LOS ANGELES (July 6, 2011) – Aside from some one-on-one, in-your-face jawing during a face-off for photographers, both Brandon “Bam Bam’’ Rios and Urbano Antillon were well-behaved and civil to each other during Wednesday’s final press conference for their highly anticipated world title fight this Saturday, July 9, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).
Rios and Antillon had spent weeks jawing, and at one point the heated verbal exchanges nearly caused them to come to blows, but Wednesday at Wilshire Grand Los Angeles their focus solo was on Saturday when Rios (27-0-1, 19 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., defends his World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight championship against Antillon (28-2, 20 KOs), of Maywood, Calif., in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.
In the Top Rank-promoted co-feature at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion Kermit Cintron (32-3-1, 28 KOs), of Carolina, Puerto Rico, makes his first start in more than a year against Mexico’s Carlos Molina (18-4-2, 6 KOs), of Chicago, in a 10-round junior middleweight match.
The SHOWTIME telecast also will include highlights from overseas as IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (28-0, 23 KOs) defends his title for an eighth time – but first in his home country of Romania – against mandatory challenger Jean-Paul Mendy (29-0-1, 16 KOs) of France.
In top undercard, non-televised fights at The Home Depot Center, unbeaten, No, 2-ranked World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight contender Mercito Gesta (21-0-1, 11 KOs), of Cebu, Philippines, meets had-hitting Jorge “El Tigre” Pimental (23-11, 17 KOs) of Sonora, Mex., undefeated former Notre Dame champion Mike Lee (5-0, 3 KOs) of Chicago takes on Michael Birthmark (2-5, 0 KOs) of Billings, Montana, in a light heavyweight bout and promising super bantamweight Gabino Saenz (3-0, 3 KOs), of Indio, Calif., will try to maintain his unblemished record against Quinice Wesby (1-1, 0 KOs) of Dallas.
Tickets, priced at $125, $75, $50 and $25, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.Ticketmaster.com as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Suites are available by calling (877) 604-8777. The first live, non-televised fight Saturday starts at 4:05 p.m. PT. Doors open at 4.
What they said Wednesday:
PROMOTER BOB ARUM
“This is the fight that the fans want to see. A very limited number of tickets are still available and we are expecting a sellout. So get your tickets now.
“This is a fight that the casual fan will see and want to get back into boxing as real fans. This is the kind of fight that makes the casual fan a real fan of boxing. This is the kind of fight where they see that there is no other sport in the world as exciting as boxing.
“Kermit Cintron got a bad rap for what happened against Paul Williams. It was another typical media assassination. He was on his way to beating Williams and then somehow it gets written up that he gets tripped up and flies out of the ring like Superman and didn’t come back. That’s not what happened.
“There’s nothing in boxing like the passion involved in a neighborhood war. Unlike what I was used to in New York where we had distinct neighborhoods, here we have areas in Southern California which really have replaced neighborhoods. We have Maywood against Oxnard and people have been talking about this fight for a long, long time.”
BRANDON RIOS:
“I am 100 percent and they say they are a 100 percent so that equals a big force that’s going to be in the ring.
“It’s not just SHOWTIME now, it is war time. There will be no boxing on Saturday night. We are both brawlers who will try to beat the crap out of each other. Our skills are pretty much the same, no skill … just your typical street fight.
“For the first time in my life I’m actually going to make weight days before the weigh-in. I can’t believe it. It’s because I’m working with my new strength and conditioning coach Henry Castro. He’s been working my butt off.”
ROBERT GARCIA (Rios’ Trainer):
“We are just days away and we can’t wait for Saturday night. All the work has been done. Brandon’s never been in better shape and has never worked as hard for a fight.
“We have a world title to defend here. This is serious business so there’s no more messing around.
“I can’t wait. I’m so excited, just like Brandon is for Saturday night.”
