CARSON, Calif. (July 8, 2011) – The BRANDON RIOS vs. URBANO ANTILLON fight week activities have only furthered the bad blood between the two relentless lightweights. SHOWTIME analyst AL BERNSTEIN is on site in Carson, Calif. with a news update on the impending slugfest. Televised live from The Home Depot Center on SHOWTIME®, beginning TOMORROW/Saturday at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), the broadcast will open with a 10-round junior middleweight rumble between former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion KERMIT CINTRON and CARLOS MOLINA and feature highlights from LUCIAN BUTE’s IBF super middleweight title defense against JEAN-PAUL MENDY from Romania.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Tecate, remaining tickets for The Home Depot Center’s Rios vs. Antillon World Lightweight Championship fight card, priced at $125, $75, $50 and $25, can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.Ticketmaster.com as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Suites are available by calling 1-877-604-8777.
For Rios vs. Antillon fight week updates, log on to sports.SHO.com or www.toprank.com.
USBA heavyweight champ Maurice Harris seeks redemption July 16
NEW YORK (July 8, 2011) – Much more than his title belt will be on line Saturday night, July 16 when USBA Heavyweight Champion Maurice“Sugar Moe” Harris makes his first defense against Derric “The Shaolin Fist” Rossy at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. Harris needs to erase the memories of his last fight in order to keep his roller coaster-like career alive.
Harris (24-15-2, 10 KOs) was stopped in the third round by Tony “The Tiger” Thompson (36-2, 24 KOs) in May, live on ESPN Friday Night Fights in their International Boxing Federation (IBF) Box-Off.
“I was used to taking last minute fights and didn’t know how to handle two months of training for that fight,” Harris said.“I left it in the gym and on the roads running. That wasn’t me. I wanted to look so good fighting on television for my family and those supporting me. I put too much pressure on myself. I take nothing away from Tony Thompson. I respect him and he was the better man that night, but he was fouling (rabbit punches) me throughout the fight. No excuses, though, I blame myself. I’m a man. I know I need to focus on the task at hand and not worry about my last fight.”
The 35-year-old Harris, winner of the 2002 Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament, has defeated world champions (Sergei Liakhovich) and challengers but he’s also lost to several club fighters during his up-and-down career.
“I was so confident Maurice would beat Thompson that I would have bet my house,”Harris’ promoter (Boxing 360 CEO/Founder) Mario Yagobi remarked.” His last fight was a fluke. Maurice was hit behind the head so many times that and had double, even triple vision. Otherwise he would have been able to have a much performance. I know how talented he is and I believe in him.”
“No way Derrick Rossy beats Maurice, but he also needs to come back strong to show people that this is the real Moe, not the fighter people saw in his last fight. Maurice has it all over Rossy: boxing IQ and experience. He’s motivated because he needs to win. . His boxing career is at stake. There’s no place for him to go if he doesn’t win.”
Rossy (25-4, 14 KOs), rated No. 15 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), was a standout college football player at Boston College. He also lost in this year’s IBF Box-Off to Eddie Chambers by 12-round decision. His most significant victories have been versus former World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion and 1988 Olympic gold-medal winner Ray Mercer (DEC12) and world title challenger Carl David Drummond (DEC10)
“Rossy is a good fighter and it should be an interesting fight,” IBF No. 8 rated Harris commented. “I know he’s inexperienced – he’s been fighting six years and I’ve been doing this for 20 –and he makes a lot of mistakes. I need to beat him to get back where I was. He’s in my way and I don’t plan on giving up my belt.
Other members of Boxing 360’s stable include World Boxing Council (WBC) #5 super bantamweight Leon “Hurry Up” Moore, former IBF super middleweight champion Alejandro “Naco” Berrio, unbeaten welterweight prospect Vitaliy “Demyan”Demyanenko WBC Caribbean & NY State super middleweight champion Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen, Dominican lightweight champion Eudy “AK47” Bernardo, KO king Tyrone Brunson, heavyweight Mike Mollo, unbeaten NABF featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, Nick “Hands of Gold” Casal, middleweight prospect DonYil Livingston, Joel Diaz Jr., and “King”David Estrada.
Seven Boxers Earn U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men’s Boxing Berths at the Last Chance Qualifier Tournament
(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Seven Olympic hopefuls officially punched their tickets for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men’s Boxing on Friday at the Last Chance Qualifier tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio. The remaining three weight classes boxed in semifinal round competition on Friday and the light welterweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions will hold their final round contests on Saturday.
Erros Correa (San Jose, Calif.) was the first boxer to clinch his Olympic Trials berth in Cincinnati, taking the light flyweight crown. Correa claimed the final spot in Mobile with a closely contested 22-20 victory over Stephen Fulton, Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.).
Flyweight Shawn Simpson (Chicago, Ill.) won the second championship of the evening in his showdown with Ernesto Degadillo (Dallas, Texas). Simpson recorded a 13-8 decision in the flyweight final to earn the last flyweight slot in Alabama.
