Warriors Boxing
It's a trio of excellence - a former world champion, a top contender and a star on the rise. On Nov. 11, Glen Johnson, Edison Miranda and James McGirt Jr. will step into the ring as "The Bad Boys of Boxing" at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla.
The remainder of the card will be announced soon.
A former light heavyweight champion revered throughout the sport as "The Road Warrior," Johnson (47-12-2, 32 KOs) has built a storied career on the foundations of hard work, skill and heart. Owner of wins over the best of this era, including Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver, Johnson will return to the ring for the first time since his controversial decision loss to WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson in April. Now, more determined than ever, the 39-year-old Miami native is intent on bouncing back.
Consistently one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, pound for pound, super middleweight contender Miranda (30-3, 26 KOs) is on the comeback trail after a disappointing loss to Arthur Abraham in their June rematch. But getting on the road back is no problem for the Colombian knockout artist, who already owns the leading candidate for knockout of the year in his third-round demolition of David Banks. This November, Miranda plans on adding another segment to his highlight reel.
Rising middleweight star McGirt Jr. (19-1, 9 KOs) may be the son of legendary former champion Buddy McGirt, but the 25-year-old from Vero Beach has started to carve his own niche in the boxing world with performances like his last one on July 25 - a dominant 10-round decision win over solid contender Raymond Joval. Now closing in on the top 10 in the world, McGirt needs to keep the momentum going with a win on Nov. 11.
Tickets for the event, priced at $152, $102, $52 and $22, may be purchased at the Hard Rock Live box office or through ticketmaster.com.
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By Brian Richesson
Andre Berto had little trouble in his first defense as WBC welterweight champion, breezing through the light-punching Steve Forbes on Sept. 27 in Carson, Calif.
Winterhaven's Berto was his usual lightning-quick, busy self in earning the 12-round unanimous decision victory with scores of 118-109 (twice) and 116-111.
While the fighters locked into several quality exchanges, the younger Berto controlled the bout after admitting to his corner a lackluster effort in the second round. Put the round in the past, his trainer told him, and Berto listened.
Berto bloodied Forbes with a punch in the third round - despite it being ruled from a head butt - and landed several other notable shots. In the eighth round, Berto knocked Forbes' mouthpiece high into the air.
Despite his one-sided victory, Berto failed to be the first opponent to stop the durable Forbes, who had taken Oscar De La Hoya the distance in his previous fight.
Berto improved his record to 23-0 with 19 KOs, while Forbes dropped to 33-7 with nine KOs.
In the main event, veteran Shane Mosley (45-5, 38 KOs) knocked out Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 KOs) in the closing seconds of the 12th round of their junior middleweight encounter.
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HBO
In a battle between two of boxing's superpowers, Joe Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KOs) will clash with Roy Jones Jr. (52-4, 38 KOs) in a scheduled 12-rounder for the Ring Magazine light heavyweight championship belt Nov. 8 at Madison Square Garden. The bout will be shown live on HBO pay-per-view.
"I am looking forward to fighting one of the great legends of the sport at the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden," said Calzaghe, who will be fighting for the first time in New York. "I will feel my super power when the many thousands of fans who will travel to New York are there to support me. It will make a truly memorable evening, and I will not let them down."
Jones countered, "Every boxer looks for that one big, epic fight in his career. The difference here is that he's the one looking for the epic fight, which is a great assumption on his part, because after Trinidad, Roy is rejuvenated."
Out of the hardscrabble steel and coal Welsh landscape emerges Calzaghe, the gritty, unblemished warrior who burst out of relative obscurity in Europe onto the American scene for the first time in April 2007. HBO aired his relentless pounding of Peter Manfredo before 35,000 fans at Millennium Stadium in Cardif, Wales. The third-round stoppage was Calzaghe's 20th title defense since toppling Chris Eubank for the WBO title in 1997.
Five months later, in a highly touted bout between two undefeated champions, Calzaghe scored a merciless, workmanlike victory over WBC and WBA champion Mikkel Kessler to unify the division. More than 50,000 fans packed Millennium Stadium, this time to witness Calzaghe's most complete and dominant victory.
For his first bout in the United States, Calzaghe took on his most notable and difficult opponent in Bernard Hopkins on April 19 in Las Vegas. The savvy and dangerous Hopkins ran his vast array of misdirection plays and tactics that had served him so well in defeating a prestigious list of younger, presumably more talented fighters. But as the fight wore on, Calzaghe began to grind through Hopkins, who seemed astonished by the Welshman's determination and tenacity. In the late rounds, Hopkins' vast experience was not enough, and he simply wilted under the steady attack and precision blows. It was all Calzaghe in the end, rolling to a unanimous decision and wresting claim to boxing's most coveted pound-for-pound title, in addition to coming within one victory of Joe Louis' all-time record of wins in a single weight class.
