Former IBF middleweight title challenger Billy Lyell (23-9) annihilated journeyman Brian Paul via a 1st round TKO Thursday at the Hyatt Regency in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Lyell dropped Paul twice with brutal body shots before the bout was halted at 54 seconds into the opening stanza.
In other action, Contender Season II champ Grady Brewer (27-12) won a six round unanimous decision over a Abel Perry, while heavyweight prospect Ty Cobb (13-2) won a six round decision over Jason Nicholson. Also, female welterweight Kelly Trance evened her mark to (1-1) with a second round TKO victory over Kim Dawson.
A scheduled bout between Michael Clark (41-5-1) and Carson Jones (29-8-2) was stopped in the second round after repeated accidental fouls by Jones. Initially thought by many to be a DQ win for Clark, the result was determined and announced as a “no decision”. The five bout charity card was presented by HD Boxing.
Jeff Lacy Signs to Fight MMA Champion Nick Diaz
May 6, 2011 – The hottest fighter in the mixed martial arts landscape right now is Stocktons own, Nick Diaz. He is currently riding an 11-fight win streak and has been mentioned as a potential super-fight candidate to face-off against UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre at the end of 2011.
Due to the structuring of Diaz’s contract with MMA outfit, Strikeforce, he is in a unique position where he can contractually pursue a professional boxing career in addition to his mixed-martial arts title reign.
While rumors of opponents such as former champions Fernando Vargas and Roy Jones Jr. have been floated around, neither mans team have yet solidified a contract with the young champion.
A few moments ago, former IBF super-middleweight champion & devastating knockout artist, Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy, officially signed on the dotted line to square off against Diaz in the Fall of 2011.
Lacy possesses the type of dangerous punching power in both hands that can end the double digit win streak of the rugged Northern California champion.
Don Chargin states, “This is a very dangerous fight for both men. Not only is this fight dangerous but stylistically it is very intriguing. I expected more resistance from fight fans and media in regards to this match-up but its amazing as to the hundreds of calls and e-mails I’ve received from fans on both sides wanting to see this match-up take place. I’ve received more than a few inquiries from some other very high-profile boxers that want to step up and fight Nick. Its been a real whirlwind.”
Chargin continues, “I’ve been around boxing for quite some time and I’ve seen a lot of great, tough fighters in my six decades within the sport. I believe that if Nick had been one of those kids who had picked up boxing from a youth, he’d undoubtedly be a world-champion today. Sometime within the next 2 weeks I’ll be personally making the trek to Cesar Gracies gym to setup a private, closed door sparring session between Nick and a few nameless top-level contenders I have in mind.”
Can Jeff Lacy refocus his career to regain the once promising glory that lingered at his fingertips just a few short years back?
Can Nick Diaz’s granite chin withstand the devastating punching power of arguably the hardest punching 168-pound fighter on the planet?
These questions will definitely be answered before the end of 2011 as the fight titled, “Breaking History” is fairly self-explanatory.
Cerresso Fort Returns to the Ring May 20 in Hinckley, MN
St. Paul, MN- Middleweight boxer Cerresso Fort (10-0 8 ko’s) will make his return to the ring May 20, ending an inactive stint that began in July.
In the months since his last bout Fort has stayed busy outside of the ring. In April Fort and business partner Dalton Outlaw opened Element Boxing and Fitness Gym in St. Paul, MN. Element Boxing is located off of University Avenue in St. Paul, and has seen a positive turnout of aspiring boxers and fitness enthusiasts of all ages and lifestyles in it’s first month of business. Fort and Outlaw, who is also a decorated amateur fighter, have been stable mates and personal friends for several years.
“The gym gives us something to take pride in, and a place to run my camps and ultimately get a deeper involvement in the sport that I love” The undefeated prospect noted on his business venture.
Fort will be in action against Tim Taggart(5-2 2 ko’s) on May 20, in the co-feature to the well publicized professional boxing debut of NFL defensive end Ray Edwards. The bout, which will take place at Grand Casino Hinckley, will mark Fort’s first action in his home state of Minnesota since December of 2009, when he stopped Michael Davis in two rounds.
“I’ve been working out in a different fashion, correcting a lot of the things that I felt like I needed to improve on, and I think you’re going to see a new Cerresso Fort on May 20” The 25 year old St. Paul native remarked.
Fort recently departed for training camp in Florida, where he will spend the heart of his campaign before returning to the Twin Cities. In his last trip to the ring in July of 2010 Fort shut out Steve Macomber in Temecula California. Tim Taggart will be coming off of an impressive win this past February over Charles Meier.
Fort-Taggart will be complimented by appearances from fellow Minnesota prospects Tony Lee and Jamal James. Tickets are priced from $30-$600 and are available at www.sports-council.com.