PROVIDENCE, RI (June 15, 2009) Middleweight contender Peter Manfredo Jr. has signed an exclusive promotional contract with Las Vegas-based TKO BOXING Promotions, it was announced today by its President, Chet Koerner. “We’re very proud to be working with Peter as he works his way up the middleweight rankings towards a championship bout. He’s been a world class fighter for a long time and we’re very happy to add him to our growing stable of outstanding talent” said Koerner..
The 28 year old Manfredo, 32-6-0 (17KO’s), is coming off a terrific seventh round knockout of Canadian veteran Walid Smichet on April 18th in Montreal . Dropping Smichet in the third, Manfredo controlled the action packed bout in front of a large crowd at the Montreal Casino.
Said longtime manager Larry Army Jr., “Peter feels great about competing at middleweight. He’ll be stronger at that weight and we’re very confident he’ll be successful. It’s a bit of a wide open division and we’re looking to move up in the rankings towards a world title shot against either Kelly Pavlik or Arthur Abraham.”
Manfredo competed on NBC’s Season One of The Contender losing a very close seven round decision to Sergio Mora on May 24, 2005 in the championship bout at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas . He followed that up with a rematch against Mora at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on October 15, 2005, an eight round split decision loss that many writers and fans thought should have gone his way.
Prior to the Mora bouts, Manfredo had beaten Alphonso Gomez, Joey Gilbert and Miguel Espino on the series.
Said Army, “Peter’s accomplished a great deal since The Contender and his popularity is still at a very high level. He was very warmly received by the huge crowd in Montreal and anywhere he goes in the States he’s recognized.”
In the last three years, Manfredo has won bouts against other world ranked fighters David Banks and Scott Pemberton in addition to knocking out veterans Joe Spina, Ted Muller, Shane Benfield, Donny McCrary and Luis Lopez.
He challenged WBO Super Middleweight Champion Joe Calzaghe in front of a crowd of 40,000 in Cardiff, Wales, on April 7, 2007, losing by third round technical knockout; a stoppage which many thought was premature as Manfredo did not appear to be seriously hurt.
Manfredo, known as “The Pride of Providence”, is currently training with his father, Peter Manfredo Sr., at their gym in Pawtucket, Rhode Island . Details of his first bout under the TKO BOXING Promotions banner will be announced shortly.
TYE FIELDS RETURNS, GOING FOR NABC HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE JUNE 20 IN NEW HOMETOWN OF EDMONTON
Tye “Big Sky” Fields returns to the ring for the first time in almost one year when he faces Nicolai Firtha in a 12-round bout for the Native American Boxing Council vacant heavyweight championship Saturday, June 20, at the River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Fields, who now lives in Edmonton, has a record of 41-2 with 37 knockouts and is fighting for the first time since losing in shocking fashion in the first round to Monte Barrett June 28, 2008, in Las Vegas, Nev.
“It happened, it’s behind me,” said Fields. “I have a new trainer in Ken Lakusta; my family and I now live in a new city; and I’m fighting for the first time for a new promotional company, mine,” said Fields.
The 6-foot-8 1/2-inch, 270-pound Fields, who’s part Native American, is a devastating puncher with a record of 41-2 and 37 knockouts. He was the former International Boxing Federation United States Boxing Federation heavyweight champion during 2003.
Had Fields avoided that stunning loss to Barrett, Fields well may have been in line to fight one of the Klitschko Brothers for a World Boxing Council, World Boxing Organization or IBF heavyweight title.
“I’ve sparred with them, so maybe they got lucky I got upset,” joked Fields. “Seriously, they’re great fighters and the three of us know with our size and power, a fight against either (Wladimir, IBF and WBO champion, and Vitali, WBC champion) would be have been a war. For that matter, if and when it happens, it will still be a war.”
“I have always had the highest expectations for Tye, and I still do,” said Billy Baxter, Fields’ manager.
“Certainly, we suffered a major setback when Tye was upset, because he was on track for a world title shot,” said Baxter. “But I’m confident, as is Tye, that great things, including that world title fight, are in store.”
But Fields, a southpaw, has a stern test in Firtha, from Akron, Ohio. Firtha’s a boxer and one, who at 6-foot 5-inches, won’t be giving away much in height and reach. The 30-year-old Firtha has a record of 16-5-1 with seven knockouts.
