Welterweight contender Taras Shelestyuk headlines Showtime card at Omega Products in Corona

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Robert Morales

Taras Shelestyuk celebrates after knocking out Antonio Fernandez in the first round in January 2015 in Verona, N.Y./Getty Images

Undefeated welterweight contender Taras Shelestyuk of the Ukraine will take on Jaime Herrera of Franklin Park, Ill., in the main event Nov. 4 at Omega Products International Event Center in Corona. It is part of a tripleheader that will be televised by Showtime as part of its ShoBox series.

Shelestyuk (14-0, 9 KOs) is ranked as high as No. 9 by one organization. He won a bronze medal in the 2012 London Games for Ukraine.

Shelestyuk, 30, did not make his pro debut until he was 27, so time is of the essence for him if he’s going to make a big splash in the pro ranks.

“My training is going great, I am more powerful and my speed is better,” said Shelestyuk, who is trained by Eric Brown at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood. “Herrera is a rough fighter, but it doesn’t matter to me because I am looking to step up and get into championship-level fights.”

Herrera (15-3-1, 8 KOs) knows this is a terrific opportunity for him to make his name bigger.

“Taras is a great fighter and I know I’m the underdog, but I’ve surprised some fighters before and I’m confident and ready to give it my best and win again,” Herrera said. “I’m coming into this fight with the same mentality I had in those fights against the other unbeaten guys. The way I see it, Taras has everything to lose and I fight as (if) I have nothing to lose.”

Canelo Alvarez in Los Angeles for second opinion on fractured right thumb

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Robert Morales

Canelo Alvarez/Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

Newly crowned junior middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez of Mexico was in Los Angeles on Wednesday to get a second opinion on the avulsion fracture in his right thumb sustained during his ninth-round knockout of Liam Smith on Sept. 17 in Arlington, Texas.

Alvarez fights under the Golden Boy Promotions banner. Its president, Eric Gomez, said Alvarez was going to visit hand and wrist specialist Dr. Kenneth R. Sabbag to make sure that the therapy ordered by Alvarez’s personal physician is all it will take for Alvarez’s recovery.

Gomez said that depending on how things go, Alvarez could be ready to fight again by “early next year.” As for an opponent, Gomez was asked if Willie Monroe Jr. remains a possible opponent for that next fight.

There was talk from Gomez before Alvarez beat Smith that the winner of the undercard fight between Monroe (21-2, 6 KOs) and Gabriel Rosado, who also fights for Golden Boy, could be next for Alvarez. Monroe emerged via wide unanimous decision. But Monroe said in a statement this week he now believes Golden Boy has no intention of giving him the fight.

“I don’t think it’s Canelo himself, but it is his team,” said Monroe, who boxes for Banner Promotions. “I know Canelo would fight me. I think it is his trainers who fear that they can’t prepare Canelo for my style.”

Monroe, of Rochester, N.Y., is a southpaw.

“If he is a true man, they should stick to their word,” Monroe said. “The plan was for the winner of that fight to be able to fight Canelo. They thought Rosado would win, and he would just be a guy that would get pounded by Canelo.

“If the shoe was on the other foot, and it was me who did not want to fight an aggressive fighter, I would look like a punk.”

Gomez during an Aug. 29 conference call did not say the winner of Monroe-Rosado would definitely get Alvarez, but he did say, “The winner of this fight very well could be fighting Canelo in December.”

Well, December wasn’t going to happen once Alvarez injured his thumb, but that hasn’t changed Monroe’s desire to fight Alvarez. Gomez on Wednesday addressed that, saying all options remain possible.

“As is customary with Canelo, we’re going to leave all the doors open,” Gomez said. “We would consider anybody. That’s what’s customary. We’re not going to close any doors.”

Petr Petrov, a 16-year veteran, earns his second shot at major world title

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Robert Morales

Petr Petrov, right, lands a punch to the face of Michael Perez/Photo by Kyte Monroe, Banner Promotions

Petr Petrov of Russia has been a professional boxer for nearly 16 years, but he has never held a major world title. Petrov should now get his second opportunity to fight for one.

