NEW YORK (May 4, 2010) – Veteran heavyweight Maurice “Sugar Moe” Harris, winner of the “2002 Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament,” has rededicated himself to boxing with a new promoter, Boxing 360, as well as a new head trainer, former world title contender William “Bo” James, now in his corner. Harris (23-14-2, 10 KOs), fighting out of New Jersey, has already fought three times in 2010, one less than his total during the previous six years, which included a stretch when he was inactive for 2 ½ years..
Winning all three of his 2010 fights by decision, Harris defeated Billy Zumbrun and 7-footer Julius Long in 6-rounders, followed last month by Robert Hawkins in 8 rounds.
“Fighting regularly feels good,” Harris said about his new, aggressive fight schedule. “It keeps a fighter sharp. I’m happy about Boxing 360 taking good care of me. I’m a fighter and it’s my job to fight; it comes with the territory. I’m so happy to have a group that believes in me. I’m still young – only 34- and I’ve rededicated myself to boxing. The plan is to have one more 8 rounder and then it’s all 10s until I get a title shot. When it comes – I know it’s going to come with this team behind me – it’ll be up to me to take full advantage. Boxing 360 just has to get me the right opportunity and I’ll take care of the rest.”
In 2002, Harris knocked out previously unbeaten and future world title-holder Sergey Lyakhovich (16-0) in the ninth round, earning Harris a slot in that November’s “Thunderbox” tournament. Maurice captured the $100,000 winner’s purse by out-pointing Gerald Nobles, Israel Garcia and Anthony Thompson, respectively, in 3-round matches during the same night of boxing.
“It’s a process right now for Maurice,” Boxing 360 Director of Boxing Bob Duffy explained. “We’re not going to rush things with him, but we are going to keep him busy. We’re taking our time to get Maurice back where he once was in the heavyweight division and beyond.”
Maurice’s up-and-down career also includes victories against David Izon, Jimmy Thunder and Jeremy Williams, as well as Harris going the distance with world champions Larry Holmes and Chris Byrd.
“Floyd (Mayweather, Jr) says he goes to train at the gym like he’s poor,” Harris remarked. “Well, I’m starving. I have a family to take care of and I don’t care who they put in front of me, I’m going to beat ‘em. I’m a whole different person than I was as a young man. People looking at me now understand how hard I’m trying. I’ve even lost about 25 pounds since the beginning of the year.
“I’m sick of watching the Arreolas, Adameks and others. They’re scared to fight me. I’ve sparred with the Klitschko brothers and gave both of them problems. They’re nice guys but, hey, let the best man win if I ever get the chance to fight either one of them. The heavyweight division is open for the taking and I’m coming for their diamonds.
Rocky Martinez fighting for worldwide recognition on May 29 PPV
HOBOKEN, N.J. (May 3, 2010) – WBO junior lightweight champion Roman “Rocky” Martinez (22-0-1, 143 KOs) makes his second title-defense May 29th in the 12-round co-feature against WBO No. 10 rated Gonzalo “El Destructor” Mungia (17-6-3, 13 KOs) on the “Undefeated Champions” pay per view event, airing live in the United States from Bayamon, Puerto Rico
“Undefeated Champions,” presented by PR Best Boxing in association with Al Star Boxing, features three world title bouts. It is being distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9 PM/ET – 6 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, and DISH Network, for a suggested retail price of only $34.95.
The 12-round main event features the first title defense of Boricua star, WBO Junior Featherweight Champion Wilfredo “WV2” Vazquez, Jr. (18-0-1, 15 KOs), against No. 1 contender Zsolt “Mr. Lefthook” Bedak (14-0-1, 12 KOs).
Martinez, rated No. 3 by The Ring, captured the WBO championship this past March 14, stopping Nicky Cook in the fourth round of their title fight in England. The popular Puerto Rican fighter successfully defended his crown last September, stopping Feider Viloria in the ninth round.
Martinez is excited about fighting on pay per view. “This fight is very important to me because it opens the way for me to fans in the United States,” he said. “They’ll learn more about me and my boxing career. It will also help me later when I go for a unification fight. If everything goes good in this fight, I may fight mandatory challenger Ricky Burns, possible here in Puerto Rico, in August. But what I’d really like to do is unify the title against any of the other champions (WBC Vitalki Tajbert or WBA Takashi Uchiyama).”
Reigning WBO Latino super featherweight title-holder Mungia, fighting out of Nicaragua, has won his last four fights, three by knockout.
“Mungia is a good fighter who comes to fight,” Martinez noted. “I love to fight, too, so if he really comes to fight, it’s going to be a something to remember. I’m going to use my distance and put my shots where we want. We trained hard, studied him and are ready for all Mungia’s style. I’m going to make my fight; relax and be ready for him. I studied him with my trainer, Raul Torres, and I’m going to knock Mungia out. This bout isn’t going the distance.”
The third world title fight on this exciting card matches females Hanna Gabriel (9-0-1, 5 KOs) and Gardy Pena (9-1-2, 6 KOs) for the vacant WBO super welterweight crown in a 10-round bout. Fighting on the undercard are the Arroyo twins, bantamweight McJoe (1-0, 1 KO) and McWilliams (1-0, 1 KO), the former Puerto Rican Olympians. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Balweg Bangoyan fights for the Filipino people in many ways
While Balweg “The Davao Hitman” Bangoyan may not have turned in his best performance in the ring just recently, he still has much to offer the boxing world and even more to offer to the people of the Philippines.
Bangoyan fought well in Tokyo Japan against an experienced opponent, but in the end he was beaten by a nice left to the chin which finished the fight in the 5th round. While the young warrior from Mindanao might not know it yet, far more is learned from a loss than from a win, and he may very well look back on the day in the near future and count his blessings for the lessons that he received that day, that will no doubt make him a better person, a stronger person and a far more formidable opponent in the future.
