(Photo credit: Matchroom Sport) Kell Brook: This fight has been a long time coming but I am just so pleased that we’re going to get it on – I want to prove on March 17 that I’m the number one Welterweight in Britain. Matthew is a proven fighter and as tough as they come and the Hatton’s have done so much for boxing. But this feels like my big night and it’s a dream come true to be headlining the Motorpoint Arena Sheffield. I remember watching Johnny Nelson and Ryan Rhodes fighting in The Full Monty back in 1997, and now it’s my turn to be the big draw – I can’t wait.
Matthew Hatton: I always knew that Kell and I would fight. I’ve got nothing but respect for Kell and there’s no doubt that he’s a real talent, but I am peaking at the right time and we’ll see just how talented he is on fight night. There’s local rivalry there with the War of the Roses but for me, this is truly a fight with worldwide significance as we are two of the best Welterweights in the World. I want to prove that I am the number one Welterweight in Britain but talk is cheap and on March 17 we will have a definite answer.
Eddie Hearn: This is the sort of fight that I love to be involved in – a classic British battle between two great fighters. I fully expect this to catch the imagination of fight fans and the general public and really be something very big when we get to fight night. We talked to World champions for Kell but nothing that was put on the table excited me as much as this fight.
Ray Hatton: The fight was talked about a year ago but that was too soon. Kell is a fabulous talent but he’d been too inactive. He’s been impressive in his last fights and Sky Sports see a winner in him so the time is right now for this fight to happen.
Hatton’s trainer Bob Shannon: Matthew will be in great shape on March 17 and this is a fight that will be won by who gets their tactics right. I know Kell well and I will live and breathe Kell Brook from now until fight night. He is a proper talent but this is a real test to see just how talented he is.
Brook’s trainer Dominic Ingle: Bob is right – this fight is all about the tactics. Kell has Plan A and that’s to win, so Matthew will have to have Plan A, B and C to cause Kell problems. But I’m very pleased Matthew has taken the fight, a lot of other fighters would have turned this down and gone for a World title fight. But he recognises that this is a massive fight, Bob has got him in great shape and I am excited that we are getting it on.
Bam on boxing: Chambers vs. Liakhovich, Rosado vs. Soto-Karass on Jan. 21
Three Philadelphia fighters face off in very tough fights on Friday, Jan. 21, at the Asylum Arena in South Philadelphia. In the 10-round main event heavyweight Fast Eddie Chambers faces Sergei White Wolf Liakhovich of Vitebsk, Belarus. Local favorite, junior middleweight King Gabriel Rosado goes to war with Mexico’s Jesus Soto-Karass in the 10-round co-feature. On the undercard, welterweight The New Ray Robinson tests himself in an eight-rounder with Doel Carrasquillo, of Lancaster, PA.
The local fight community knows these fighters either on a personal or professional level or has heard about at least one of them. What do we know about where these fighters are rooted, coming from three different gyms, in three different areas, with three different trainers.
Chambers lives in New Jersey and travels to West Philadelphia to train. He works out of the James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym at 750 N. Brooklyn Street. The gym is nationally known for its outstanding fighters coming as well as having nationally known trainer Nazim Richardson as part of the Shuler’s Team.
The gym is one of the many across the city that is always active and has well-known, old-time fighters such as Robert Bam Bam Hines and Percy Buster Custis working with fighters in the gym.
Shuler’s has both pros and amateurs who work with one another on a daily basis. Along with Chambers, pros such as cruiserweight Steve Cunningham, super middleweight Dafir Smith, junior welterweight Steve Upsher-Chambers fill the gym. Shuler’s gym, though having a strong professional influence, is just as wrapped up in the amateurs, housing the Mid-Atlantic tournament every Saturday this month.
Chambers is trained by internationally known trainer James Ali Bashir. This will be his first bout with Bashir and it will be interesting to see what Bashir brings to the table with the already skilled heavyweight.
One of the only local trainers who uses old-school techniques like Richardson and Bashir, along with a few unique training spins such as having his fighter train while wearing a gas mask, is Billy Briscoe at the Rivera Recreation Center.
The Rivera Rec, at at 5th and Allegheny, and is caught up in the mix of North Philadelphia gyms, Philly Rumblers, Front Street and Harrowgate. The difference between Rivera Rec and majority of local gyms is that Rivera is hot no matter what time of the year and that makes it easier to cut weight.