The 34-year-old Fields was born in Missoula, Mont., and lived in Las Vegas the past seven years before moving to Edmonton earlier this year.
Also on the card will be Canadian Boxing Federation cruiserweight champion Frank White (6-2-1, 4 KOs) of Sarnia, Ontario, against Brock Stodden (18-15-1, 9 KOs) of Bremerton, Wash., in a six-round, non-title bout; heavyweight Cisse Salif (23-14-2, 21 KOs) of Las Vegas against Jason Gavern (17-5-3, 8 KOs) of Kissimmee, Fla., in an eight-round bout; super middleweight Jason Douglas (6-1, 3 KOs) of Kitchener, Ontario, against Ivan Rodriguez (9-5-1, 3 KOs) of Oxnard, Calif., in a six-round bout; and middleweight Anthony Lessard (6-4-2, 4 KOs) of Edmonton against Trevor Moyah (3-4-1, 1 KO) of Edmonton in a six-round bout.
The card June 20, promoted by Big Sky Promotions of Edmonton, will be held in The Venue at the River Cree Resort and Casino; doors open at 6 p.m. (Mountain) with the first fight starting at 7.
Tickets, priced at $49, $69, $89, $125, $250 and $500, are available at ticketmaster.ca, Ticketmaster charge by phone at 780-451-8000 and at Ticketmaster outlets. VIP tickets, which include dinner, are available at 780-930-2619.
Fernando Guerrero’s 1st main event Friday night at home in Maryland
Headlines vs Norman in PrizeFightTV.org PPV show in Salisbury
SOUTHHAVEN, Miss. (June 15, 2009) – Undefeated middleweight prospect Fernando Guerrero fights in his first main event Friday night, headlining the “Boxing’s Future Champions” pay-per-view pro card, in front of his passionate hometown fans at Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland.
“Boxing’s Future Champions,” presented by Prize Fight Boxing, will air on PPV at www.PrizeFightTV.com, starting at 8 PM/ET, for only $4.95.
“We’re excited to launch this series and bring world-class boxing to diehard fans all over,” promoter Brian Young said. “For a nominal fee fans can watch a first-class production featuring tomorrow’s champions today. We have six unbeaten fighters, including two former International amateur champions, and two pairs of brothers on this card.”
Guerrero (13-0, 11 KOs), born in the Dominican Republic, makes Salisbury his home and he regularly fights there before a packed house. He has already fought twice on ESPN and once on Showtime. The talented southpaw takes on Brian “The Assassin” Norman in the 8-round main event. The 22-year-old Guerrero captured a gold medal at the World Cadet Junior Olympics and 2007 USA National Championships, among his more notable amateur accomplishments. Norman went the distance against Jean Pascal and he has also been in the ring against Henry Buchanan.
“It feels good knowing I’ll be fighting in my first main event,” Guerrero noted, “but every time I’ve fought at home, I felt that I was in the main event because everybody left after my fight. Now, everybody knows I’m in the main event.”
The 6-round co-feature pits 2007 World Golden Gloves champion Shawn Porter (8-0, 6 KOs), arguably the top US amateur boxer of the 21st century, against upset-minded junior middleweight Dion Savage (5-0, 3 KOs), in a rare match-up of unbeaten prospects. Porter, a 2008 US OIympic Team alternate, is a complete fighter who has tremendous upside.
Philadelphia super middleweight Farah Enis (10-0, 5 KOs) puts his undefeated record on the line against another unbeaten prospect, Bobby Jordan (6-0, 2 KOs), in an 8-round bout.
Also on the undercard is exciting middleweight Dominic Wade (2-0, 2 KOs) versus. Anthony Cannon (4-12, 1 KO) and Fernando’s older brother, Alex Guerrero, making his pro debut against cruiserweight Rodrika Ray (2-1, 1 KO) in a pair of 4-round bouts, plus Farah’s older brother, Derrick “Pooh” Ennis, Jr. (17-2, 12 KOs), faces junior middleweight Joshua “Poison” Onyango (14-17, 11 KOs) in an 8-round match.
Ticket prices range between $15.00 and $125.00 (ringside) and are on sale at the Wicomico Civic Center Box Office or on line at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org.
For more information go to www.PrizeFightPromoters.com or www.PrizeFightTV.com. Doors open at 7 PM/ET, first fight 8 PM/ET.