DAVID HAYE is expected to have the last laugh over Dereck Chisora, according to the betting on Betfair. As the feud between the British heavyweights reaches boiling point, Haye is the big odds-on favourite at 4-11 to win at Upton Park on Saturday night.
As expected both Haye and Chisora have reached new levels of ‘trash talking’ in an effort to build the fight, but it looks like it will have all been in vain for Chisora. Odds of 3-1 suggest that the 28-year-old has it all to do if he’s to beat the former world champion.
Betfair’s Alex Bake said: “After months of hype it’s finally time for them to let their fists do the talking. Chisora’s a brave fighter and showed real ability in his defeat to Vitali Klitchsko, but the punters are going with Haye for this one. Even though he’s been out of the ring for 18-months our customers are confident he has what it takes to see off Chisora.”
David Haye v Dereck Chisora – Betfair bet: 4-11 Haye, 3-1 Dereck Chisora, 41-1 the draw
Biosse vs. Walchuk on July 19th
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 12, 2012) – The opponent has changed, but Vladine Biosse’s preparation for his highly-anticipated return to the ring next Thursday remains as diligent as ever.
Fresh off his dominant win over Joey Spina in May, Biosse (13-1-1, 6 KOs) will face Saskatchewan, Canada super middleweight Mike Walchuk (9-5, 2 KOs) on Thursday, July 19th, 2012 in the eight-round main event of “Built To Last,” presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.
“To me, being in the gym is like breathing, so if I’m not in the gym, I’m not breathing,” Biosse said. “I never stop training, whether I have a fight coming up or I’m just looking to get in the gym. That’s what I do. That’s what I love doing.
“I don’t believe in not training. Some guys take two or three weeks off after a fight. I don’t believe in that at all. I took a week off [after the win over Spina] to enjoy myself and my family, and then I got right back in the gym.”
After winning just one of his previous three fights, Biosse burst back onto the scene with a dynamic performance against Spina six weeks ago at Twin River. Now he’s looking to take another step forward against Walchuk, who has fought at various weights his entire career, ranging from middleweight (160 pounds) to as high as light heavyweight (175). Next Thursday’s clash against Biosse will be Walchuck’s first fight since October.
“Obviously, you want to have the right opponent at the right time, so the more time you have the more you learn about how to break him down so you can plan your strategy,” Biosse said, “but I’m a fighter, and that’s the name of the game.
“Sometimes, these things happen, and that’s what we’re dealing with right now. It is what it is. I’ll take this next step forward and do what I have to do. I’m a fighter; it’s my job to be prepared.”
Though he hasn’t had the luxury of preparing for the same opponent throughout the duration of his training camp as he did prior to the Spina fight, Biosse is treating next week’s fight the same way he treats all the rest. The goal, regardless of the opponent, is to win in dominant fashion and prepare for the next step.
“Every fight is a big fight. I don’t take any opponent lightly,” he said. “I made that mistake in the past and it cost me. Whether you’re losing a lot or you’re winning, you go to camp with the same mentality as if you were fighting for a world title.
“In my camp, I’m glad I have the right guys around me who really push me to be on that level, even on days when I just don’t feel right. From my manager, Quint Dow, to coach [Orlondo] Valles and Ray Oliveira, and all my teammates, they help me keep that edge. We don’t train as if we’re going into an easy fight. Every fight is a hard fight. That’s the way we train.”
Tickets for “Built To Last” are $40.00, $75.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.
Providence’s Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey (20-3, 10 KOs) will face veteran Jesse Oltmans (10-3, 7 KOs) of Bartonsville, Pa., in the six-round co-feature and Attleboro, Mass., light heavyweight Rich Gingras (11-3, 7 KOs) will be featured in a special six-round attraction. Super middleweights Keith Kozlin (6-3-1, 4 KOs) of West Warwick, R.I., and Reynaldo Rodriguez (6-4-1, 3 KOs) of Woonsocket, R.I., will look to settle the score in a rematch from their fight last July, which ended in a draw.
Also on the undercard, light heavyweight Kevin Cobbs (4-0, 1 KO) of Burlington, Vt., will battle Queens’ native Donte Wiggins (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-round bout and Pawtucket, R.I., middleweight Thomas Falowo (6-1, 4 KOs) will look to bounce back from his first loss in May when he faces Rahman Yusebov (8-8, 6 KOs) of Dallas in a six-round bout. Benny Costantino (7-1, 4 KOs) of Warwick, R.I., will face Dennis Ogboo (6-5, 5 KOs) of Lexington, Ky., in a four-round middleweight bout.
Lightweight Zack Ramsey (1-0, 1 KO) of Springfield, Mass., will face newcomer Alberto Manukyan (0-0) of North Bergen, N.J., in a four-round bout and welterweight newcomer Jansy Rivera (0-0) of Providence (San Juan, Puerto Rico) will face Thaddeus Hamlin (1-1, 1 KO) of Cincinnati, Ohio in a four-round bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Built to Last.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance.)
Vincent breaking out of her shell
With three fights under her belt, Vincent looking to take her career to the next level
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 12, 2012) – Believe it or not, the Shelito Vincent who won each of her first three professional fights in dominant fashion was actually a toned-down version of the one we might see Saturday night.