It wasn't that long ago that Jones was the consensus pound-for-pound champion. Like the Blue Angels and the long stretches of sugary white beaches, Jones stood out as a startlingly, brilliant anomaly in the sleepy Gulf Coast city of Pensacola, Fla. It was nearly 20 years ago to the day when the exuberant, talent-brimming Jones was victimized by perhaps the most egregious injustice in Olympic history. Despite easily outclassing every opponent in the field, including his Korean foe in the finals, he was denied an Olympic gold medal by corrupt judges. Despite having to settle for the silver medal, Jones was named the most valuable boxer at the Seoul Olympics.
Carrying that Olympic chip on his shoulder, Jones went out to prove to the world that he couldn't be beaten, that he was not only the best amateur in the world but the best boxer - period. He went on to become an eight-time world champion, claiming belts at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. He blew through the 1990s in unstoppable fashion, stunning his opponents with blinding quickness and brutal power. He made history on March 1, 2003, when he stymied then-heavyweight champion John Ruiz to become the first former middleweight champion to win the heavyweight title in more than 100 years.
Jones began an impressive string of dominating performances in 1993, when he throttled the flashy Hopkins in a unanimous nod to earn his first world title. In a monumental fight with a signature moment on Nov. 18, 1994, Jones baited super middleweight James Toney with a move he learned from watching his prized roosters. When Toney tried to imitate it, Jones lashed out and caught him flush with a stinging left, sending Toney reeling off balance into the ropes. Toney never recovered and lost badly by decision.
Following five successful defenses at super middleweight, Jones moved up in class to take on legendary Mike McCallum in 1996 and once again, came away with another unanimous decision and title belt. He bedeviled a formidable Lou Del Valle at the Garden Theater that same year and then captured every round on all three judges' scorecards in dismantling Reggie Johnson to finally unify the 175-pound division in 1999.
Jones always enjoyed befuddling the experts and defying the critics, which is why he set his sights on Ruiz's heavyweight crown. Making history was just part of the challenge, for the animated Jones, who tipped the scales at 193 pounds at the weigh-in, an amazing seven pounds under the limit. He peppered and dodged the plodding Ruiz and had truly reached boxing's pinnacle platform with a resounding victory.
Following the Ruiz triumph, Jones dropped back one weight class in order to take on Florida rival and nemesis Antonio Tarver on Nov. 8, 2003. It was Jones' hardest fight to date. He captured a split decision, but for the first time, showed visible signs of being hit. It was an omen of things to come for the proud, but suddenly vulnerable Jones, who suffered consecutive defeats to Tarver and a surprising loss to Glen Johnson.
Down but not out, Jones came back to score wins in his next two fights, setting up a highly anticipated dual with Puerto Rican legend Felix Trinidad on Jan. 19 of this year at Madison Square Garden. A renewed Jones looked sharp and focused, flooring an overmatched Trinidad twice in breezing to a unanimous win.
Now, boxing's former pound-for-pound champion takes on the current stakeholder. Calzaghe and Jones, two determined Hall of Fame world champions, dominant in their own places and time, risking it all and setting a course for their "Battle of the Superpowers."
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By Anthony Ivey
On Sept. 13 at the Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss., Tampa's Edner Cherry came up short in his first try at a word title, dropping a decision to WBC junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley by scores of 118-109, 118-108 and 117-110.
The first four rounds had good two-way action, as each connected with hard powershots upstairs. After the fourth, a round in which Cherry rattled his opponent with a series of hard hooks to the head, Bradley started to become more elusive by slipping Cherry's powershots and utilizing his jab.
At the request of his corner, Cherry upped his aggression in the middle rounds, but was caught by a counter right hand in the eighth that sent him to the canvas. Cherry rebounded from the knockdown to stun Bradley in the 11th with a right. Cherry tried for the knockout in the final round, but Bradley proved too elusive and countered effectively till the bell.
"Bradley is a tough fighter," stated Cherry, now 24-6-2. "He is very sick and has good head movement. He is a true champion who came to fight."
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By Anthony Ivey
Last March, Tampa's Nate Campbell took the IBF, WBA and WBO lightweight world titles from then-undefeated Juan Diaz in a thrilling 12-round affair. Not one to rest on his laurels, Campbell is taking his newly won championships to Biloxi, Miss., where he will defend them Sept. 13 against undefeated challenger Joan Guzman, live on Showtime Championship Boxing.
"Guzman does what he does," states Campbell. "His record speaks for itself, but for me, I look at guys and I break them down on almost a cellular level as far as boxing is concerned."
