Brick City Boxing

By: Leszek Dowgier

Last Sunday, July 13th, was the birthday of a massive, yet largely forgotten, figure in the sport of boxing. Edward Patrick Walker was born on that date in 1903 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Better known as Mickey “The Toy Bulldog” Walker, he first stepped into the ring as a professional at the age of 16 with no amateur background to speak off. Though his debut ended in a no contest (due to official boxing decisions being outlawed in New Jersey at the time) it wouldn’t be long for the Toy Bulldog to get his first victory (and knockout), which would come a mere two weeks later.

After 16 fights in Elizabeth, Mickey ventured outside of his native city. However, his first fight outside of Elizabeth would also result in his second loss. Fighting in Philadelphia, Mickey faced Johnny Smith, a last minute replacement who was making his professional debut, but, he also outweighed Walker by 20 pounds. This would be something of a foreshadowing of Walker’s future career, as he would often be the smaller man by a considerable margin. However, unlike his fight with Smith, it would be Walker who would more often than not have his arm raised at the end of the contest.

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AMATEUR BOXING COMPETITION AT JESSE ALLEN PARK, SATURDAY, JULY 26, AT 4 P.M.

Regional boxers ages 12 and up will compete for trophies and "Dukes of Newark" title

Newark, NJ - July 24, 2008 - Mayor Cory A. Booker announced today that Newark residents can enjoy an afternoon of free amateur boxing at Jesse Allen Park on Saturday, July 26, watching regional boxers ages eight through adult, in a variety of weight classes, battle for trophies and prizes. The matches will run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

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Pound-4-Pound Presents
"Fistic Fireworks" July 31st
By: Bobby Breen

7/24/2008. Pound-4-Pound Promotions will present a card of professional boxing on Thursday July 31st at Schuetzen Park in North Bergen, NJ. Schuetzen Park is located at 3167 Kennedy Blvd. Pound-4-Pound Promotions, based out of Union City, NJ has several area boxers appearing on this card. All are local prospects that have had great successful amateur careers and is each quickly climbing the professional ranks.

Pound-4-Pound Promotions presented their first card back in February in Union City, NJ. In April Pound-4-Pound Promotions co-promoted a card with Top Rank at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, NJ. John Lynch, brother of Pat Lynch, Arturo Gatti’s former Manager is CEO of Pound-4-Pound Promotions. They have taken promoting local talent to a new level. This card in particular is an example of that.

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VERO BEACH, Florida (July 24, 2008) – Don’t expect to see middleweight prospect James McGirt, Jr. (18-1, 9 KOs) betting horses at The Spa, beautiful Saratoga Race Track, at least not until Saturday despite him spending several days this week in Saratoga Springs.

McGirt, coming off his first pro loss in April to Carlos DeLeon, Jr., broke camp Wednesday in Vero Beach (FL) and headed north to upstate New York strictly on a business trip to get his career back on the right track -- headlining tomorrow’s ESPN Friday Night Fights show in the 10-round main event against former IBO and WBU middleweight champion Raymond “Hallelujah” Joval (37-4, 16 KOs).

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July 23, 2008 — Justin Fortune, former Australian Heavyweight Boxer who fought Lennox Lewis for the World Title has opened a boxing gym in the heart of Hollywood. Fortune is well known for his strength and conditioning work-outs as well as previously working with superstars such as Manny Pacquaio, Israel Vasquez, Brian Villoria, Mike Tyson and James Toney to name a few. Fortune is now starting to build his own stable of fighters and would like to openly welcome others to his gym for sparring or conditioning.

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TOTOWA, NJ (July 22, 2008) – WBC/IBF #4 ranked jr. middleweight contender Joel Julio will headline an August 13, 2008, fight card from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, it was announced today by Main Events CEO Kathy Duva. Julio will battle Nicaraguan veteran Jose Varela in a 10 round jr. middleweight contest. Both the Julio-Varela bout and the co-feature contest between “Mean” Joe Greene and Jose Miguel Torres will be broadcast live on ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights,” beginning at 9:00 pm ET.

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Union City, NJ (Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008) – Pound for Pound’s “Fistic Fireworks” show, which will be held at Schuetzen Park in North Bergen, NJ next Thursday evening, will not be featuring any amateur boxing matches as originally planned. “We encountered some logistical problems that were not able to be worked out and we are hopeful to bring pro/am fights to the boxing public in the very near future,” states John Lynch, President and CEO of Pound for Pound Promotions.

“Fistic Fireworks” will have an 8-bout fight card that is a must-see event. Though Pound for Pound’s production will not be displaying amateur talent, the newly formed promoting company is eager to showcase their young stable of boxers. Ticket prices for this event are: $100 ringside, $50 reserved and $35 for general admission. For ticket information, call 201-864-9566 or 866-924-2050.

