Tony Bellew’s British light heavyweight title defence against Danny McIntosh at the Echo Arena in Liverpool has been postponed until Friday April 27 after McIntosh withdrew with a chest infection.
The pair were due to clash for the belt on April 13 in Merseyside but McIntosh and injured undercard stars John Watson (rib) and Scotty Cardle (knee) will now have a further fortnight to prepare for the rescheduled date.
“Illness and injury cannot be helped and it’s unfortunate as both Tony and Danny have been training hard for the fight,” said show promoter Dave Coldwell. “I’m sure Danny will be ready and in great shape on April 27, and it promises to be a great evening with a cracking card lined up.”
Tickets purchased for the show remain valid for the rescheduled date.
Team USA Goes 5-0 on the First Day of Competition at the 2012 Women’s Continental Championships in Canada
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO) – Team USA enjoyed a perfect start to the 2012 Women’s Continental Championships on Wednesday at the NAV Centre in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. The U.S. squad won all five bouts on the evening, winning contests from the light flyweight to light heavyweight divisions on day one of the international tournament.
Light flyweight Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.) got the team off to a winning start in her semifinal bout with Canada’s Kim Klavel. Love mounted a comeback in the final round to win a 24-21 decision and move on to Saturday’s finals.
In bantamweight action, Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.) defeated a hometown foe as well, taking a 12-6 decision over Canada’s Vicky Pelletier. Cruz’s quarterfinal win moves her on to Friday’s semifinal action.
Lightweight Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) pulled out a 12-11 victory over Mexico’s Erika Cruz in their first round showdown. Underwood enjoyed a late comeback as well to take the one-point decision. Underwood was the only U.S. boxer in an Olympic weight class to box on Wednesday and will return to the ring for quarterfinal competition on Thursday.
Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.) won the most convincing decision of the day for Team USA, defeating Canada’s Melissa Redmond, 18-6. Mayer’s semifinal win earns her a berth in Saturday’s light welterweight semifinal contest.
Light heavyweight Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) won the final bout of the day for her United States team. Crews claimed a 17-12 win over Andrela Bandeira of Brazil in their semifinal match-up. She joins Love and Mayer in the finals with her opening day win.
Underwood will join flyweight Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) and featherweight Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) in Thursday’s action as Esparza and Brown face Pemela Benavidez of Argentina and Edelme Jeffrey of Saint Lucia respectively. Underwood will battle 2011 Pan American Games bronze medalist Sandra Bizier of Canada in her second bout of the tournament. Welterweight Raquel Miller (San Francisco, Calif.) will be the third U.S. boxer to box on Thursday, taking on Myriam de Silva of Canada in semifinal competition.
The 2012 Women’s Continental Championships can be viewed via livestream at www.gfl.tv for a small fee.
Wednesday’s U.S. Results
108 lbs: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash./USA, dec. Kim Klavel, CAN, 24-21
119 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y./USA dec. Vicky Pelletier, CAN, 12-6
132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash./USA dec. Erika Cruz, MEX, 12-11
141 lbs: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif./USA dec. Melissa Redmond, CAN, 18-6
178 lbs: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md./USA dec. Andrela Bandeira, BRA, 17-12
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).
Vicente and Hazimihalis headline 27th Erie Boxing Classic
ERIE, PENN (April 5, 2012) – Undefeated contenders YENIFEL VICENTE and Ohio buzzsaw CHRIS HAZIMIHALIS headline the 27th Annual Erie Boxing Classic, Friday April 27 at The Avalon Hotel (10th and State St., Erie, Penn.) The undercard will feature the professional debut of U.S. Army veteran and 2011 PAL National Champion SGT. SAMMY VAZQUEZ, who served two tours in Iraq. The show will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Promoted by Michael Acri Boxing Promotions, in association with Budweiser, tickets to the Erie Boxing Classic go on sale today and are priced at $40 (ringside) and $20 (general admission). They can be purchased at Dee’s Cigar Store (1705 State St.), The Avalon Hotel (16 West 10th St.) and the Ringside Restaurant (3202 Sterrettania Rd).
Vicente (22-0-2, 14 KOs), of the Dominican Republic, enters this fight with five of his last six victories coming by way of knockout, including a two-round pasting of Jonathan Perez for the vacant WBA Fedelatin super bantamweight title. World-rated No. 10 by the WBA, Vicente is scheduled to headline the Erie Boxing Classic in a 10-round junior featherweight battle.
Hazimihalis (8-0, 7 KOs), of Campbell, OH, who works under the tutelage of Hall of Fame promoter Emanuel Steward at the world-famous Kronk Gym in Detroit, will be featured in the co-main event in a six-round lightweight bout. Only one opponent, Damon Antoine, has survived Hazimihalis’ steel-belted fists and even he paid a visit to the canvas, in the fourth round, en route to a unanimous decision loss.
The undercard’s featured bout will be the professional debut Sgt. Vazquez of Belle Vernon, Penn. A U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq, Vasquez was the 2011 PAL National Champion and the 2011 and 2010 All Army & Armed Forces Gold Medalist. Vasquez will be fighting in a four-round junior middleweight bout. Ivan Hernandez (1-1) of Dunkirk, NY and the professional debut of Erie native Samantha Griffiths, who trains in Pittsburgh, fighting in separate four-round junior welterweight and lightweight bouts, respectively, highlight the undercard. Details on opponents for all the fighters will be announced soon.