweight contenders.
Integrated Sports: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events is Integrated Sports. Among the many events brought to North American viewers by Integrated Sports include World Championship boxing matches featuring Ricky Hatton, Christian Mijares, Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones, Jr. In addition, Integrated Sports has distributed numerous International soccer matches showcasing teams like Club America of Mexico and the National Team of Argentina. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com.
WORLD BOXING COUNCIL NEWS
January 19, 2009 – Mexico City.
From the office of WBC President Jose Sulaiman:
The passing away of Luis Spada and Jose “Chegui” Torres in the last three days has been extremely painful to the world of boxing as they were good, important, well-mannered, and decent men in every respect, as well as great elements of our sport for a long time.
Mr. Spada (Argentine-Panamanian), who was as intelligent as few people we have met, had a brilliant career as a promoter and manager. He managed several world champions, including Roberto Duran, Hilario Zapata, Rigoberto Riasco, Victor Cordoba, Rosendo Alvarez, all from Panama, in addition to many other fighters.
Don Luis Spada, who was a very close friend of WBC President Dr. Jose Sulaiman and his family even before Dr. Sulaiman became WBC president, passed away last Saturday.
Jose Torres of Puerto Rico, who was also a close friend of President Sulaiman’s, passed away today. He was light heavyweight world champion after having won a silver medal in the Olympic games in 1956.
After retiring from professional boxing, Mr. Torres was a member of the New York Athletic Commission as well as an outstanding journalist who wrote several books, the majority of them about boxing. He gave hundreds of conferences on boxing in different parts of the world.
We are talking about two friends, two important figures who were some of the dearest friends we have had and under such conditions, all the members of the World Boxing Council are sad. Therefore we declare three days of world mourning in our scope, and we express our deepest sympathy to both of our friends´ families.
“Boxing Referee Retires Ring”
The National Boxing Association President, Walter ‘Butch’ Flansburg announced today, that veteran World Class Referee, Brian Garry, has made the decision to hang up his ‘Bow Tie’. Mr. Garry, often referred to as ‘Your Third Man in the Ring’, has acted as the ‘Third Man’, for over 25 years, inside the ‘Squared Circle’.
He began his career as a referee, in 1983, in a four rounder, at the Curtis Hixon Hall, in Tampa, Florida, on USA Cable’s “Friday Night Fights”. With 59 World title Bouts to his credit, and over 1,300 pro bouts called, Brian has traveled the world. He has officiated in 5 Continents, 22 countries, numerous states in the USA, and 33 cities in his state of Florida. Listed in the Top 50 ‘Refs’ World Wide, in Ring Magazine, 1998-99, he was also awarded the NBA’s ‘Referee of the Year’, in 2004. In 1992, he conducted the IBF’s, ‘Referee’s Training Seminar’,in Orlando, Fl. Then again he was asked to serve, in Acupulco, Mexico, at he IBF’s 2000 International Convention. He has called title fights for all of the major Sanctioning bodies; WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO, NBA ,WBU, and the IBO, over his long career.
Being in, with the likes of, Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Roy Jones Jr,. Roberto Duran, Oliver McCall, Alexis Arguello, Tommy Morrison, Davey ‘Boy’ McAuley, Frankie Randall, Cassius Balyoi, Francios Botha, Greg Page, Mike Weaver, Winky Wright, Sylvio Branco, Nate Campbell, Jan Zaveck, Sergeji Dzinziruk, Samuel Peter, Yoriokis Gamboa, Juan LaPorte, Swen Ottke, and Dirk Dzemski, is to name a few of the Champions, who have highlighted his career.
Traveling to Beijing,China, with Muhammed Ali, in 1993, and 94, then working the 1996 Olympics, in Atlanta, along with his USABoxing officials, were memories he will cherish. Additionally he has acted as a Judge, for 8 World Title Bouts, during his long and exciting Boxing history.
Stepping down from the Ring Wars, will allow Brian to work on the newly formed, “Florida Boxing Hall of Fame”, along with pursuing some other opportunities in the T.V. and Media relations with the “Sweet Science”. His lasting motto has always been since day one, round one; “Stop it one punch too soon, rather than one punch too late”. We wish him all the best, with his endeavors, and look forward to his new book release, “Your Third Man in the Ring”.