LAS VEGAS (July 22, 2008) – Two-time World Boxing Association heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz (43-7-1, 29 KOs), rated No. 2 by the WBA, travels to Germany once again to fight the 7-0, 320-pound giant who took his title belt 2 ½ years ago, No. 1 contender Nikolai Valuev (48-1, 34 KOs), on August 30 in Berlin.

The WBA vacated the title due to an injury to Ruslan Chagaev, declared him “champion in recess” and ruled that the top two rated contenders had to fight for the title. Valuev’s co-promoter, Sauerland Event, won the Valuev-Ruiz II purse bid ($2,006,500 – 50/50 split between the two fighters; beating rival Universum by a mere $94,000) and the title fight will take place in the same arena they originally fought, Max Schmeling Halle, where Valuev won a controversial 12-round majority decision (116-114, 116-114, 114-114). The Valuev-Ruiz II winner will be obliged to fight Chagaev, if available, by June 26, 2009.

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To a Book Signing Event Celebrating the Release of…
Featuring Boxing Legend Emille Griffth and Author Ron Ross
Wednesday August 6, 2008
5:30PM-6:30PM
Lucille’s Grill at B.B. King Blues Club
237 West 42nd Street
New York, NY
(Books will be available for sale at Event)
Book Signing is open to the public and Precedes DBE Broadway Boxing downstairs at B.B. King Blues Club beginning at 7:00PM.
For tickets to Broadway Boxing, please call 212-947-2577

July 21, 2008
Hello fellow bloggers and blog readers,

No one asked me to write this addition but I found it therapeutic and I am hoping it has the same affect for you because if I ever needed therapy it would be now. But since I still can’t afford it, this will have to do (see it’s working already). I’m now of course back home and have been getting a lot of positive feedback of a lot of “atta boys” and we will get him next time (why people always say “we” usually don’t have the headaches or the gash over their eye or look as if we’ve been in a car accident)…lol. I do appreciate the support and pep talks. I just can’t feel them just yet.

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Mixed martial arts fans attending this Saturday’s terrific EliteXC fight card in Stockton, Calif., will have the opportunity to meet Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano when they participate in a pre-fight autograph signing just prior to the opening bell.

The undefeated EliteXC fighters, perhaps the two most popular and recognizable athletes in mixed martial arts, will sign autographs inside The Stockton Arena beginning when the doors open at 2:30 p.m. PT. They will sign until the first fight starts at 3:15.

Tickets for the most significant sporting event in the recent history of Stockton start at $35 and can be purchased at the Stockton Arena Box Office (Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.) and Saturday (noon-4 p.m.), by phone at (209) 373-1700 and (866) 373-7088 (toll free) or online at www.stocktontickets.com.

Three of Northern California's most talented and crowd-pleasing fighters will appear in Saturday's top fights.

Hard-hitting Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith (15-4, 1 NC) of Sacramento by way of Elk Grove, Calif., will challenge defending champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4, 1 NC) of Granite City, Ill., for the EliteXC middleweight title; San Francisco’s Jake Shields (20-4-1) faces Nick “The Goat’’ Thompson (36-9-1) of Minneapolis for the vacant EliteXC welterweight belt and local favorite and world class lightweight contender, Nick Diaz (17-7) of Stockton meets Thomas “Wildman’’ Denny (26-16) of Victorville. Calif.

The spectacular event is presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.'s live fight division, EliteXC.

The popular junior middleweight James Moore, 15-1 (10 KOS), a native of County Wicklow, Ireland, who fights of Queens, New York, will face the

battle-tested veteran Lloyd Christian Joseph, 12-6-3 (5 KOS), in an 8 round bout on Wednesday, August 6, at B.B. King Blues Club in the heart of New York City’s Times Square.

This will be Moore’s first fight since losing a disputed decision to Gabriel Rosado on June 4.

The show, which is being called “Hot Fights…Summer in the City,” is being co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. It will be televised as part of DiBella’s popular Broadway Boxing series.

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In First-Ever Unified Title Fight in MMA, Fedor Defeats Sylvia in 31 Seconds

ANAHEIM, Cali.—The first-ever unified and undisputed heavyweight champion in MMA history was crowned Saturday, as Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko dismantled Tim (The Maine-iac” Sylvia in just 31 seconds before a capacity crowd of nearly 14,000 fans at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The heavyweight title fight headlined “Affliction Banned,” which featured four of the top-10 heavyweights in the WAMMA rankings.

