Starfight Productions
Fight night returns to the A La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa on June 27.
Headlining the show will be featherweight prospect Carlos Rivera (12-3-0, 8 KOs), currently residing in St. Petersburg, in an eight-round main event. Rivera is coming off three consecutive victories including his most impressive career victory, a third-round stoppage of former world title challenger Jose Laureano in April of this year. Rivera is known for his explosive power and granite chin and will certainly be a force in the featherweight division. He looks to continue his winning ways on June 27.
Also featured on the card is Keith Thurman (5-0, 5 KOs), the 2008 Olympic trials silver medallist in the 152-pound division. Thurman has looked impressive thus far in his professional career and is yet to hear the bell sound for the second round, with all of his victories coming by way of first-round knockout. The welterweight prospect from Clearwater looks to keep his knockout streak alive.
Filling out the undercard is some of the best professional boxing talent in the Tampa Bay area. Female boxing sensation Jenna Shiver (5-3-1) takes on Midwest tough girl Renee Richardt-Douglas from St. Louis. Undefeated middleweight prospect Ahsandi Gibbs (7-0) takes on a fighter to be announced. Local favorite Jason Barnett (8-5-1) takes on Lawson Baker of California (5-2-0) in a four-round special attraction. Undefeated heavyweight and crowd favorite Nicholas Iannuzzi (6-0) is in a six-round bout. Also fighting will be lightweight sensation Tyrese Hendrix (12-0-1) of Gainesville, Ga.
Tickets are priced as follows: VIP table seating at $80, $75, $70; VIP reserved at $45 and $35; and general admission at $20. Tickets are available through the Starfight Productions office and all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information, visit www.starfightproductions.com or contact the Starfight Productions' office at 813-876-9269.
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411mania.com
Calling in from his training camp in Puerto Rico, super middleweight contender Edison "Pantera" Miranda chuckled when he was read the latest statements from his June 21 opponent, Arthur Abraham, who stated that in their controversial first bout in 2006, if he failed to beat a man who had his jaw broken, he would have taken a job as a night watchman.
"I agree with you Arthur, if it was a one-on-one fight," said Miranda of the first bout, one marred by questionable officiating. "Unfortunately for me, I was fighting you and the referee, and most people who saw the fight still believe I won.
"This time, I'm not trusting anything but my fists, and I will knock you out," continued Miranda. "So, as a fellow competitor, I suggest that maybe you should start shopping for your patent leather shoes and uniform, because you'll be doing that night watchman job by the end of the summer. I think you'll be perfect for it, because when something happens, you don't have to do anything yourself - you can just call for help. Our first fight showed that you're good at that."
Abraham-Miranda II, a 12-round super middleweight attraction, headlines a night of professional boxing presented by Seminole Warriors Boxing and Sauerland Event. Showtime World Championship Boxing will televise this highly anticipated rematch from Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla., beginning at 9 p.m.
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By Jason Freed
The Semper Fi went crazy.
Edner Cherry--the fan favorite fighting in front of a packed house of Marines at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C.--landed his signature right hand midway through the 10th and final round to stop veteran Stevie Johnston Wednesday night on ESPN2.
Cherry was in control of the fight from the opening bell, continuously using a quick left jab to set up his strong right, or what he calls the "cherry bomb."
Cherry won all but one round on the judges' scorecards and knocked Johnston down twice before delivering the final blow 2:34 into the 10th round. Johnston's head hit the canvas like a rock and paramedics were immediately called into the ring to assess his situation. Johnston never saw the punch coming.
Cherry, of Wauchula, improves to 24-5-2, and earned his 12th KO.
The loss almost definitely signifies the end for Johnston, a former WBC lightweight champ from 1997 to 2000.
Cherry planned on using the ESPN Wednesday Night Fight to regain national respect after a disappointing televised loss to Paul Malignaggi in 2006. Since then, Cherry has defeated Wes Ferguson twice, first at A La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa, and again at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Ricky Hatton undercard.
On Wednesday, Cherry came out of the gates swinging. Halfway through the fight he had thrown 100 more punches than Johnston and had connected on 40 more. His youth was showing.
In the sixth round, Cherry smartly decided to sit back, use his legs and wait for Johnston to make moves. He was then able to set up strong counters.
A barrage of punches in the ninth while Johnston was on the ropes earned Cherry his second knockdown of the fight. Johnston never recovered.
