World Champion Nathan Cleverly has been forced to withdraw from his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Light-Heavyweight title defence against Robin Krasniqi due to a viral infection.
The unbeaten Welsh star was scheduled to face Kosovan Krasniqi on Saturday 28th April at the Royal Albert Hall in London, but has been unable to train for his fourth title defence.
Hatfield’s Olympic star Billy Joe Saunders, who was chief support on the card, will now replace Cleverly and headline the first night of professional championship boxing to be held at the world famous venue in nearly 13 years when he takes on Tony Hill for the Vacant English Middleweight title.
Joint top of the bill on the show will see Chislehurst’s Sam Webb in a final eliminator for the British Light-Middleweight Championship against Manchester’s hard-hitting Matthew Hall.
A devastated Cleverly said, “I’ve been unable to train because I’ve been laid up in bed with a viral infection and there’s not enough time to make up what I’ve missed in training to make sure I’m fully fit,”
“I’ve taken the advice of my doctor and been told to fully rest before attempting to start training again,”
“I’m really disappointed because I was looking forward to being the first fighter to bring boxing back to the Royal Albert Hall in over a decade and the first of the century,”
“It was a big night for me as Hopkins was facing Dawson on the same night and I was looking to do a good job on Krasniqi to get a fight with the winner,”
“I’m sorry for my fans, but I’m happy that the show will go on and a great talent like Billy Joe Saunders will now be topping the card along with Sam Webb and Matthew Hall which looks like a cracking fight.”
Saunders, the Southern Area Middleweight champion, said, “This is a great chance for me to shine on the show and show my potential,”
“I’m Britain’s next star in the making and to now headline the Royal Albert Hall is dream come true for me and I will put on a fight to remember against Hill.”
Promoter Frank Warren added, “It’s such a shame that Cleverly has been hit with a viral infection and at a crucial time in his training and career,”
“He is unable to fight and he now needs to have a good rest, get himself healthy and resume training before we look to reschedule his title defence,”
“However, Billy Joe Saunders, who is one of the best young talents in Britain right now, is hungry and ready to prove that he is next big thing and this is the perfect occasion for him to do this.”
The rest of the card features some of the best talent in Britain including unbeaten welterweight Bradley Skeete; hard-hitting super-middleweight Frank Buglioni, light-welterweight Bradley Saunders; welterweights Freddie Turner and Dean Byrne.
Ivan Morales Headlines First Fight Card
After a successful event this past Saturday night where WBO bantamweight queen Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West successfully defended her crown against Argentinean Claudia Andrea “Chica 10” Lopez in Rosarito, Mexico, Erik “Terrible” Morales’ Box Latino jumps back into the mix with an explosive fight card featuring the best Tijuana has to offer. Slated for the historic Tijuana Auditorium on Monday, April 23, the line up titled “The Dynasty Continues” calls up memories of the golden era of Tijuana boxing during the eighties when all the top prospects including Julio Cesar Chavez, Raul “Jibaro” Perez and Manuel “Mantecas” Media among others would perform in front of adoring local crowds every other Monday night. This event looks to be no different.
In the main event, undefeated twenty-one year old Ivan “Niño Maravilla” Morales (16-0, 11KOs) takes on Edgar “Destroyer” Martinez (9-5, 5KOs) of Anahuac, Chihuahua, for ten bantamweight rounds in his second fight of the year. In his first back in January, the southpaw Morales impressed his hometown fans with a third round stoppage of the durable Ricardo “Rocky” Armenta. Now, Morales, the younger brother of former world champions Erik and Diego, looks to take his first steps towards history as he looks to put together a successful campaign leading up to a world title and thus become part of the first set of three siblings to be crowned world champions.
In the semi-main event, Tijuana top prospect Emilio Bojorquez (20-1, 14KOs) continues his meteoric rise in the ranks as he faces his sternest test yet in Alberto “La Mosca” Mendoza Martinez (16-6, 11KOs) in an eight round junior welterweight contest. Bojorquez, a blue chip Baja California amateur standout, is on a KO streak as he has stopped his last two opponents and dominated Alejandro Alonso and Jorge Juarez in his last four starts. Martinez from Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, has faced the better opposition Rosbel Montoya, Ivan Pereyra and the son of Julio Cesar Chavez, Omar “Business Man” Chavez.
