Chris Arreola’s camp displeased with delay of heavyweight title fight with Bermane Stiverne

It was about a month ago that the WBC announced a purse bid had been avoided when promoters Dan Goossen and Don King reached an accord for Chris Arreola and Bermane Stiverne to fight for the heavyweight championship vacated by Vitali Klitshcko in December.

Still, no date and venue have been announced. Goossen, Arreola’s promoter, told this newspaper this week he is hopeful he will have something on that no later than Monday. Meanwhile, Team Arreola is irked.

“Extremely frustrating. Extremely,” said Arreola’s trainer, Henry Ramirez.
He didn’t stop there.
“We put the Klitschko fight together in a fraction of this time,” said Ramirez, alluding to Arreola’s challenge to then-champion Klitschko in September 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles; Klitschko stopped Arreola after 10 rounds. “This has just been completely frustrating. Klitshcko made his announcement (that he was giving up his title) Dec. 15, over two months ago. “And here we are with nothing set, no date, no venue. There is stuff being kicked around behind the scenes, but nothing’s set yet.”
As for Arreola …
“I know he’s extremely frustrated,” Ramirez said. “But the thing I’ve tried to explain to him, I’ve said, ‘Look, Stiverne is going through the same thing, so all we’ve gotta do is be ready to go.’ “

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Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez says he has gotten past loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Even though Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico is just 23, he has been a pro since 2005 after turning pro at the of 15 in Jalisco, Mexico. During all that time, the only blemish on his record was a draw when he entered the ring this past Sept. 14 to take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Like most who challenge Mayweather, they realize once they are in the fray that Mayweather is even better defensively than thought. Mayweather schooled Alvarez and won a majority decision that was only such a decision because since-disgraced judge C.J. Ross scored it a draw.

Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KOs) on March 8 will get back in the ring for the first time since that first loss when he tangles with fellow Mexican Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo in the junior middleweight main event at MGM Grand  (on Showtime pay-per-view).

Alvarez was asked how he got past the loss to Mayweather during a conference call this week.

“I have a lot of family. I have a lot of support, friends, and my team, and I’m very strong-minded,” Alvarez said.  “I’m very strong-minded. So yes it was a loss, but I learned a lot from it, and I just move on. I just – I gained experience and move on. But again, I’m strong-minded. I don’t dwell on the past. Now I look forward to the future.”

The future is now, as this fight with Angulo (22-3, 18 KOs) could be an absolute ring war.

 

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Today is 50th anniversary of Cassius Clay-Sonny Liston heavyweight title fight

Today, Feb. 25, is the 50th anniversary of the world heavyweight title fight between Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay at Convention Center in Miami.

Liston, the champion at the time, quit before the seventh round of a close fight, citing a shoulder injury. Clay was credited with a sixth-round TKO. At the time, Liston was ahead by two points on one scorecard, Clay was ahead by two on another and the third scorecard was even.

There is speculation that fight might have been rigged, according to files released by the FBI, though Clay – who afterward changed his name to Muhammad Ali – was not suspected of being part of the fix. Check out this story in today’s Washington Times detailing the events surrounding what then was considered quite an upset.

Note the story in this link mentions Liston quit before the eighth round. It was actually the seventh.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/feb/24/was-rigged-by-mob/

The two fought a rematch on May 25, 1965, Ali knocking out Liston in the first round with what was described as the “phantom punch.” Rumors began immediately, suggesting Liston took a dive.

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Zou Shiming comes through with first knockout of his professional career

Zou Shiming won a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympic Games and gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Games. But when the flyweight from China did not stop any of his first three opponents inside the distance, he had some wondering if that amateur success was going to translate to the professional level.

Shiming on Saturday finally came through with his first knockout as a prize-fighter, stopping Yokthong Kotietgym of Thailand at 2:09 of the seventh round in Macau, China. Their bout was slated for eight rounds.

Shiming, 32, is now 4-0 with 1 knockout. Kotietgym, just 19, is 15-4.

Their bout was televised on HBO2.

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Catch ‘Road to Chavez Jr./Vera II’ tonight after Zou Shiming, Miguel Vazquez fights on HBO2

Tonight’s tape-delayed fights from Macau, China featuring Zou Shiming and Miguel Vazquez in separate fights, will be followed on HBO2 by the 15-minute documentary “Road to Chavez Jr./Vera II,’ which promotes next Saturday’s rematch between super middleweights Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Bryan Vera from the Alamodome in San Antonio (on HBO).

Shiming, the two-time gold-medal winner from China, will take on Yokthong Kokietgym of Thailand in the flyweight division. And Mexico’s Vazquez will defend his lightweight title against Denis Shafikov of Russia.

The fights begin at 5 p.m. West Coast time with the documentary to air about 7:15.

