SAN JOSE, July 7 – After co-headlining an explosive pay-per-view card in April, two of boxing’s toughest fighters will collide in what is sure to be a “Fight of the Year” caliber fight when World Boxing Association (WBA) Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Marcos “Chino” Maidana meets WBA/WBO Interim Lightweight World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero on Saturday, August 27 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif for Maidana’s title. Maidana has proven to be one of the toughest fighters to ever emerge from Argentina and will take on anyone, anywhere, any time, which is why he will travel to Northern California to take on Three-Division World Champion Guerrero in his backyard. The explosive showdown between Maidana and Guerrero will headline the HBO Boxing After Dark broadcast and promises to be a classic battle.
“I am happy that yet another great matchup has been set for me,” said Maidana. “Like I always say, I am willing to face the best out there. Robert Guerrero is a great champion and I am sure he will bring all of his skills to the ring on August 27, but I will be ready for him. I’m already working hard in training in Puerto Rico to be stronger than ever when I fight him. I know it will be a great fight.”
“Words can’t describe how I feel knowing that I’ll be fighting Marcos Maidana as the main event on HBO at the HP Pavilion in San Jose,” said Guerrero, who will be fighting at home for the first time since 2009. “Bringing a championship fight to the Bay Area is a dream come true and it excites me most that Bay Area boxing fans will get to witness one of the most anticipated fights of the year. I’m thrilled to be the current WBA and WBO Interim Lightweight World Champion; however, moving up in weight to battle one of the most feared fighters in the 140 lb. division for my sixth world title in four weight classes is a challenge I’m looking forward to.”
“We have been looking to bring a world title fight to the Bay Area for a long time, and now we have one with Robert Guerrero facing Marcos Maidana in San Jose,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Not only is this a great matchup between two exciting fighters, but there is a lot on the line in this fight for both men. This bout looks like it could be one of the best of 2011.”
“This is one of the most exciting match ups in the incredibly talented 140-pound division,” said Kery Davis senior vice president programming HBO Sports. “A terrific match-up like this is what HBO Boxing After Dark is all about.”
Maidana vs. Guerrero, a 12 round fight for the WBA interim super lightweight world championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Universum Box Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. The HBO Boxing After Dark broadcast will air at 10:30pm ET / PT.
Tickets, priced at $252, $127, $62, $26, will go on sale on Friday, July 8 at 10:00am PT and may be purchased at the HP Pavilion Ticket Office, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
Santa Fe, Argentina’s Marcos Rene “Chino” Maidana (30-2, 27 KO’s) has been one of boxing’s most amazing success stories over the last few years. A fighter who toiled in obscurity for many years, he broke out onto the world stage with his sixth round technical knockout over current WBC Welterweight World Champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz in 2009. His exciting and aggressive style combined with concussive punching power has been an immediate hit with fans around the world. In 2010, he engaged in the “Fight of the Year” against Amir “King” Khan and his April 2011 battle with Erik “Terrible” Morales is a frontrunner to take the same honors this year. On August 27, Maidana will look to top his win over Morales with an even more spectacular victory against Guerrero.
An inspiring young man in and out of the ring, Gilroy, California’s Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (29-1-1, 18 KO’s) has captivated the boxing world ever since his professional debut in 2001, and he is far from finished. In fact, it seems that Guerrero sets the bar higher for himself with each fight, always passing each progressively more difficult test with flying colors. Already a World Champion at 126, 130 and 135 pounds, the 28-year-old Guerrero’s list of conquests includes Joel “Cepillo” Casamayor, Jason Litzau, Vicente Escobedo and Michael Katsidis “The Great.” The southpaw sharpshooter who is becoming as well known for his charity work outside of the ring as he is for his work inside the ring, will close in on a spot at the top of the pound-for-pound list should he turn back his toughest opponent to date in the hard-hitting brawler Maidana.