“I’m starting to feel more comfortable in the ring,” said Vincent (3-0), who will put her undefeated record on the line Saturday, July 21st, 2012 against Ivana Coleman of Slidell, La., in a four-round bantamweight bout on the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield’s “The Fire Within” professional boxing show, presented by Classic Entertainment & Sports at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
“Everything is starting to come together. Expect to see a lot of great things coming.”
For Vincent – raised in New London, Conn., and now training in Providence, R.I. – one of the biggest hurdles was adjusting to her new life as a professional boxer, which began in October with a win over Karen Dulin.
Now she’s in search of her fourth consecutive victory under the promotional guidance of Burchfield, who is no stranger to the intricacies of women’s boxing; he helped guide Jaime Clampitt to two world titles during her 10-year career.
“[Signing a long-term contract] is something all of us girls want,” Vincent said. “I’ve always wanted Jimmy to support me. This is the team I’m going to be with for my whole career.”
Burchfield and the rest of the viewing audience next Saturday might witness Vincent’s best performance to date. Her comfort level has increased dramatically within the past nine months, and she’s finally broken out of her shell both in and outside of the ring, which could be bad news for Coleman.
“My last fight was my best fight,” said Vincent, who beat Carmen Cruz unanimously in March to improve to 3-0. “I just felt as though I was in a certain rhythm and everything came together. My combinations were good, I was coming up underneath – all the training and work I put into that fight brought out the best in me.
“Boxing is like anything else; the more you do it, the more comfortable you get. It was like that in the amateurs, too, and now I’m starting to get that same feeling as a pro.”
Coleman has never boxed professionally, but she has a 1-2 record in professional mixed martial arts, so Vincent is expecting the unexpected next weekend, something she’s prepared for in camp by sparring other mixed martial arts fighters.
“The thing I’ve noticed about them is everything they do is wide, whether it’s the way they punch, or their footwork – everything is wide, more so than boxers,” Vincent said. “I’ll try to use my jab and work off that, and just move around more.
“She has a good right hand and hits hard. A lot of times when I spar other MMA girls their feet are all over the place. They’re actually harder to spar with than someone who has boxing skills. They’re more awkward. That’s what I’m expecting.”
Vincent is also expecting tremendous fan support, which has become a theme at each of her professional fights. With a captivating background stemming from her rough childhood, she’s become an ally for troubled youth both in Connecticut and Rhode Island. After this fight, she’ll continue her tour of Connecticut schools, relaying her story to children to help make sure they don’t go through the same thing she went through growing up. She’s also participating in the World Boxing Council’s WBC Cares anti-bullying campaign.
“I love doing this in my spare time. I think it’s my calling,” she said. “I just love working with kids. I think it would’ve been such a big difference in my life I had someone to talk to growing up.”
Part of Vincent’s message is the need for discipline and structure, which she developed later in life through boxing. She turned the corner for good in 2008 and won a national Golden Gloves title before making her pro debut at the age of 32.
“The boxing kept me on track. It made me not afraid. It made me feel strong,” Vincent said. “It brings a lot of stuff out of me. Hitting the bag is like running. If you’re having a bad day, go to the gym, hit the bag and let it all out.
“It’s definitely been the most positive thing for me in my life. Like I always tell people, boxing saved my life.”
Vincent’s new life inside the ring is off to a tremendous start, and with Burchfield in her corner, the sky’s the limit. The female bantamweight division is wide open, and Vincent’s rise to the top could continue Saturday with another impressive performance.
“The ultimate goal is to get some belts and bring them back to CES and New London,” she said. “I want to make everyone in my city proud. To be the best, who doesn’t want that? That’ll be the best feeling in my life. I think I’ll get it – I know I will. I’ll make sure no one else works harder than I do.”
Tickets for “The Fire Within” are on sale now at $40, $65 and $125 and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254 or Ticketmaster at 1.800.745.3000. Fans can also purchase tickets online at www.cesboxing.com, www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Mohegan Sun Box Office.
The 10-round main event features Elvin Ayala (25-5-1, 11 KOs) of New Haven, Conn., defending his World Boxing Council U.S. National Boxing Council (WBC USNBC) middleweight title against John Mackey (13-7-3, 6 KOs) of Montgomery, Ala., while featherweight Joseph “Chip” Perez (8-1, 2 KOs) of East Hartford, Conn., will face Philadelphia’s Frankie Trader (8-1, 2 KOs) in the six-round co-feature.
Super middleweight Tylon Burris (2-0, 2 KOs) of Hartford, Conn., faces Felix Rodriguez (0-1) of Dracut, Mass., in a four-round bout, and Jair Ramos (2-0, 1 KO) of Waterbury, Conn., will take on veteran Antonio Chaves Fernandez (0-7) of Brockton, Mass.
Welterweights Antonio Marrero of Hartford and Saul Almeida of Framingham, Mass., will make their professional debuts against one another in a four-round bout, and lightweight Christian Lao (4-1, 2 KOs) of New Haven will also return to the ring in a four-round bout against Boston’s Gabriel Duluc (5-0, 1 KO). Heavyweight Donnie Palmer of Boston will make his professional debut against fellow newcomer Moses Marshall of Springfield, Mass., and Bridgeport, Conn., lightweight Carlos Hernandez (2-2, 1 KO) will face Alan Beeman (0-2) of Newport, R.I., in a four-round bout.