Front Street gym’s lightweight Angel Ocasio has been working out at the Rivera Rec for various reasons, but the fact that it is hot in the gym this time of the year allows him to cut weight more easily for his upcoming bout on Greg Robinson’s card Jan. 13 at the National Guard Armory in Northeast Philadelphia.
Rosado, who was at the press workout on Monday at the Joe Hand Gym, told me that the canvas at Rivera Rec is carpet, which gives it that old-school gym feel. The old-school training that Briscoe puts Rosado through ties into Rosado perfectly. He has the heart of a true Philly fighter yet markets himself the way the new-age mainstream fighter should. You can’t miss him on Facebook or twitter (@KingGabRosado). Rosado will be in a war on Jan. 21 and fans are guaranteed an exciting bout.
The Joe Hand Gym, located in Northern Liberties section at 3rd and Spring Garden, is one of the cleanest gyms anywhere. This gym houses welterweight Robinson along with welterweight Mike Jones, super bantamweight Teon Kennedy (who headlines ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights this week) and middleweight Latif Mundy. The Joe Hand Gym is their second home.
This gym is where Bernard Hopkins makes home when training. It has a few old-time fighters training young fighters just as Shuler’s does. Smokin’ Wade Hinnant, and Bobby Boogaloo Watts are just two familiar faces.
Robinson is trained Howard Moses Mosley, who is more like a father figure to Robinson than anything. Moses and Robinson have a bond that boxing is built around without the title that comes along with it, the father-son relationship does not always work in boxing but it is always strongly rooted in the sport. These two have that bond and make it work.
Here are three different fighters, three different fighter-trainer relationships and three different gyms, all having one goal— to win.
The author is a senior at Temple University who is now a part of Peltz Boxing. Follow us on twitter @Peltzboxing and our intern @bamonboxing
UNDEFEATED MIKEY FARAGON TO HEADLINE ON JANUARY 19TH ON GFL
NEW YORK (JANUARY 11, 2012)—On Thursday night January 19th, a great night of boxing will be streamed LIVE all over the world as Greg Cohen Promotions presents Championship boxing at the Hilton Garden Inn in Staten Island, New York.
The night of boxing begins at 7:30 pm for a price of just $9.99 and can be ordered when clicking:
http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Greg_Cohen_Promotions_Presents_Championship_Boxing/1316
In the main event, popular Mikey Faragon will see action in the six round main event.
Faragon of Guilderland, New York has been perfect with a record of 16-0 with seven knockouts and is a very exciting fighter that has amassed a great fan base in the New York area.
This will be Faragon’s second appearance on GFL.TV and first since a six round unanimous decision over Albert Amaro on July 31st, 2009.
Faragon is coming off his most impressive win to date as he stopped Ira Terry (24-5) on August 5th.
Fighting in the six round co-feature will be one of the top prospects in the country as Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia risks his perfect mark against Ishwar Amador in a Jr. Middleweight bout.
Tapia of Passaic, New Jersey has a record of 12-0 with six knockouts and has appeared on some of the biggest cards in the world over the past few years.
Tapia has appeared on the big stage at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk and Madison Square Garden and has beat the likes of James Winchester and in his last bout, Tapia scored an explosive second round knockout over highly regarded Mike Ruiz as part of the Miguel Cotto – Antonio Margarito undercard in Madison Square Garden.
The Jr. Middleweight prospect, who gained a world wide reputation as being one of the toughest sparring partners that pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao has had in recent time, will be making his second appearance on GFL.TV
Amador of Mira Loma, California has a record of 11-9 with six knockouts has not had it easy as he turned pro against 12-0 contender Eric Regan. Amador has faced four undefeated opponents plus former world title challenger Shibata Flores. Amador holds a win over then 19-4 Alvaro Ayala.
Popular New Area Jr. Middleweight Tommy “Razor” Rainone (16-4, 4 KO’s) will see action in a six round bout against Sean Wilson (6-5, 5 KO’s) of Nebraska.
In a six round female special attraction, Diana Prazak (9-1, 7 KO’s) of Australia will be making her American debut against Lucia Larcinese (4-8) of Montreal in a Super Featherweight bout.
Good looking Light Heavyweight prospect Travis Peterkin (3-0, 3 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY takes on Ralph Johnson (0-2) of Massachusetts.
Anthony “Juice” Young (2-0, 1 KO) of Atlantic City will see action in a four round Welterweight bout.
Lightweight Nicky DeMarco (3-2, 2 KO’s) will be making his return in a four round bout.
Rounding out the card will be Jr. Middleweight Noel Godson, who will make his pro debut against Tony Harvey (0-3)