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Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. promises to be different fighter in March 1 rematch with Bryan Vera

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has the reputation of being a talented fighter not willing to train hard enough to be all he can be in the ring. His most recent fight was a classic example.

That was Sept. 28 at StubHub Center in Carson against Bryan Vera. Chavez told his promoter – Bob Arum – the week of the fight that he would not be able to make the 168-pound super middleweight limit contracted for the fight. Since Arum is Arum and Chavez is the son of the legend, they proposed to Vera and his team that the fight take place at 173 pounds.

Vera (23-7, 14 KOs), of Austin, Texas, was not about to say no. Arum and Chavez had to know that, because then the little-known Vera would not get the chance to upset Chavez, who is world-renowned whether he deserves to be or not.

Vera gave Chavez (47-1-1, 32 KOs) all he could handle over 10 rounds, with the majority of fans in the stands believing he won the fight, based on their reaction when it was announced Chavez was the winner by two, four and eight points. Those last two scores – by judges Marty Denkin and Gwen Adair – were out of line, and an uproar ensued.

Fast forward to present day. Chavez, the 28-year-old former middleweight world champion from Mexico, is preparing to take on Vera in a March 1 rematch at the Alamodome in San Antonio (on HBO). This week, he vowed things will be different.

“I owe the fans a great performance and that is what they will get on March 1 at the Alamodome,” he said Wednesday from his training camp in Mexico. “I have had a lot of success in San Antonio and I look forward to going there and putting on a good show for them.”

There will be no weight issues this time, Chavez said, and he believes that will help him show what he can really do.

“I will make the 168-pound limit with no problem and I will be able to do the things I could not do in the first fight,” Chavez said. “I will have better movement, I will be more consistent and I will fight 12 hard rounds if that is what it takes to win this second fight.”

 

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Magdaleno brothers take care of business Saturday in Hawaiian Gardens

Diego Magdaleno and his younger brother Jessie took care of business on Saturday at C. Robert Lee Activities Center in Hawaiian Gardens.

Diego Magdaleno, 27, ran his record to 25-1 with 10 knockouts with a fourth-round knockout of Jorge Pazos (14-7-1) of Mexico in a super featherweight fight. Pazos is 24.

Jessie Magdaleno, 22, is now 18-0 with 14 knockouts after stopping Roberto Castaneda, 22, of Mexico, in the fifth round of their super bantamweight bout. Castaneda is 20-6-1.

The Magdaleno brothers are from Las Vegas.

Jack Reiss, a formerly Beverly Hills fire captain, was the referee in both fights

The card was televised on UniMas.

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Tickets remain for Diego Magdaleno-Jorge Pazos on Saturday in Hawaiian Gardens

Tickets are still available for Saturday night’s card featuring super featherweight prospect Diego Magdaleno of Las Vegas and Jorge Pazos of Mexico in the 10-round main event at C. Robert Lee Activities Center in Hawaiian Gardens (on UniMas).

Tickets for the Top Rank Inc. event are priced at $50, $75 and $100 and can be purchased by calling (562) 652-4424 or (323) 866-9943.

Magdaleno, 27, is 24-1 with nine knockouts. Pazos, 24, is 14-6-1 with eight knockouts.

 

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Richard Schaefer does not want Antonio Orozco to be a one-hit wonder

Antonio Orozco is not quite ready for a world-title bout, but the Tecate, Baja California-born super lightweight is getting close. The thing is Richard Schaefer wants to make sure that when Orozco is given that shot, he not only is ready to win, but has the wherewithal to remain champion for a while.

“You want to make sure that the guy who just became world champion has the necessary tools in the tool box to not just be a one-hit wonder, but to be a long-term world champion who can take out the necessary tools as he fights and defends his world titles, and has gone through some adversity in that road to the world title and has learned from that adversity,” said Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Orozco.

Orozco, 26, lives in San Diego. He is 19-0 with 15 knockouts and has stopped his past seven opponents inside the distance. His moniker is “Relentless,” and he lives up to it.

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Promoter Bob Arum not sure what to think when it comes to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s weight

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. of Mexico on March 1 will fight a rematch with Bryan Vera at the Alamodome in San Antonio (on HBO). The fight is slated to take place at the 168-pound super middleweight limit.

Therein lies the intrigue. For their first fight, Chavez informed his promoter – Bob Arum – the week of that Sept. 28 bout at StubHub Center that he would not be able to make 168 pounds. The new weight was contracted for 173 pounds, two under the light heavyweight limit.

We asked Arum on Wednesday if he has heard any news out of Chavez’s camp regarding his weight and how he’s doing with it. Arum came with an interesting response.

“It’s like dealing with North Korea,” Arum said. “You don’t know what to believe.”

Chavez (47-1-1, 32 KOs) won an unpopular unanimous decision over Vera (23-7, 14 KOs) the first time. Vera is from Austin, Texas.

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