In the meantime Balweg is still fighting, but now he is fighting for the kids of Mindanao and for all the kids of the Philippines in his role as an ambassador for the Elmore Oil Trust Fund for Street Children. The Australian based Elmore Oil Company runs the Trust Fund for Street Children, which provides food and education programs for disadvantaged children of the Philippines to help them to enjoy a better life.
And it was the kids of Davao City that recently received a wonderful surprise when on a quiet Saturday afternoon the food van from the Elmore Oil Trust Fund for Street Children came into town, handing out rice and canned foods to families in need.
The program commenced in Ozamiz City in 2009 with the support of Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog , with money being donated to a city run program, but has now grown to provide real hands on assistance with a team of volunteers going out to families in needy communities handing out rice, vegetables and canned foods to children and their families who are normally deprived of these day to day basic requirements.
Balweg Bangoyan is not only the International Bantam Weight Champion but he is a true champion of the people, by donating his time and his support to this fund that he knows and trusts, and a company he also knows and trusts, in the belief that it will provide long term and lasting benefits to the people of his home country.
The Elmore Oil Company sells its flagship product, Elmore Oil, in the Philippines through pharmacies across the country. Elmore Oil is a pain relief lotion, providing pain relief to those who suffer from arthritis and any form of muscular aches and pains. But the most important thing is that 10 pesos from the sale of every bottle goes into the Trust Fund for Street Children, so by buying the product not only do you relieve your own pain, but you take away the pain of those who are too poor to feed themselves. The Elmore Oil Company has committed to give over 10 million pesos to the fund in the next 5 years, with the support of the Filipino people behind them.
Balweg Bangoyan, a warrior of the boxing ring, uses Elmore Oil at his home gym in Davao City everyday and encourages the people of the Philippines to do the same. “I really love this product. I experience pain in the boxing ring most days but this product helps me to recover from injury quickly, but more importantly this company really cares about the future for the Filipino people and I really praise them for their true concern. Many people talk about helping, but the Elmore Oil Company really helps. They help in the streets, right where the problems are. They get among the people that need our help and give them the basics that they need to survive and we should support them.”
Managing Director of the Elmore Oil Company, Mark Linford, says his company hopes the trust fund can spread right across the nation. “On my first trip to the Philippines in 2007 I saw an immediate need for the young children, who so often have to take to the streets to survive. That’s why we named our program The Trust Fund for Street Children. We wanted to be specific about who we were assisting. It’s those kids who are in most need and we want to help them in the best way we know how, by providing them with everyday basics such as food and access to education.”
“With the support of some wonderful local celebrities I hope we can really promote the fund and help the Philippine people for many years to come. We have Balweg as our first ambassador of the program and I am hoping that other Filipino celebrities will come on board and offer their support and their endorsement. We need sports people, actors and actresses and even politicians because it’s those people that the local people look up to.”
The Elmore Oil Company also provides free sachets of its products to people in need, in addition to the food that it hands out. The Elmore Oil promotional girls can be seen in the streets on weekends, surrounded by hundreds of kids and their families, collecting the much needed food and pain relieving sachets
Weigh-In Set For “The Reckoning” at The Hammond Civic Center
May 4 (Merrillville, In) – With “The Reckoning” upon us we are just three days away from the next installment of the One In A Million Boxing: Fight Night Series. Fight fans will have one last chance to meet all the fighters set for the event on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at the One In A Million Boxing Gym in Merrillville, IN. Weigh-Ins will start at 6:00PM at 8789 Louisiana St., Suite B, Merrillville, IN 46410.
With One In A Million Boxing, Inc. President/CEO Tyree Ortiz returning to the ring to fight on May 7th it should be an electric evening at the weigh-in. “It has been along time coming to get back into the ring and I can’t wait to get back in. Since it has been such a long layoff, I thought it would be a great time to have our gym members and fans get to watch the weigh-ins right here from our home facility in Indiana. I invite everyone who can make it out to the event to come join in on the excitement of the show.”
In the Main Event we have Middleweight Champion Derrick “Superman” Findley facing ESPN2 The Contender’s Miguel “Macho” Hernandez for the Middleweight Crown. Also set for the card is Middleweight Josh Crouch looking to return after his non-stop action fight with Foster Nkodo. Veteran Darnell Wilson will return after his highly heated draw with Orphius Waite. Rounding out the card are welterweight Marcus Thompkins getting ready for his long awaited return and a special Cruiserweight matchup featuring #1 Indiana Cruiserweight Ed Perry vs. #2 Indiana Cruiserweight Jeff Yeoman.
Tickets for “Fight Night 2010: The Reckoning” are on sale now and can be purchased at VIP Table Seat – SOLD OUT, Ringside Table Seat $50, and General Admission $30. Tickets can be purchased at www.oneinamillionboxing.com, The Hammond Civic Center Box Office, or by calling (866) 438-7372.
Tickets for “Fight Night 2010: The Reckoning” are ON SALE NOW and can be purchased at VIP Table Seat – SOLD OUT, Ringside Table Seat $50, and General Admission $30. Tickets can be purchased at www.oneinamillionboxing.com,
The Hammond Civic Center Box Office, or by calling (866) 438-7372. The Hammond Civic Center is located at 5825 Sohl Ave., Hammond, IN. Doors open at 7 p.m. The first bout is scheduled at 8 p.m. and for more ticket information or fight night events please visit us at our new knockout website and leave us some feedback: www.oneinamillionboxing.com. Or by calling (866) 438-7372. Tickets for this phenomenal night of boxing are guaranteed to go fast so make sure to get yours now.