McBride faces long odds against undefeated Wach
Upset-minded McBride looking to land knockout blow against powerful Wach
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 7, 2011) – Six years ago, Kevin McBride stood in front of a pack of skeptical reporters and promised to hit Mike Tyson so hard the former undisputed heavyweight champion would feel like he was hit by the “whole of Ireland.”
Fans and experts scoffed, but McBride delivered, ending Tyson’s career with a sixth-round knockout that remains one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
As he prepares for his latest test July 29th, 2011 against undefeated Polish heavyweight Mariusz Wach, McBride – now 38 – is channeling the same swagger he brought to the ring six years ago Tyson, again looking to land a blow powerful enough to reverberate through the streets of his native Clones, Ireland.
“Hopefully, I can connect,” McBride said, “and the Irish will be singing again.”
Three months removed from a unanimous decision loss to former cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek, McBride (35-9-1, 29 KOs) will face Wach (24-0, 12 KOs) for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) International heavyweight title in the 12-round main event of “Heat Wave,” presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. McBride’s bout against Wach is one of two title fights on July 29th; Elvin Ayala (23-5-1, 11 KOs) of New Haven, Conn., will battle former two-time world champion Israel “Pito” Cardona (36-10, 28 KOs) of Hartford in the 10-round co-feature for the vacant WBC U.S. National Boxing Council (USNBC) middleweight title, a belt once held by former world champions Paul Williams and Lamont Peterson.
Once again, McBride faces long odds; Wach is a shade taller at 6-foot-7 ½ and is also seven years younger than his opponent. Originally from Krakow, Poland, Wach now trains in North Bergen, N.J., under the tutelage of Juan and Carlos De Leon, who are famous for their work with undefeated heavyweight “Baby” Joe Mesi.
Though he’s admittedly unfamiliar with the WBC International title and its illustrious history – Wladimir Klitschko, Oliver McCall and John Ruiz are among a prestigious list of former champions – McBride is well aware of what a victory could mean as his career draws to a close. More than half of the fighters who’ve won this belt have gone on to win a major world title, and the winner on July 29th might get an opportunity to add to that list.
For McBride, it’s now or never; despite beating Tyson, he’s never fought for a major world title. After getting knocked out by Andrew Golota in 2007, he took three years off before returning to the ring last summer against journeyman Zack Page. McBride hasn’t had much success in his comeback, winning only once in four tries within the past year, but he knows it only takes one punch to shock the world and take his career to new heights.
“Every fighter has a dream,” McBride said. “I want to be the second Cinderella story of this century. Everyone counted out [former two-time world heavyweight champion] George Foreman [against Michael Moorer in 1994] and he came back and won a world title when he was 45 years old.
“Foreman proved the last thing that leaves you is your power. I don’t have any particular strategy; I’m just trying to catch him on his chin and prove I’m a better fighter. Don’t leave your seat too quickly, because anything can happen at any given second.”
Ranked No. 13 in the WBC, Wach – who recently signed a multi-year promotional agreement with CES in association with Global Boxing Promotions – began working with the De Leon brothers six weeks ago in hopes of becoming a more versatile boxer, not just a puncher with exceptional power.
“The De Leon brothers have been a great addition to my team,” Wach said. “The experience they have between them has given me a new dimension to my arsenal. Juan has helped improve my power by getting me to commit more to my punches. Carlos [a former four-time cruiserweight champion] has fought so many great fighters and has a world of wisdom to impart; it’s a great honor to have him with me. It’s also comforting to know that whatever situation arises, both men in my corner will have the answers waiting for me.”
“He’s learned a lot,” Juan De Leon said. “Whoever has seen him in the past, he looks nothing like he did eight weeks ago. What I’ve been doing is making sure he uses his distance. He’s tall, has a good jab, has tremendous power, footwork, flexibility – he has everything. My job is to put it all together.
“He was built to throw punches,” he added, “but now we’ve taught him how to move and how to cut off the ring. We’ve taught him to use every inch of the ring. He knows when to push and when to step back. He knows what to do when feels a little tired. When either my brother or I say something, he delivers right away. We’ve got a great team here and we’re excited about the opportunity of having a future world champion on our hands.”