Johnston, 35 years old fighting his 49th professional fight, came in to Wednesday saying he was back in the best shape of his life.
His first taste of the top came when he defeated Jean-Baptiste Mendy for the WBC lightweight title. The championship run was only briefly interrupted by a decision loss to Cesar Bazan, whom he later defeated in a rematch to win back the belt. Johnston defended the title seven times before permanently losing the belt to Jose Luis Castillo in 2000 via majority decision. The loss was declared the "2000 upset of the year" by Ring Magazine, as Castillo was relatively unknown at the time.
On Wednesday's undercard, Johnny Edwards knocked out former two-time WBA featherweight champion Freddie Norwood in the seventh round.
Later, 43-year-old "King" Arthur Williams turned back the clock to his glory days and was able to knock down Clarence Moore in the second round, holding on to win a 60-52 unanimous decision.
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By Anthony Ivey
Starfight Productions hosted a night of boxing May 9 at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa.
In the main event featuring junior welterweights, St. Pete's Derrick Samuels scored an impressive first-round knockout over Donnel Logan. A lightning quick right hook drove Logan face first to the canvas. Although Logan rose at nine, he was unsteady on his feet and the referee ended the contest.
"If you think for one second I can't punch, you're gonna be in for it," stated Samuels, who raises his mark to 15-3-1 with 4 KOs.
"Derrick has sparred with Edner Cherry, and Edner has said Derrick is a great boxer, as well as a really good puncher," added Starfight's Pete Fernandez.
The first-round knockout streak continued for Clearwater welterweight prospect Keith Thurman as he brutalized Jessie Davis with vicious straight rights to the head and hard hooks to the body from the opening bell until Davis crumpled to the canvas from the assault. The fight was quickly waved off moments after.
"I came prepared and felt confident. He was a tough opponent, but in the end my power was too much for him," explained Thurman, who improves to 5-0 with 5 KOs.
The evening began with St. Pete's Willie Chisolm battling Tampa's Nick Iannuzzi in a four-round cruiserweight bout. Chisolm nailed Iannuzzi with an overhand right in the fight's opening moments, but Iannuzzi dominated the rest of the round with a series of hard, straight shots to the head. Iannuzzi controlled the second, even hurting Chisolm in the last half of the round with combinations. A huge right hand floored Chisolm in the final 20 seconds of the third, and Iannuzzi closed the show in the fourth as Chisolm's corner surrendered as its fighter was being hammered along the ropes.
"He was the best opponent I fought so far, but he couldn't handle my jab and he kept lunging in, so he was open for the uppercut," stated Iannuzzi (6-0, 4 KOs).
"No excuses - he was the better man tonight. I'll be back," said Chisolm (6-4).
Super featherweight Jenna Shiver took on Adwicke Lopez in a four-round affair. Lopez came out fast, winging hard shots at Shiver in the first stanza, as Shiver did her best to stand her ground and fire back with combinations. St. Pete's Shiver had a more effective second round with straight punches, but Lopez found the mark with hard hooks and overhand rights. Shiver had her moments in the third, but again Lopez connected with more power shots. While Shiver had a good final round, Tampa's Lopez was awarded a unanimous decision via triple scores of 39-37 for a successful victory in her pro debut. With the loss, Shiver falls to 6-3-1.
Jason Rorie started his pro debut off on the right foot with a knockdown in the opening round of his four-round featherweight bout against Jesus Mendez. Round two was fairly even with both guys landing effectively. The awkward Mendez scored repeatedly in the third, until a Rorie body shot had him wincing in pain in the round's closing moments. Rorie closed the fight strong in the fourth to seal a split decision victory with scores reading 38-37 (twice), with one judge dissenting, 37-38.
Featherweights took center stage again in the following bout as New Port Richey's Carlos Rivera faced Carlos Vinan. Both guys fought hard on the inside in round one, but in round two Rivera went on the outside and picked Vinan off with straight shots until Vinan closed the gap by round's end. Rivera had his way in the third, landing at will with straight lefts that snapped Vinan's head back repeatedly. Rivera hurt Vinan in the fourth with body shots, and the fifth saw a bloody Vinan staggering around the ring courtesy of Rivera's vicious assault. Round six was academic as Rivera again landed at will to take home a unanimous decision by scores of 59-55 all around.
"I could have done a little more, but I was sick a few days before the fight," explained Rivera. "But every fight I believe I can get better."
Rivera's mark now stands at 12-3-2.