URBANO ANTILLON:
“The moment is almost here and it’s a day I’ve been waiting for for awhile. We are both tough fighters and we want to leave it all out in the ring and that’s what we’re going to do.
“We are two guys who come forward and that’s what we’re going to do on Saturday night. We will both impose our will and someone will get broken down.
“This is a pivotal fight for me, one of the biggest of my career. This is the goal I’ve always had for myself, to be fighting the best there is.”
ABEL SANCHEZ (Antillon’s Trainer):
“I think it’s time for all the talking to stop and to get these boys in the ring to settle this.
“We’ve had a great training camp and so has Robert’s guy. This is my fourth camp with Urbano and he’s finally gotten it – finally bought into the system. We totally changed his method of training. In the Soto fight he was tentative and not that confident. You could tell. And he was two pounds overweight at the weigh-in. Now there are no problems and we are ready to go.”
KERMIT CINTRON
“It’s a great opportunity for me to be fighting for Top Rank and I thank them, my team, SHOWTIME, and everyone involved for making this fight happen. I’ve been waiting for my moment to shine and this is it.
“This is my first fight in 14 months and I’m ready to go. I’ve trained very hard. I think the time off did me good. Spending time with my family and kids did wonders for me and it gave my body a break. I’m re-energized and feel like I did before I took the time off.
“There is no pressure on me, but I’m actually looking to win the fight impressively. I know Molina pretty well. He helped me get ready for the second fight with Antonio Margarito and he gave me good work. Carlos is a crafty fighter who comes to win. I expect him to give it his all, and I’ll be ready for anything he brings. This is going to be a great fight.
“If everything goes OK on Saturday, my next fight will be back down at 147 pounds.’’
RONNIE SHIELDS (Cintron’s Trainer)
“Molina is a good fighter and a tough opponent, which is what Kermit needs. But we had a great camp, Kermit trained hard and he is ready.
“I’ve been asked a lot why we’re fighting such a tough guy after a year-plus layoff and the reason is that Kermit is one of the best fighters in the world.
“He knows Molina and I’d rather have Kermit fight someone that he knows is going to be tough rather than fight some guy he doesn’t know and maybe won’t work and train so hard for. If Kermit respects you, he’ll work his butt off, which is what he’s done for Molina.
“We wanted someone who would bring out the best in Kermit.’’
CARLOS MOLINA
“Everyone who knows me knows that I come to fight and that I will always give my best in the ring. This is a good opportunity and I’m going to try to win all the way. I’ve been in some very close fights with some very good fighters so I have the experience to fight a guy with the experience of Cintron.
“I want to thank Top Rank and Bob Arum. I’m ready to go and put up a helluva fight.’’
GABINO SAENZ
“I’m very excited to be fighting for Top Rank and looking forward to a good fight on Saturday. I don’t know much about my opponent but I fought in enough tournaments during the amateurs to know how to deal with the unknown. I’ll just fight my fight and adapt when I have to.
“To be able to sign with Top Rank is as good as it gets. They are the biggest promoter out there and they know how to move a fighter and help us make a name for ourselves. I’m hoping for a good performance on Saturday and looking forward to fighting on a lot of their shows. I’ll fight anybody they tell me to.’’
MIKE LEE
“I want to thank Top Rank for this fight and I’m excited to be fighting on this card. I’m looking forward to showing the kinds of skills we’ve been working on in camp.
“I really want to thank my team. They are the reason I’m standing here at this press conference and they are the reason why I’m undefeated.’’
Preliminary Round Action Concludes in Seven Weight Classes at the Last Chance Qualifier Tournament in Cincinnati
(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – After a full day of boxing on Tuesday, 50 bouts of action were contested on Wednesday at the Last Chance Qualifier in Cincinnati, Ohio. All 10 weight divisions boxed in Wednesday’s competition with seven weight classes competing in quarterfinal action and the light welterweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions all completing third round competition.