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Former World Rated Welterweight Contender from the 1950's, Joe Miceli passed away early yesterday evening. Joe fought 12 World Champions during his Professional career BUT never received a Title shot. He beat Ike Williams 2 out 3 times, Bud Smith twice, Virgil Akins, Johnny Saxton, fought a draw with Joey Giardello and lost a very close decision to Kid Gavilan.

He was a very active member of Ring 8, New York City’s chapter of the Veterans Boxing Association. Several years also they honored him as the UNCROWNED CHAMP presenting him with the BELT. In April of 1997, he was inducted into the SUFFOLK SPORTS HALL OF FAME.
He was also Inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame on November 14, 2002.

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=10922&cat=boxer

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Philly Fight-Night Recap

By: Jeff Miller, Ringside

It was hot and humid down in South Philly last night as Legendary Promoter Russell Peltz along with Joe Hand Promotions delivered another action-packed card, at the New Alhambra Arena.

In a battle of unbeaten featherweights North Philly’s Teon Kennedy 9-0 (5 KOs), knocked out Thomas Snow 10-1 (8 KOs) in the second round. Teon controlled the ring from the opening bell showing his blazing speed. Then in round 2 he let off a beautiful four-punch combo that put Snow down for the 10 count. Official time was 1:21.

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Emelianenko beats Sylvia in 31-seconds headlining “Affliction Banned”

ANAHEIM, California (July 19, 2008) – History was made tonight when Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko captured the inaugural WAMMA heavyweight title headlining “Affliction Banned,” the greatest line-up of mixed-martial-arts fights ever presented in one night, before an enthusiastic, capacity crowd of 13,989, including many Hollywood and sports celebrities at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

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By: Tim Crowley

The Affliction Banned show coming up this Saturday night is aiming to be the biggest MMA card in the sport’s short history — and it just might do it. The 11-fight card is stacked with some of the most established and credentialed fighters in the sport. The diversity of the athletes is bringing international attention, over 250 media passes have been given out, and the event is being put on by the collaborative efforts of big organizations like Affliction clothing and M-1 Global (a European MMA organization). Donald Trump has even partnered with Affliction and is helping promote the event.

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THE NEW ALHAMBRA FOR FRIDAY JULY 18

Anthony Flores 131 - Ramon Guevara 136
Tommy Garcia 129.5 - Luis Esquilia 131.5
Dennis Hasson 164.5 - Roberto Irrizarry 164
Larry Robinson 183 - Somon Carr 190.5
Chuck Mussachio 173 - Richard Stewart 174.5
Teon Kennedy 121.5- Thomas Snow 122
Martinus Clay 150 - Shawn Purdy 151.5

Peltz Boxing Promotions in assoc. with Joe Hand Promotions

Thursday, July 17 2008
By: Christian Schmidt Popular
welterweight Oscar Diaz remains in critical condition University
Hospital in San Antonio after undergoing a three-hour operation to
relieve swelling on his brain. The surgery ended at 4AM. No further
information on Diaz' condition has been released. "Our thoughts and
prayers go out to Oscar, his family, and all of Oscar's fans and
friends in San Antonio," voiced promoter Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star
Boxing. "This is very tragic, no one ever wants to see something like
that. Oscar is a tremendous fighter and more importantly a tremendous
person. It is hard to think about anything else right now other than
giving our full support to Oscar. We hope for the best, and ask
everyone to keep Oscar in their thoughts and hearts, as this is a very
tough time for him and his family," stated DeGuardia.

Diaz critical after fight
Welterweight Oscar Diaz reportly is undergoing emergency surgery early Thursday morning for bleeding on the brain. The brave fighter, who has been in so many wars during his career, was rushed to University Hospital in San Antonio, a level one trauma center, after collapsing between rounds late in the fight against Delvin Rodriguez during a nationally-televised fight. We hope and pray for his recovery.

*DBE Middleweight to face Raymond Joval on Pugnacious Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment Night of Fights*

NEW YORK (July 16, 2008) – DiBella Entertainment middleweight James “Buddy” McGirt Jr. (18-1, 9 KO’s) faces his next test next Friday night July 25 as he takes on talented, quick handed veteran, Raymond Joval (37-4, 16 KO’s). The fight will be televised on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights LIVE from The City Center in Saratoga Springs, New York.

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* “Hot Fights…Summer in the City” To Feature Will Rosinsky, Philip Jackson-Benson, and Ryan Kielczweski At B.B. King Blues Club Wednesday Night August 6*

NEW YORK (July 16, 2008) – DiBella Entertainment presents “Hot Fights…Summer in the City”, a special edition of their hit series “Broadway Boxing” Wednesday night August 6 live at B.B. King Blues Club (237 West 42nd Street) in the heart of Times Square.