Undefeated St. Pete middleweight Ahsandi Gibbs squared off against Timothy Hall in a four rounder in the next bout of the evening. After a feeling out opening round, Gibbs connected with hooks to the head and body in the second. Gibbs applied steady pressure and tagged Hall with a strong right hand to the head to close out the third. Gibbs came out blazing in the fourth, hammering Hall with both hands till the bell sounded to end the fight. Scores tallied a shutout on all cards, 40-36.
"I felt about 85 percent in there, and he could definitely take a punch. But in the end, he was just overwhelmed," said Gibbs, who improves to 7-0 with 2 KOs.
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By Anthony Ivey
Edner Cherry will make his return to ESPN2 on May 21 in Jacksonville, N.C. His opponent will be former world champion Stevie Johnston (42-5-1, 18 KOs). Cherry is a well-known commodity on ESPN, as he was named its fighter of the year in 2006.
"Training has been going good," states Cherry (23-5-2, 11 KOs). "But I always come in to be a champion, and to beat the best."
Cherry certainly looked like a champion in his last fight. On the undercard of the Mayweather-Hatton super fight, Cherry scored a highlight-reel knockout over Wes Ferguson courtesy of a brutal left hook in the sixth round. It was a knockout so eye catching that it was featured in The Ring magazine's year-end pictures-in-review section.
"Being on PPV and in Ring magazine was great exposure. The whole world saw who I was. The first fight we had went the distance; this time I was able to score the knockout," states Cherry.
While Wauchula's Cherry is not looking past his opponent on May 21, he is well aware of who's holding the gold in the lightweight division.
"I would love to fight either [Joel] Casamayor or [Nate] Campbell for a championship," says Cherry.
What about the appeal of an all-Bay battle with Campbell right here in Tampa?
"That would definitely be a great fight for the fans here, and I'd be up for it," states Cherry.
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By Anthony Ivey
Moments before I approached top-ranked super featherweight contender Jenna Shiver for an interview following her knockout victory on March 14 in Tampa, I stopped to observe her interactions with the fans. I watched her as she smiled broadly for everyone, thanked people for their support and gave them handshakes or even hugs as a show of appreciation.
About 30 minutes earlier, she wasn't quite as quick with a smile. At that moment, she was too busy bloodying, staggering and eventually dropping her opponent, Melinda Woody, en route to an impressive third-round TKO victory. The smile returned when I congratulated her on scoring back-to-back knockout victories.
"Yes, I know," she says. "And I'm totally stoked about it."
As a matter of fact, Shiver has a lot to be stoked about. While her hooks are devastating in the ring, her looks are just as eye-catching outside of it, as evidenced by her Maxim-style professional modeling photos, which will be out in the near future.
"Modeling is fun, but it challenges me in a different way than boxing. To hold a sexy pose for an extended length of time is definitely difficult," states Shiver, 6-2-1 with 2 KOs.
Her return on May 9 should prove less difficult, as she is fighting in a scheduled four-rounder at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa.
"Training has been going great, and I feel strong for this fight," says Shiver.
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By Anthony Ivey
Whenever I've interviewed Keith Thurman post fight, there is a recurring theme to his answers. "I sensed his fear before the bell rang," he states repeatedly of his opponents.
Why does he keep sensing this? "Ever since I was little, my coach trained me to read fighters. It's hard to explain, just something that I know," explains Thurman.
What if he doesn't sense fear? "Hey, even if I sense confidence, that doesn't mean I'm backing down," he says.
Backing down is something Thurman hasn't done yet as a pro, winning all four of his fights by first-round knockout. His next opponent, Jessie Davis (9-9, 6 KOs) of Savannah, Tenn., is his most seasoned yet, with 18 fights under his belt. Thurman, however, views himself as the more experienced of the two.
"The amateur background is what it's about. I have over 100 fights as an amateur. I learned to get hit and not get hit. But really, it's not even about the amount of fights; it's how good of a fighter you are," states Thurman.
Thurman again wants to show how good of a fighter he is on May 9 in a scheduled four-round welterweight bout at the A La Carte Pavilion.
"I'm in condition to go four rounds, but I am already training for six," says Thurman. "My sparring has been great, especially working with a slick guy like Derrick Samuels."
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By Anthony Ivey
Undefeated middleweight Ahsandi Gibbs is set for his May 9 return at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa.
His return to the ring was intended to be a few weeks earlier, on April 12, on the undercard of the Tarver-Dawson doubleheader. But his opponent pulled out at the last minute.
