A little fight news, some old some new.
BREAKING NEWS:
Looks like Erik Morales vs Guty Espadas for the featherweight title will land on January 20, the date once planned for the aborted De la Hoya vs Mosley rematch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Word is the WBO featherweight title could be declared vacant as soon as Monday and the Prince Naseem Hamed camp is open to voluntarily give up his crown and become #1 contender. Current #1 feather Koko Kovacs will face #2 Angel Vazquez for the vacant belt. HBO rejected Kovacs as an opponent for Hamed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
100% action light heavy Julian "Mr KO" Letterlough 14-0 (14 KOs) is in action vs unbeaten San Ahmad on tonight's Friday Night Fights televised by ESPN2. Alex Bunema vs Derrick Graham in the nightcap.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, in Cranston, RI, Scott Pemberton faces Levan Easley for the NABF Super Middleweight belt and Pito Cardona takes on journeyman Keith Thomas.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How confident is unbeaten WBO #3 jr welter Ricky Hatton of victory over 19-1 Giuseppe Lauri on Saturday? Hatton is scheduled to fight John Thaxton in less than a month.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
US Olympic boxers are now 12-3 for the games after 132 pounder David Jackson lost his second round bout on the scales. Jeff Lacy got the US back in the win column at 165 lbs but light fly gold medal hope Brian Viloria went down to defeat. For all the Olympic boxing results, click here ==>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Motown Mayweather bout!
WBC jr lightweight champion Floyd Mayweather will put his title on the line at Detroit's Cobo HBO during HBO's October 21 "KO Nation" telecast. No opponent announced, but Julio Alvarez has been mentioned. Top Rank is hoping for a big gate and press turnout due the epic Tyson-Golota clash (expected by some to break pay-per-view records), which is taking place in the same city one day earlier.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michalczewski in hot water?
WBO light heavyweight champ Dariusz "Tiger" Michalczewski may be facing problems outside the ring. German media are reporting that the Tiger's Mercedes 600 slammed into a VW bus and witnesses reportedly saw a person resembling Michalczewski leaving the place of the accident (later a bodyguard claimed that he was driving the Tiger's vehicle). When police showed up at Michalczewski's house he refused to make a statement and later that day flew into his training camp in Zakopane, Poland. "What Daruisz did was just too much" the wife of the champ told German daily newspaper "BILD." The Tiger lost his driver's license in 1993 for driving a car while intoxicated.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harris to face Rubio on 10/6!
Jr welter contender Vivian Harris battles Juan Carlos Rubio in a ten-rounder on October 6 at Bally's Park Place in Atlantic City, NJ, it was announced today by Main Events' COO Gary Shaw. In the co-feature bout, undefeated feather Emmanuel Lucero will box in a 10 round bout and undefeated lightweight favorite Justo "Sensational" Sencion will battle in an eight round televised bout. All three bouts will be broadcast live on ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights." Harris was originally scheduled to battle USBA jr. welter champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley, but the IBF/USBA refused to sanction a Corley defense against Harris.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BREAKING NEWS:
Mia St. John has twisted her left foot in a water skiing accident and is off the October 7 Paulie Ayala vs Johnny Tapia card.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kovacs will get title shot!
WBO #1 rated featherweight Koko Kovacs, who was rejected by HBO as a Naseem Hamed opponent, is still in the title picture according to WBO President Francisco Valcarcel. Varcarcel told Fightnews, "Naz won't fight until next year, so we have two possibilities. Kovacs could fight Angel Vazquez for the interim title or Naz will relinquish his title and become #1 contender. Naz would fight the Kovacs-Vazquez winner." When asked which scenario is more likely, Varcarcel said "It's 50/50. Anything we do will have the agreement of all parties." Hamed was to fight his mandatory against Kovacs within 120 days of his August 19 win over Augie Sanchez.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, in Hamburg Kovacs said, "HBO should not be concerned. After my victory over Hamed I'm ready and willing to fight against Barrera and Morales myself!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oscar out until mid-2001?
By Scott Shaffer
Don't expect to see Oscar De La Hoya back in a boxing ring anytime soon. Billboard Magazine's online edition reports that the Golden Boy is taking time off from boxing in order to concentrate on his new career. "I most likely won't fight again until the middle of next year," said De La Hoya. However, the hiatus is only partially due to the forthcoming album. De La Hoya is currently suing his promoter, Top Rank, to free himself of a promotional contract that he had signed. With his album due out on October 10, De La Hoya has apparently been rethinking his priorities. "Boxing has been great to me, and I've been great to it, but singing and music have always been in my heart. And now seemed a great time to listen to my heart," De La Hoya told Billboard. The album was recorded prior to his last fight, a loss to Shane Mosley on June 17. But for now, De La Hoya is sticking to singing rather than trying to avenge the loss. "When I go back to training for my fights, I'll take a break from my music."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looks like Shane Mosley taking over Prince Naseem Hamed's November 4 HBO date. Probable foe: Antonio Diaz.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roberto Alcazar says he's still Oscar De La Hoya's trainer and no one from the Golden Boy's office has told him any differently reports scribe Kevin Iole.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A few tidbits from from USA Today columnist Dan Rafael: jr welter Hector Camacho Jr. takes on Goyo Vargas on a November 25 KO Nation show...David Reid vs Kirino Garcia on Foz Sports Net November 26.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNDERCARD ACTION: Zab Judah vs Hector Quiroz on the October 20 Tyson-Golota undercard. Ivan Robinson vs Jesse James Leija on the November 11 Lewis-Tua undercard.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