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(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – USA Boxing and light flyweight Luis Yanez (Duncanville, Texas) have reached a settlement allowing Yanez to return to the United States Olympic Boxing Team. The agreement was reached following a unanimous decision by USA Boxing’s Judicial Committee to uphold his dismissal from the United States Olympic Team.

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* Vietnamese-born Featherweight on “Hot Fights…Summer in the City” At B.B. King Blues Club Wednesday Night August 6*

NEW YORK (July 15, 2008) – DiBella Entertainment presents “Hot Fights…Summer in the City”, a special edition of their hit series “Broadway Boxing” Wednesday night August 6 live at B.B. King Blues Club (237 West 42nd Street) in the heart of Times Square.

One of the highlights of the card will certainly be Vietnamese-born featherweight Dat “Dat Be Dat” Nguyen (12-1, 6 KO’s) who has dazzled fans at shows throughout his 4-year career. “I am very excited to be co-promoting Dat with Richie Cappiello,” said DiBella Entertainment head Lou DiBella. “He brings a ton of charisma coupled with great skill into the ring and I am happy to showcase his talents. We hope the Vietnamese community of New York can come out and support Dat at B.B. King’s on August 6.”

“I am happy to be fighting on DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing in the heart of New York City,” said Nguyen. “To become a star in the fight game, you need to show everyone how great you are and I am prepared to show everyone in New York what Dat Nguyen is all about. I hope the Vietnamese community can come out and support me!”

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2008 USA Olympic Boxing Team Visits NYC
By: Bobby Breen
7/14/2008. The 2008 USA Olympic Boxing Team was in New York last week. The team appeared at several media events designed to introduce the team to the public and allowing fans and press to get a glimpse of the team that will represent the USA in Beijing, China next month at the Summer Olympic Games. The team was hosted at the National Sports Museum in lower Manhattan Thursday evening July 10th. The Champion Boxers signed autographs and posters and posed for photos to a heavily boxing community crowd. Earlier in the day the team visited a Boys and Girls Club in Harlem and were featured on NBC’s “Today” show.

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Junior middleweight James Moore returns to the ring against Lloyd Christian Joseph in New York City’s Times Square on Wednesday, August 6.

In his first fight since losing a disputed decision to Gabriel Rosado on June 4, the enormously popular junior middleweight James Moore, 15-1 (10 KOS), a native of County Wicklow, Ireland, who fights of Queens, New York, will take on Lloyd Christian Joseph, 12-6-3 (5 KOS), in an 8 round bout on Wednesday, August 6, at B.B. King Blues Club in the heart of New York City’s Times Square.

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By: Jim Amato

Tough 1960's and 70's heavyweight Jerry Quarry has been almost immortalized these days. He was the heavyweight who came along at the wrong time. The Ali - Frazier era. Joe and Ali each beat Jerry twice, but Jerry had his share of big wins over top contenders. Floyd Patterson, Thad Spencer, Buster Mathis Sr., Mac Foster, Ron Lyle and Earnie Shavers all suffered defeat at the hands of Jerry. You could argue strongly that Quarry was among the four best heavyweights of his day. If four titles were available back then one may safely assume Jerry would have at least won a piece of one of them.

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By: Benny Henderson Jr. Doghouse Boxing
DoghouseBoxing.com

Saturday night at the Color Line Arena in Hamburg, Germany, the IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko 51-3 (45) continued his domination over the heavyweight division by taking out his mandatory challenger Tony Thompson 31-2 (19) in an eleven round less than stellar show.

The awkward style of the American challenger gave Klitschko a spot of trouble in the opening round of the bout, but by the second round Klitschko was able to land the right hand, but the only drama came by a clash of heads which had both fighters bleeding.

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By: Christopher Roche

Perhaps Tony "The Tiger" Thompson mustered up a little sugar from his frosted flakes, but he did not have enough to wrest the title away from "Dr. Steelhammer" Wladimir Klitschko.

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JULY 12 , 2008 THE COLOR LINE ARENA HAMBURG, GERMANY PRESENTED BY K2 PROMOTIONS IN ASSOCIATION WITH GOOSSEN TUTOR PROMOTIONS-HBO TELECAST is live at 4:30 p.m. ET/ 1:30 p.m. PT with replay that night at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tony "THE TIGER" THOMPSON - 247 lbs
WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO - 242 lbs
Tony "THE TIGER" Thompson's July 12 battle for the WBO/IBF title challenge against the champion Wladimir Klitschko is Presented by Goossen Tutor Promotions, The HBO telecast on July 12 is live at 4:30 p.m. ET/ 1:30 p.m. PT with replay that night at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.