The flyweight division stepped through the ropes for the first time in the afternoon session with two quarterfinal contests. Shawn Simpson (Chicago, Ill.) kicked off the session with a strong performance in his quarterfinal bout with Gino Padilla (Las Vegas, Nev.). Simpson won a 24-10 decision over Padilla to move on to the semifinals.
2009 Lightweight National Champion Duran Caferro (Helena, Mont.) won his second bout of the tournament in Wednesday afternoon’s competition. Caferro pulled out a 15-12 decision over Ronnie Maurel Austion (Detroit, Mich.) to advance to the quarterfinal round in the packed light welterweight division.
In heavyweight action, 2010 Youth Olympic Games competitor Joshua Temple (St. Louis, Mo.) claimed a quarterfinal victory in a closely-contested bout with Michael Hilton (Trenton, N.J.). Temple won a 24-19 decision to earn a berth in the semifinals with Robert Jekabson (Chicago, Ill.)
The light flyweights made their event debut with four bouts in the evening session and Erros Correa (San Jose, Calif.) enjoyed a strong early day, winning a 33-9 decision over Kalen Sunller (Atlanta, Ga.) to advance to Thursday’s semifinals.
2009 Light Heavyweight National Champion Robert Brant (Oakdale, Minn.) moved on to the semifinals with his quarterfinal win on Wednesday night. Brant won a 28-16 decision over Linden Thomas (Columbus, Ga.) to move on to a semifinal showdown with fellow former National Golden Gloves champion Derae Crane (Fort Carson, Colo.) on Thursday.
The night ended with fireworks in the super heavyweight division as 2010 USA Boxing National Championships silver medalist Danny Kelly (Washington DC) faced off with hometown boxer Shawn Seymore (Cincinnati, Ohio). The action packed bout brought the crowd to the feet as Seymore pulled off the upset, winning a 28-20 decision to move on to the semifinals.
Last Chance Qualifier action will move to one session on Thursday with boxing beginning at 6 p.m. at the Taft Masonic Center.
Wednesday Results
Wednesday Results
108 lbs: Daniel Ybarra, Texas dec. Leopoldo Martinez, III, Laredo, Texas, 24-20
108 lbs: Stephen Fulton, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Rondarrius Hunter, Atlanta, Ga., 18-9
108 lbs: Lawrence Singh, Riverdale, Md., stopped Jeremy Morales, Norfolk, Va., RSC-1
108 lbs: Erros Correa, San Jose, Calif, dec. Kalen Sunller, Atlanta, Ga., 33-0
114 lbs: Shawn Simpson, Chicago, Ill., dec. Gino Padilla, Las Vegas, Nev., 24-10
114 lbs: Ernesto Degadillo, Dallas, Texas dec. Juan Roman, Brooklyn, N.Y., 3-2 (paper scoring)
123 lbs: Edwin Sandoval, Bakersfield, Calif., dec. Demetrius Johnson, Mo., 25-18
123 lbs: Isaac Torres, Mission, Texas dec. Patrick Harris, Capitol Heights, Md., 20-17
123 lbs: Joe Perez, Fountain, Colo., dec. Tyshawn Jones, Newark, N.J., 25-17
123 lbs: Carlos Chavez, Hollywood, Calif., dec. Michael Stoute, Coram, N.Y., 44-21
132 lbs: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio dec. Raeese Aleem, Muskegon, Mich., 46-36
132 lbs: Kevin Rivers, Jr., Landover, Md., dec. Ryan Martin, Chattanooga, Tenn., 21-8
132 lbs: Glenn Dezurn, Baltimore, Md., dec. Albert Bell, Toledo, Ohio, 15-8
