ANTHONY CROLLA has targeted winning a Lonsdale belt outright before becoming world lightweight champion. The popular Mancunian makes the second defence of his British crown against Derry Mathews (29-6-1) at Oldham Sports Centre on Saturday night (April 21).
If Crolla (23-2) beats his Liverpool rival he’ll be just one notch away from claiming a Lonsdale belt for keeps.
Hatton Promotions star Crolla, 25, said: “The Lonsdale belt is my absolute pride and joy. It means the world to me and my family are so proud of it.
“To have one for keeps on the mantel piece means the world to me. I always said when I came into boxing it was my ambition to win a Lonsdale belt.
“I boxed on an amateur show when I was a kid and saw one. Ever since those it has been a target.”
Crolla knows the world title scene is wide open. The WBA belt is vacant and Scot Ricky Burns is among the other champions.
Anthony added: “I am not distracted by talk of world title fights because the fight I am preparing for is the most important.
“If the next one goes wrong against Mathews talk of European and world title fights down the line go out of the window.”
Other Contests: Jon Lewis Dickinson v Matty Askin (10×3 cruiserweight), Stephen Foster Jr v Jose Antonio Elizabeth (6×3 super-featherweight), Jazza Dickins v Yuri Voronin (6×3 super-bantamweight), Lucas Brown v Paul Butlin (6 rounds heavyweight), Adam Little v Chris Jenkinson (6×3 welterweight), Tommy Stubbs v Gavin Reid (4×3 bantamweight), Ryan Doyle v Selected Opponent (4×3 featherweight).
Boxing starts at 6.15pm and tickets are on sale. They are priced at £35 general admission, £55 floor seating, £75 ringside and £100 VIP Ringside. You can buy by calling the Hatton Box Office 01925 755 222, Ticketmaster 0844 847 2500, Ticketline 0844 888 9991, any boxer on the bill or online www.hattonboxing.com
Kaliesha West wins in Mexico, retains the WBO Bantamweight Title
West retained her World Boxing Organization (WBO) Bantamweight title on April 14, defeating Argentina’s Claudia Andrea Lopez by majority decision in Rosarito, Mexico.
Rosarito, Baja California (B.C.) Mexico – World Boxing Organization (WBO) Bantamweight Champion, Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West (Moreno Valley, California, 15-1-3, 4 KOs) defeated Claudia Andrea “La Chica 10” Lopez (Trelew, Chubut, Argentina, 18-6-0, 4 KOs) via a 10-round majority decision at the Ernesto Ruffo Appel Municipal Gymnasium, located in Rosarito, Mexico. Judges at ringside scored the bout 98-92, 98-92 and 95-95 in favor of West. By defeating Lopez on Saturday night, West, 24, made her third successful WBO title defense.
“I appreciate Box Latino for giving me an internationally televised, title defense opportunity,” Kaliesha West said. “Thank you to everyone for tuning in to support us. Lopez was a crafty veteran who was aggressive during the entire fight. Other boxers avoid her because she is a tough lefty, who has experience fighting good competition. She was what we expected and then some.”
West further stated, “The writing is on the wall for the women’s boxing movement and I’m just glad that I have the opportunity to be a big part of that. We accepted Lopez as a last minute replacement, which gave us the opportunity to fight on Televisa. We later found out that Fox Deportes was also going to televise our fight, just two days before the fight. I hope that fighting in the main event on a televised card gave the women’s boxing supporters and fight fans something to be excited about.”
Coach Juan West, Kaliesha’s trainer, manager and father, was relieved after his daughter’s win. “I’m very grateful to Box Latino, for opening the door to our long-awaited opportunity to be showcased on national television. This fight showed how my daughter and I work together as a unit. Lopez would be a difficult opponent for any fighter to adjust to. As a team, we were able to figure out how to put the puzzle together for the win.”
Coach West continued, “Kaliesha weathered the storm and proved her worth as a respectable champion by finishing strong in the championship rounds. She may have been trying too hard to be impressive in the first few rounds, instead of settling down and fighting her fight. When young fighters get on a big stage, they can sometimes get lost in the cameras. Luckily, I was able to settle Kaliesha down, so that she could follow my instructions. We eventually executed our game plan properly and that contributed to Team West coming out victorious.”
For the latest updates on Kaliesha West, “like” her official fan page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OfficialKalieshaWest.
Follow Kaliesha West on twitter @kwildwildwest or http://www.twitter.com/kwildwildwest.
Aces Boxing Club Now Open In Boonton
Former Air Force veteran and boxing and strength/conditioning coach Joseph Zabry recently relocated his renowned Aces Boxing Club to a new facility on Main Street in Boonton following a flood at his Fairfield location, and is excited to bring boxing to the blue-collar town.
“It’s a very community-oriented town,” said Zabry, owner and head coach of Aces Boxing Club. “Everybody supports each other, especially the businesses here in town. And everybody in town seems like they have a strong sense of Boonton pride; I like the idea of Aces Boxing Club as Boonton’s best.”
Zabry has taken his passion for the pugilistic sport and transformed it into a boxing club geared towards training fighters and helping them on their way in pursuit of whatever direction their careers take them.
“When people start boxing competitively, it is for one of two reasons,” said Zabry. “Depending on their age, they are either fighting to work their way towards the Olympics, or to fighting professionally. My job is to prepare them for both.”
Aces Boxing Club specializes in one-on-one training for both beginners and experienced boxers, allowing individuals to train at their own level. They also offer group training, which allows individuals to learn from the trainer as well as other peers in the group.
The 3,000+ square foot boxing club offers the feel of an old school boxing gym coupled with the latest advancements in sports conditioning and training.
The new boxing club offers a variety of training programs for kids and adults of all ages and athletic levels, from the novice boxer to the seasoned professional. Joe Zabry prides himself on offering selective programs to work with kids after school to help keep them off the streets and out of trouble.
“With our centralized location, kids can get out of school and walk right to the gym,” said Zabry. “Our afterschool program runs 3:30-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, so not only does it give kids an outlet, it gives parents the peace of mind knowing where their kids are and that they are doing something productive.”
Zabry has also announced that on May 25 he will be holding the first USA Amateur Boxing show in Boonton at the Elks Lodge, featuring a handful of Aces Boxing Club’s fighters as well as other up-and-coming local prospects. This will be the first of recurring amateur shows at the Elks Lodge, being held every eight weeks.
“At Aces, we are not your ordinary gym or fitness club,” said Zabry. “We offer 100 percent class or private instruction format to ensure you get the most out of what you are putting in. If you are looking for real boxing and real results, then Aces Boxing Club is the right place for you.”
Aces Boxing Club is located at 718 Main Street “Top Floor” Boonton, NJ 07005; Phone- 973-224-9665.
For more information on how to get started at Aces Boxing Club visit www.acesboxingclub.com.