Petrov on Friday night stopped Michael Perez (24-2-2) of Newark, N.J., after six rounds of their lightweight main event slated for 12 rounds at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio. It was a title-elimination bout, which means Petrov (38-4-2, 19 KOs) could get a shot at WBA champion Jorge Linares.

“This victory is what I have been working for, to be so close to a world title shot,” said Petrov, 33. Petrov previously fought for a super lightweight world title, but was stopped in the fourth round by Marcos Maidana in September 2011.

Petrov’s promoter, Artie Pelullo of Banner Promotions, liked what he saw.

“Petr looked sensational,” Pelullo said. “He has been getting better every fight, and this is the best he has looked. He has really earned his title opportunity. … Now we will look to make the WBA world title bout as quickly as possible.”

Demetrius Andrade thought the world of the late Muhammad Ali

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Robert Morales

Demetrius Andrade/Photo courtesy of Banner Promotions

Junior middleweight Demtrius Andrade this past Saturday ran his record to 23-0 with 16 knockouts by decking Willie Nelson four times, eventually stopping Nelson in the 12th round at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y.

A few days before the fight, Andrade was asked to talk about Muhammad Ali. By the time Andrade was done, it was easy to determine what he thought of Ali, who died June 3 at age 74.

“Muhammad Ali certainly shook the world, and not only in boxing,” Andrade said. “He was colorful; nobody talked like him. He helped boxers, too. Ali is the reason Floyd (Mayweather, Jr.) is who he is because Ali set the bar high.

“As an entertaining boxer, Ali brought blacks and whites together and later he spread the word about religion, culture and his other diverse interests.”

There was one more thing.

“What young boxer didn’t do the Ali Shuffle?” Andrade said. “I know I did, and taunted my opponents like him, too.”

Andrade, 28, is from Providence, R.I. He is a former WBO champion who was stripped of his belt for inactivity.

Two area heavyweights to fight Friday night in Boxcino tourney on ESPN2

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Robert Morales

Promoter Artie Pelullo/Photo courtesy of BoxRec.com

A week ago Friday it was the junior middleweight division that took center stage in the Boxcino tournament staged by longtime promoter Artie Pelullo and his Banner Promotions. Tonight (Friday) at 6 on ESPN2, it’s the heavyweights and there are two area boxers involved – Razvan Cojanu and Andrey Fedosov.

Cojanu, of Burbank via Romania, is 12-1 with seven knockouts. He’ll take on Ed “Tex” Fountain (10-0, 4 KOs) of Ferguson, Mo., in a quarterfinals bout.

Fedosov, of Hollywood via Russia, is 25-3 with 20 knockouts. He’ll square off against Nate “Heaven Sent” Heavern (9-1, 7 KOs) of Ocala, Fla.

The bouts will take place at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y. The winners will advance to the semifinals in April.

All tournament bouts will be televised by ESPN2, with the champions being crowned with regional titles. They’ll also earn top-10 rankings in two of the four major governing bodies.

Ruslan Provodnikov admits he ‘sniffed glue’ as a young man in Russia

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Ruslan Provodnikov (left) will defend his title Saturday against Chris Algieri. (Photo courtesy of Banner Promotions)

Ruslan Provodnikov, who will defend his junior welterweight belt Saturday against Chris Algieri at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on HBO), was very candid recently when talking about his younger days in Russia.

“I did not have an easy time growing up in Siberia,” Provodnikov said. “I don’t know where my childhood friends are now. Most are probably in jail. I stole food, sniffed glue, smoked and drank. My amateur boxing coach saved my life and helped to redirect my life toward being a productive person.”

Provodnikov, 30, is a real brute in the ring. He is 23-2 with 16 knockouts and has become one of the more vicious fighters out there.

Algieri, of Huntington, N.Y., is 19-0 with eight knockouts.

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