Before he focuses on a world title, Wach must first deal with McBride, who has proven he can excel in the underdog role. The 6-foot-6 slugger became the youngest super heavyweight in Olympic history when he represented Ireland in the 1992 Summer Games, competing amongst a field that included former world-title contender Larry Donald and semifinalist Brian Nielson, who won the International Boxing Organization (IBO) heavyweight title in 1996.
“McBride isn’t the fastest fighter, but he’s very tough and smart,” Wach said. “I’m used to facing tall opponents, but what makes this fight different is that McBride has a lot of experience and doesn’t give up easily. He took very strong punches from Mike Tyson and never gave up and never quit when Tomasz Adamek was out-boxing him, so I know I’m in for a good challenge.”
Unlike McBride, Wach understands the significance of the WBC International title and has one eye toward the future as he prepares for July 29th. The Klitschkos – both Wladimir and WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko – are waiting in the wings for whichever contender dares to challenge them next.
“It is an honor to have the opportunity to fight for this title, because it brings me one step closer to a fight with one of the Klitschko brothers for the world title,” Wach said.
“I want the opportunity to fight the best in the world, but I know I must earn it first, and this is part of that. This belt is essential to my heavyweight championship dreams coming true. All the great fighters have won belts like this one before facing the legends of their day. The legends of my day have won this belt, and so will I.”
Whether or not Wach succeeds depends on McBride’s ability to land his trademark knockout punch. McBride isn’t interested in trying to outbox the taller, rangier Wach on July 29th; his goal is to connect squarely on the chin, perhaps with a blow strong enough to make an entire country feel the aftershock.
“He better watch out,” McBride said. “I’m going to go in there and take care of business. I fight with no fear. This guy is undefeated – God bless him – but I’m not here to lose. I’ve got 29 knockouts, so I must be doing something right.
“This is a great opportunity, and wherever there’s an opportunity, there’s a chance.”
The undercard of “Heat Wave” features Pawtucket, R.I., middleweight Thomas Falowo (3-0, 3 KOs) facing Russ Niggemyer (2-2, 2 KOs) of Hilliard, Ohio; New Haven welterweight Edwin Soto (6-0-1, 2 KOs) battling Jose Duran (6-5-2, 3 KOs) of Sarasota, Fla.; undefeated heavyweight Artur Spzilka of Poland (5-0, 3 KOs) facing Philadelphia’s David Williams (6-4-1, 2 KOs), and New Bedford, Mass., welterweight Johnathan Vazquez (4-0, 3 KOs) taking on Agustine Maurus of Lawrence, Mass., in Maurus’ debut. Cruiserweight Jose Torres of Springfield, Mass., will make his debut against Orion Sistrunk (5-25-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia; super middleweight Greg McCoy (2-3-1, 1 KO) of New Haven will fight in a separate four-round bout; and super middleweight Keith Kozlin (6-2, 4 KOs) of Warwick, R.I., will face Woonsocket’s Reynaldo Rodriguez (5-2, 2 KOs) in a six-round intrastate showdown. Also, former “The Contender” reality television star Jeff Fraza (17-3, 10 KOs) of Haverhill, Mass., will face Pawtucket, R.I., light middleweight Eddie Soto (12-2, 4 KOs) in a six-round bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets for “Heat Wave,” which are priced at $40, $65 and $105, can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254 or Ticketmaster at 1.800.745.3000. Fans can also purchase tickets online at www.cesboxing.com, www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office. For more information on “Heat Wave,” visit www.cesboxing.com or www.mohegansun.com. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Team Ruiz Wants Caballero
Rising bantamweight prospect Michael Ruiz Jr. moved past the first rival of his professional career in his last outing in May and now has his sights set on a former amateur nemesis in Randy Caballero.