In bantamweight action, Isaac Torres (Mission, Texas) claimed the remaining U.S. Olympic Team Trials berth. Torres defeated Joe Perez (Fountain, Colo.) by a 28-16 margin to win the bantamweight final round bout.
2008 Olympian Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio) will return to his second straight U.S. Olympic Team Trials following a championship bout win over Kevin Rivers (Landover, Md.) in their lightweight final. Williams won the bout following Rivers’ disqualification in the third round. Williams earned his berth in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials through the final qualifying tournament in 2008 as well.
The light heavyweight bout featured a close bout from start to finish as 2009 National Champion Robert Brant (Oakdale, Minn.) faced previously unknown Shaborn Ryals (Capitol Heights, Md.). After a long break from the sweet science, Ryals made a triumphant return pulling out a 23-23 tiebreaker victory over Brant in his 113-107 total punch count edge.
Heavyweight Robert Jekabson (Chicago, Ill.) took the final Olympic Trials in his weight division with a convincing 28-15 victory over Bryan Daniels (Boylston, Mass.) in their final round contest.
The super heavyweight division featured the final championship night of the evening and the title went to Brett Rather (Las Vegas, Nev.). Rather won a 31-26 decision over Trevor Bryan (Albany, N.Y.) to claim the last title of Friday’s action.
The light welterweight division was the first weight class to compete in semifinal round action on Friday and 2009 National Champion Duran Caferro (Helena, Mont.) won the first spot. Caferro recorded a 32-22 decision over Ryan Karl (Milano, Texas) to advance to the championship bout with Robert Easter, Jr. (Toledo, Ohio). Easter clinched his berth in the finals with a 30-14 victory over Javonn Barnes (Muskegon, Mich.) in their semifinal showdown.
Two New York state foes will face off in the welterweight championship bout following double-digit victories in their semifinal bouts. Patrick Day (Freeport, N.Y.) claimed the first spot, taking a 21-9 decision over Tony Losey (Wichita, Kansas). Day will challenge Amir Imam (Albany, N.Y.) in the championship bout on Saturday night. Imam won a 23-16 decision in his bout with Anthony Gangemi (Mine Hill, N.J.).
2010 National Champion Luis Arias (Milwaukee, Wis.) continued his winning streak in semifinal round competition. Arias stopped Akil Frederick-Auguste (Brooklyn, N.Y.) in the second round of their contest to clinch his final round berth. He will battle Kenton Sippio-Cook (Round Rock, Texas) in the finals on Saturday night. Sippio-Cook recorded a 46-32 victory over Demond Nicholson (Laurel, Md.) to move on to final round competition.
The final three championship bouts of the Last Chance Qualifier will begin at 7 p.m. tomorrow night at the Taft Masonic Center.
Friday Results
Championship Bouts
108 lbs: Erros Correa, San Jose, Calif., dec. Stephen Fulton, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., 22-20
114 lbs: Shawn Simpson, Chicago, Ill., dec. Ernesto Degadillo, Dallas, Texas, 13-8
123 lbs: Isaac Torres, Mission, Texas, dec. Joe Perez, Fountain, Colo., 28-16
132 lbs: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio, won on disqualification over Kevin Rivers, Landover, Md., DQ-3
178 lbs: Shaborn Ryals, Capitol Heights, Md., dec. Robert Brant, Oakdale, Minn., 23-23 (113-107)
201 lbs: Robert Jekabson, Chicago, Ill., dec. Bryan Daniels, Boylston, Mass, 28-16
201+ lbs: Brett Rather, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Trevor Bryan, Albany, N.Y., 31-26
Semifinal Bouts
141 lbs: Duran Caferro, Helena, Mont., dec. Ryan Karl, Milano, Texas, 32-22
141 lbs: Robert Easter, Jr., Toledo, Ohio dec. Javonn Barnes, Muskegon, Mich., 30-14
152 lbs: Patrick Day, Freeport, N.Y., dec. Tony Losey, Wichita, Kansas, 21-9
152 lbs: Amir Imam, Albany, N.Y., dec. Anthony Gangemi, Mine Hill, N.J., 23-16
165 lbs: Kenton Sippio-Cook, Round Rock, Texas dec. Demond Nicholson, Laurel, Md., 46-32
165 lbs: Luis Arias, Milwaukee, Wis., stopped Akil Frederick-Auguste, Brooklyn, N.Y., RSC-2 (2:40)
Saturday’s Championship Bouts
141 lbs: Duran Caferro, Helena, Mont., vs. Robert Easter, Jr., Toledo, Ohio
152 lbs: Patrick Day, Freeport, N.Y. vs. Amir Imam, Albany, N.Y.
165 lbs: Kenton Sippio-Cook, Round Rock, Texas vs. Luis Arias, Milwaukee, Wis.
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).