132 lbs: Lavias Williams, Rochester, N.Y., dec. Adam Fiel, Vacaville, Calif., 49-28
141 lbs: Manuel Lopez, Aurora, Colo., dec. Tevin Alieu, Providence, R.I., 31-16
141 lbs: Domonique James, Brooklyn, N.Y., won on walkover
141 lbs: Javonn Barnes, Muskegon, Mich., dec. James Barber, Oklahoma, RSC-2 (1:28)
141 lbs: Ryan Karl, Milano, Texas dec. Michael Montgomery, Jr., Macon, Ga., 43-31
141 lbs: Duran Caferro, Helena, Mont., dec. Ronnie-Maurel Austion, Michigan, 15-12
141 lbs: Robert Easter, Jr., Toledo, Ohio dec. Glenford Nickey, Jr., Brooklyn, N.Y., 18-10
141 lbs: Donald Griffin, Pine Bluff, Ark., dec. Andy Vences, San Jose, Calif., 32-32
141 lbs: Aceson Leseure, Corpus Christi, Texas, dec. Shannon McCray, Missouri, 31-20
152 lbs: Tony Losey, Wichita, Kansas dec. Sammie Millhouse, South Carolina, 15-6
152 lbs: David Grayton, Washington DC dec. Shakor Jackson, Newark, N.J., 14-10
152 lbs: Amir Imam, Albany, N.Y., dec. Jeremy Fiorentino, New York, 24-19
152 lbs: Moshea Aleem, Richmond, Va., dec. Apollo Sample, Dallas, Texas, 15-5
152 lbs: David Thomas, Houston, Texas dec. Shaquel Jackson, Dallas, Texas, 32-16
152 lbs: Patrick Day, Freeport, N.Y., dec. Steven Hanao-Escobar, Bayonne, N.J., 37-21
152 lbs: William Williams, Conyers, Ga., dec. Thomas Miller, Huntington, W. Va., 24-8
152 lbs: Anthony Gangemi, Minehill, N.J., dec. Daniel Gonzales, Queens, N.Y., 19-12
165 lbs: Immanuwel Aleem, Richmond, Va., dec. Robert Serna, Beeville, Texas, 49-28
165 lbs: Kenton Sippio-Cook, Round Rock, Texas dec. Izaak Cardona, Colorado Springs, Colo., 20-17
165 lbs: Demond Nicholson, Laurel, Md., dec. Russell Lamour, Jr., Portland, Maine, 18-16
165 lbs: I.V. Anderson, Dallas, Texas dec. Quatavious Cash, Atlanta, Ga., 29-22
165 lbs: Luis Arias, Milwaukee, Wis., dec. Jamal Robinson, Cleveland, Ohio, 35-21
165 lbs: Akil Frederick-Auguste, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. DeAndre Ware, Toledo, Ohio, 18-17
165 lbs: Jeff Camp, Dayton, Ohio dec. Jarvis Williams, St. Louis, Mo., 16-14
165 lbs: Kenneth McNeil, Birmingham, Ala., dec. Kevin Newman, Jr., Las Vegas, Nev., 19-13
178 lbs: Malcolm Jones, Indianapolis, Ind., dec. Charles Howard, Cincinnati, Ohio, 31-17
178 lbs: DeRae Crane, Fort Carson, Colo., dec. Raymond Lucies II, Lafayette, La., 27-11
178 lbs: Shaborn Ryals, Capitol Heights, Md., dec. David McGordon, Indianapolis, Ind., 20-7
178 lbs: Robert Brant, Oakdale, Minn., dec. Linden Thomas, Columbus, Ga., 28-16
201 lbs: Bryan Daniels, Boylston, Mass., dec. Josh Himes, Monaca, Pa., 18-14
201 lbs: Robert Jekabson, Chicago, Ill., dec. Zachary Bunce, Las Vegas, Nev., 39-25
201 lbs: Christopher Campa, Ypsilanti, Mich., stopped Willie Jake, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind., RSC-2
201 lbs: Joshua Temple, St. Louis, Mo., dec. Michael Hilton, Trenton, N.J., 25-19
201+ lbs: Javonta Charles, Memphis, Tenn., dec. Roberto Morban, Bronx, N.Y., 5-5 (37-33)
201+ lbs: Shawn Seymore, Cincinnati, Ohio dec. Danny Kelly, Washington DC, 28-20
201+ lbs: Trevor Bryan, Jr., Albany, N.Y., dec. Hasim Rahman, Jr., Las Vegas, Nev., 26-20
201+ lbs: Brett Rather, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Edward Patimore, Pittsburgh, Pa., 38-37.