Also featured on the card will be local stars Javier “Cobra” Mendoza (16-2-1, 13KOs), Christian “Huevo” Bojorquez (6-0, 1KO), San Diego’s Adrian Vargas (6-0-1, 4KOs) and Pablo Armenta (8-1-1, 4KOs) as well as Mexico City’s Pedro “Guerrero” Melo (7-3-1, 1KO) and Los Mochis, Mexico’s Osvaldo “Waldo” Castro (12-4-1, 8KOs).
Tickets will be available on the ticket office of the Tijuana Auditorium ranging from $15-$5dlls. Doors open at 7:30pm with the first punch thrown at 8:30pm.
Lange vs. Jeter Beltway Showdown Headlines June 23rd Jimmy Lange Boxing Show Coming to Patriot Center
Fairfax, VA (April 18, 2012) — Jimmy Lange Boxing officials announced today that a 10-Round Middleweight Beltway Battle between Virginia fan favorite Jimmy Lange (38-4-2, 25 KOs) and popular Maryland fighter Tony “Mo Better” Jeter (13-3-1, 9 KOs) will headline its next card on Saturday, June 23, 2012 at the Patriot Center. Tickets, starting at $35 and available through all Ticketmaster Outlets including the Patriot Center box office, go on sale this Friday, April 20 at 10:00 am. The event is presented by Valcourt Building Services.
Considered one of the top showcases of its kind in the country, the event will feature an all-star undercard led by World Boxing Council (WBC) and Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) female middleweight champion Tori “Sho Nuff” Nelson (6-0-1) of Ashburn, VA, undefeated junior welterweight Todd “White Lightning” Wilson (13-0, 3 KOs) of Fairfax, VA, and rising unbeaten heavyweight Duane Mobley (1-0) of Upper Marlboro, MD. Highly regarded teenage welterweight prospect Dusty Harrison (5-0, 2 KOs) of Washington, DC will make his Patriot Center debut on the card. The high school senior will be eligible for a Virginia boxing license on May 21 when he turns 18. Fighters’ opponents are to be determined.
This will be Lange’s first bout against a local boxer at the Patriot Center since defeating Perry Ballard on September 17, 2005. The former season one star from The Contender television series has headlined all 14 previous Patriot Center cards, compiling an 11-2-1 record. He’s on a seven-bout winning streak, having captured the World Boxing Union (WBU) Junior Middleweight and the World Boxing Council (WBC) NABA USA Light Middleweight belts along the way. In his last fight held February 11, 2012 in Fairfax, Lange scored a unanimous 12-round decision over Ruben Galvan.
Jeter is known for his punching prowess, which was on display during his Patriot Center debut on September 26, 2009, when he dropped Keith Gross with a devastating right that earned “KO of the Year” honors from Boxing Along the Beltway. This will be Jeter’s toughest opponent to date and first 10-round contest (Lange has gone 10 rounds six times and 12 rounds three times). The Stevensville, MD boxer went 9-0-1 following a two-and-a-half year hiatus from the sport before being upset by Jose Felix last December. Jeter avenged his loss to Felix two months later capturing the eight-round rematch and the Universal Boxing Organization (UBO) All-America and United States Boxing Union (USBU) Middleweight belts.
Lange and Jeter share one common opponent: tough Baltimore journeyman Mike McFail, whom they both defeated, Lange twice.
Doors will open at 6:00 pm, with the first fight scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm. All bouts are subject to change. Jackie “First Lady of Boxing” Kallen is the promoter with matchmaking handled by JD Brown.
Tickets, priced at $35, $50, $75, $125, $200, $300 and $500 (plus applicable service charges), will be available for purchase through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Patriot Center box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com/ and via Phonecharge at 703-573-SEAT, 202-397-SEAT and 410-547-SEAT.