Ruiz (8-0-1, 3 KOs) of Fresno, California put tough Jonathan Alcantara in his rearview with a unanimous six-round decision in Reno, Nevada on May 27th. Alcantara held Ruiz to a draw last November, but managed to only win one round on one official card in the rematch. Ready to move on to the next level, Ruiz and his team are eyeing the Golden Boy Promotions-promoted Caballero (12-0, 7 KOs) of Coachella, California.
Caballero claimed the WBC Youth Intercontinental Super Bantamweight title with a victory over Alexis Santiago this past Friday at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California. Caballero claimed an eight-round unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Santiago, but the scoring left some scratching their heads. Despite the competitive nature of the bout, only one of the three judges seated ringside managed to find a round to give Santiago.
Ruiz’ manager Repo Ric happened to be on hand working the event. Ruiz’ Tio Alfredo lives in the Indio area and has been keeping his eye on Caballero, who has fought seven of his last eight fights at the Fantasy Springs Casino. Prior to the fight, Alfredo got Repo’s attention with a suggestion. It was Ruiz’ uncle’s idea that Repo match Ruiz with Caballero a couple fights down the road.
“When I watched him, I got pissed off and called him out,” recalls Repo, who was not impressed one bit by Caballero’s performance. “The scorecard was pathetic. [Caballero] lost every round, and that was bull. Santiago was bad, he threw way more punches. The scores were so bad.”
Outraged by the decision and intrigued about a potential Caballero-Ruiz showdown, Repo confronted the new titleholder and his father-trainer Marcos. “I said why don’t you fight Mike Ruiz, let him get a shot at that title,” recalls Repo. “His father and I got into a confrontation in front of everybody. They filmed it and it was in the paper and everything. I called him out baby, I called him out.”
Reports of the backstage argument made Caballero’s hometown paper The Desert Sun and video was filmed and posted on YouTube. Caballero, who cites an amateur victory over Ruiz, tells the camera, “I’ll sign anything.” Repo Ric would like to hold him to that by getting Caballero to fight Ruiz outside the friendly confines of his home arena and on a card promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions.
Word about the potential match-up and the confrontation got to Ruiz, and the Fresno-prospect decided to take a look at the bout, which aired nationally on Telefutura. Ruiz’ assessment of Caballero’s victory mirrored that of his manager’s. “Randy is a good fighter and everything, but he was fighting in his hometown, so he got some favor from the judges,” says Ruiz.
“If Alexis had a little more power, it would have been a different fight, but he did outpunch [Caballero] in the first four rounds,” says Ruiz. “He had him beat, then Randy got a couple rounds, but the last round I gave to Alexis. All in all, I thought Alexis had the fight, but what can I say.”
In the YouTube video, Caballero is quick to mention his amateur win over Ruiz, but as is often times the case, an amateur victory is not a good indication of how a pro fight would unfold. “I fought him once in the amateurs,” recalls Ruiz of their 2008 meeting, which took place at 112-pounds. “I had only about thirteen amateur fights, and he had 240. It was my first time at nationals and I fought him in the semi-finals and he beat me by a couple points. I fought straight up with him, but he beat me on points.”
“I fought a pro style against him there, but I was just starting,” explains Ruiz. “In the pros it’s a different style. He’s a good fighter. He was a good amateur and it would be a good fight.”
Given Caballero’s notoriety, a fight with him would be a quality opportunity for Ruiz to make a name for himself on the world level. It’s an opportunity Ruiz looks forward to gaining. “This would be an opportunity for me to show everything I have, everything I have been working for and everything that my trainers have put me through, step-by-step,” explains Ruiz. “This would be a good challenge for me and I am excited. So whenever they put that fight together, I am ready.”
Ruiz is always in the gym and in fighting shape should he get the call that a fight is signed. Should the call come in that Randy Caballero has signed the contract, Ruiz vows to be ready for the challenge. “I am ready and I have no doubt in my mind,” says Ruiz. “I will pour everything out of my heart and my body. If I fight the way I am supposed to fight and do everything I am supposed to do and give it my all, then I have no doubt I will beat him. If my team has no doubt, I have no doubt in myself. I am going to go in there and handle this. This is what I am here for.”