Thursday Bout Sheets
108 lbs: Stephen Fulton, Jr. Philadelphia, Pa. vs. Daniel Ybarra, Texas
108 lbs: Erros Correa, San Jose, Calif. vs. Lawrence Singh, Riverdale, Md.
114 lbs: Rogelio Garcia III, Edinburg, Texas vs. Shawn Simpson, Chicago, Ill.
114 lbs: Ernesto Degadillo, Dallas, Texas vs. Carlos Suarez, Lima, Ohio
123 lbs: Edwin Sandoval, Bakersfield, Calif. vs. Isaac Torres, Mission, Texas
123 lbs: Carlos Chavez, Hollywood, Calif. vs. Joe Perez, Fountain, Colo.
132 lbs: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio vs. Glenn Dezurn, Baltimore, Md.
132 lbs: Lavias Williams, Rochester, N.Y. vs. Kevin Rivers, Jr.
141 lbs: Ryan Karl, Milano, Texas vs. Manuel Lopez, Aurora, Colo.
141 lbs: Duran Caferro, Helena, Mont., vs. Domonique James, Brooklyn, N.Y.
141 lbs: Donald Griffin, Pine Bluffs, Ark. vs. Javonn Barnes, Muskegon, Mich.
141 lbs: Aceson Leseure, Corpus Christi, Texas vs. Robert Easter, Jr., Toledo, Ohio
152 lbs: David Thomas, Houston, Texas vs. Tony Losey, Wichita, Kansas
152 lbs: Patrick Day, Freeport, N.Y. vs. David Grayton, Washington DC
152 lbs: William Williams, Conyers, Ga. vs. Amir Imam, Albany, N.Y.
152 lbs: Anthony Gangemi, Minehill, N.J. vs. Moshea Aleem, Richmond, Va.
165 lbs: Immanuwel Aleem, Richmond, Va., vs. Kenton Sippio-Cook, Round Rock, Texas
165 lbs: Kenneth McNeil, Birmingham, Ala., vs. Demond Nicholson, Laurel, Md.
165 lbs: Luis Arias, Milwaukee, Wis. Vs. I.V. Anderson, Dallas, Texas
165 lbs: Akil Frederick-Auguste, Brooklyn, N.Y., vs. Jeff Camp, Dayton, Ohio
178 lbs: Shaborn Ryals, Capitol Heights, Md., vs. Malcolm Jones, Indianapolis, Ind.
178 lbs: Robert Brant, Oakdale, Minn. Vs. Derae Crane, Fort Carson, Colo.
201 lbs: Bryan Daniels, Boylston, Mass. Vs. Christopher Campa, Ypsilanti, Mich.
201 lbs: Robert Jekabson, Chicago, Ill., vs. Joshua Temple, St. Louis, Mo.
201+ lbs: Trevor Bryan, Jr., Albany, N.Y. vs. Javonta Charles, Memphis, Tenn.
201+ lbs: Shawn Seymore, Cincinnati, Ohio vs. Brett Rather, Las Vegas, Nev.
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
MAURICE HARRIS TO BATTLE DERRICK ROSSY FOR USBA HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN ON JULY 16TH
ATLANTIC CITY (July 6, 2011)—On Saturday night, July 16th Carla Hill Promotions will present a championship card of professional boxing to Resorts in Atlantic City that will be highlighted by a USBA Heavyweight title bout between Maurice Harris and Derrick Rossy.