"It was a big disappointment for me, but it's part of the game," states Gibbs. "But it did give me more time to prepare for this upcoming fight."
Gibbs has been boxing professionally for more than a year now, but his interest in the sport dates back much earlier.
"When my younger brother came home with a black eye, my stepfather wanted us to learn how to defend ourselves," states St. Pete's Gibbs.
Gibbs trains out of the 4th Street Gym in St. Petersburg, an experience he describes as a valuable one.
"I follow my stablemates," says Gibbs. "I learn a little bit from everybody in the gym."
While the nickname "Mr. Brixx" evokes images of a heavy-handed slugger, Gibbs describes himself as more of a thinking man's fighter.
"I have an adaptable style. I see what the weaknesses are, and I go from there," explains Gibbs.
Gibbs has exposed many weaknesses, as evidence by his 6-0 mark (2 KOs). One thing is for sure, when the night of May 9 arrives, Gibbs will be ready.
"I get so focused, I forget my family is even there," he says.
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By Anthony Ivey
Derrick Samuels may fight under the nickname "Superman," but in his last start he was the one who packed kryptonite in his fists.
In front of a packed house Jan. 18 at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa, Samuels scored an exciting third-round knockout over Cory Peterson.
"I learned how to deal with adversity in that fight," states Samuels. "In the second round he really pressed me, but it showed, if need be, I can weather the storm and bang with these guys."
Samuels hopes to take what he's learned and use it when he returns on May 9 to the Al La Carte Pavilion. And just as he was in the Peterson fight, he'll be in the main event. Samuels, a junior welterweight out of Orlando, will be in what should be his last scheduled eight-round bout.
"I will be fighting in 10 rounders soon, and I'll probably have three to four more fights before the end of the year," says Samuels, 14-3-1 with 3 KOs.
When the rounds increase, so does the level of competition. Samuels, however, is ready to step up.
"There is no dominant guy in the division, just a lot of good prospects. I'm hoping to test my skills against them in the near future," states Samuels.
In the end, he may be Superman, but even superheroes need support sometimes.
"I'd like to thank Starfight Productions, Jean Baptiste, Gino McClellan, Keith Thurman, Ahsandi Gibbs and Jim McLoughlin. Without the people I just mentioned, I wouldn't be where I am today."
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Staff reports
After Joe Calzaghe's big win over Bernard Hopkins on April 19, a handful of names were thrown out as Calzaghe's next foe. That list didn't include Antonio Tarver, and "The Magic Man" has taken exception by calling out the super middleweight and light heavyweight champion.
"Everyone was mentioned as Calzaghe's potential next opponent but me - the true light heavyweight champion," Tarver said in a statement released to the media. "I am the real legend killer! I beat Roy Jones Jr. not once, but twice. I have also beaten Glenn Johnson, Clinton Woods and many more top fighters in the light heavyweight division. I am the only light heavyweight champion who currently holds two belts and on my way to unifying the belts this year. I will fight Calzaghe in the U.S., in the U.K. or wherever he wants to fight. Three fights, three titles, undisputed!"
Tarver continued, "Just like I predicted years ago that I could beat Roy Jones Jr., I am putting the world on notice that I am the boxer who can stop Calzaghe. Having just beaten his fellow countryman, Clinton Woods, Calzaghe should step up and fight and defend the honor of his country."
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By Anthony Ivey
Four days ago, Jason Barnett's camp received the call to fight in an eight-round bout on the Hopkins-Calzaghe light heavyweight championship card April 19 in Las Vegas. Even though it's on short notice, it's something too good for the Barnett camp to pass up.
"It's a tough fight," says trainer Jim McLoughlin. "But the opportunity and the money are tremendous."
Barnett's opponent is 2000 Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison, whose pro ledger reads 21-3 with 16 KOs. This is Harrison's first fight in more than a year, while Barnett's last outing was just two weeks ago, a decision victory at the Bayfront Hilton that upped his record to 10-6 with 4 KOs.
Barnett's camp finds a positive in him having fought a short time ago, as he's been able to maintain his conditioning.
"Since his last fight was so recent, he's in shape," says McLoughlin of his heavyweight.
Another positive for Barnett is Harrison's current slump; he's dropped three of his last five bouts. Still, a victory over an Olympic gold medallist on one of the biggest cards of the year can only propel Barnett to bigger and better opportunities.
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