Carla Hill Promotions is headed by Carla Hill, who is the wife of former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight champion, Virgil “Quicksilver” Hill.
“I am excited about this card and starting my first show off with a championship fight of importance”, said Carla Hill.
“Besides the title bout we have put together a terrific undercard that will feature many of the best fighters in the area. This is the kind of show that will lay the groundwork for some great events that we have planned in the future”
Future Hall of Famer, Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield will be making an appearance ringside
Harris of East Orange, New Jersey has a record of 24-15-2 with ten win coming by way of knockout and is currently ranked number eight in the world by the IBF.
He turned pro in 1992 at the ripe age of sixteen years old. He has been in the ring with many of the biggest names in boxing such as former world title challenger Vaughn Bean; former Cruiserweight title challenger Dale Brown; Future world champions Chris Byrd and Henry Akinwande
Harris got his notice in a loss when he battled Hall of Famer Larry Holmes to a split decision that many at ringside and around the world watching on Television believed Harris should have been awarded the victory
He lost a six round war with undefeated Derrick Jefferson (21-0-1) in a bout that has been tabbed as one of the best Heavyweight bouts that HBO has ever televised.
He has big wins over David Izon (18-0); Jeremy Williams (34-2) and future world champion Sergei Liakhovich (16-0).
He won the vacant USBA title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Nagy Aguilera on August 6th, 2010.
Harris coming off a disappointing third round stoppage defeated to former world title challenger Tony Thompson on May 27th.
Rossy of Medford, New York has an impressive mark of 25-4 with fifteen knockouts and is ranked number-fifteen by the IBF.
Rossy began his career by winning his first fourteen bouts before being stopped in seven rounds by former world title challenger and highly regarded Eddie Chambers.
Rossy then went on to win three straight bouts which was highlighted by a twelve round unanimous decision over former world champion and Olympic Gold Medal winner Ray Mercer in Macao, China.
After losing to undefeated Russian contender Alexander Dimentrenko, Rossy went on a seven fight win streak as he beat the likes of undefeated William Shahan and former world title challenger Carl Drummond in a bout that was televised live all over America on ESPN 2.
That bout catapulted Rossy into a rematch with Chambers.
Unfortunately after starting out fast, Rossy dropped a twelve round unanimous decision to Chambers in an IBF Elimination bout.
In his previous bout, Rossy traveled to Germany but was stopped in five rounds to heralded Kubrat Pulav on May 7th.
An exciting undercard featuring many of the best prospects in the area has been assembled.
In a four round Super Middleweight bout, Troy Maxwell (2-2, 1 KO) of Galloway, NJ will do battle with Darrion Fletcher (1-1, 1 KO) of Evansville, IN
In a four round Heavyweight bout, Kyle McNutt (1-0, 1 KO) of Battle Creek, Michigan will take on Keon Graham (2-6) of Akron, OH
Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell (7-0, 3 KO’s) of Atlantic City will put his perfect mark on the line when he takes on Hamid Abdul Mateen (2-1) of Hempstead, NY in a Light Heavyweight bout scheduled fof four rounds.
Thomas Hardwick (1-0, 1 KO) of Yonkers, NY will take Rodelle Bolar (0-3) of Akron, OH in a four round Heavyweight bout
Electric Bantamweight Qa’Id Muhammad (5-0, 5 KO’s) taking on veteran Jason Rorie (6-12-2, 3 KO’s) of Winston-Salem, NC
Rounding out the card will be the son of former Heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon, Middleweight Isiah Seldon (4-0, 2 KO’s) of Atlantic City, NJ taking on John Michael Terry (3-19-3, 1 KO) of Portsmouth, VA
Tickets are priced at $125; $100; $75; $55 and $40 and can be purchased via Ticketmaster; The Resorts Box Office or calling 609-453-7994
The Doors open at 6:30 pm and the first bout is at 7:30