Guzman's record definitely speaks for itself - 28 wins with 17 by knockout. Campbell, 32-5-1 with 25 KOs, feels that this fight is a matter of styles.
"I think his style works for me. At the end of the day, we both know how to put our best stuff in the ring and we'll see what happens," explains Campbell.
Guzman, a former two-time WBO champion in the super bantamweight and super featherweight divisions, sees the style argument in his favor.
"We have quickness on our side. We also have great defense on our side," explains Guzman. "We are going to give him a hell of a fight on Sept. 13."
Regardless of the opponent, Campbell always maintains confidence.
"With me it's about my respect, period," he says. "I am going to do damage to whoever they put in front of me because I want to keep my title."
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Statement from WBC President Jose Sulaiman on bouts Sept. 13 in Biloxi, Miss., featuring Edner Cherry vs. Timothy Bradley Jr. and Elio Rojas vs. Hector Velazquez:
"The World Boxing Council has tried by all means, and on several occasions, to reach an amicable agreement with the state boxing commission of Mississippi, as we have done with all other boxing commissions in the United States, for the exclusive WBC super lightweight world title fight between champion Timothy Bradley Jr. and challenger Edner Cherry, as well as for the WBC final elimination fight in the featherweight division between Elio Rojas and Hector Velazquez, which are scheduled to be held on Sept. 13 in Biloxi, Miss.
"The WBC retains the exclusive rights of its officially registered trademark - World Boxing Council, WBC - as well as the WBC championship accolade, and on most occasions the WBC reaches amicable agreements with exemplary reciprocity with the boxing commissions in the USA who are hosting WBC title fights, as in the rest of the world. Without exception, the national boxing commissions of other countries, where we have the closest mutual cooperation and friendship, absolutely accept the WBC appointments of ring officials as well as the WBC rules and regulations in a mutual agreement.
"However, on this occasion the boxing commission of Mississippi has emphatically refused to accept WBC participation. Consequently, the WBC cannot agree to sanction any official WBC world title fight or elimination fight of our organization under these circumstances, as it would be an infringement or violation of the law by using the WBC championship accolade that belongs exclusively to the WBC, without whose approval no fight should be held using our name.
"The WBC has respectfully, amicably, and very humbly contacted the Mississippi commission requesting their change of position, hoping to find their collaboration and reciprocity by extending us the courtesy of accepting the appointment of at least two WBC neutral judges, appointed in mutual agreement, while accepting the appointment of two local officials, as it is customarily done in most states in the United States. Very unfortunately, they have refused and rejected all WBC participation.
"The WBC Board of Governors and I cannot be responsible for any verdict resulting from local officials whose names we don't even know as of today, and are not registered in the WBC by any boxing commission. Consequently, the WBC has decided to buy three ringside tickets for three judges of the highest certification who are registered in the WBC by specific boxing commissions and appointed by the WBC, and these judges will provide the final and official result for the world of boxing for the WBC world championship fight and elimination fight.
"The WBC will respect the scoring of the Mississippi commission due to their right to do so in their state, but it will not count for the WBC world championship recognition or in the final elimination fight. We truly regret to have been forced to take this action and we would give anything to obtain friendship, mutual reciprocity and an agreement with the local commission, which extended to us no acceptance, nor courtesy for even a conversation.
"We will respect any decision rendered by the local commission, but it will not have any effect on the WBC in regards to the recognition of the winner of the world championship fight and the final elimination fight. The WBC wishes to express our respect and friendship to absolutely all of the boxing commissions of the United States, which have been examples of equality, understanding and mutual respect to the rights of the institutions.
"As the WBC highly respects and has a very good understanding with the Association of Boxing Commissions, we would expect and accept their participation to find a solution that respects the dignity and rights of our organization, with our will to fully cooperate. Otherwise, the WBC will respect, absolutely, the scoring of the three judges appointed by the WBC sitting in the audience.
"We hope that all of the boxing commissions of the United States, with which we have had excellent relations and mutual cooperation, will understand our position. We also hope that the ABC, with which we also have very good relations, will understand and participate as a mediator for an agreement to be reached that will respect the dignity of the WBC.
"May the best man in the ring be the best on the scorecards, with one to become WBC champion of the world and the other the official challenger."
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Golden Boy Promotions
Earlier this year, Andre Berto won the WBC welterweight title. On Sept. 27 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., he will begin his reign as champion by facing his toughest challenge in Steve Forbes.
The fight for the WBC welterweight title will be the co-featured bout to the highly anticipated showdown between Sugar Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga, televised live on HBO.
A member of the 2004 Haitian Olympic team, the 24-year-old Berto (22-0, 19 KOs) has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the welterweight ranks since his pro debut in late 2004. A former NABF champion who has garnered a legion of fans with his concussive power and two-fisted offensive attack, Berto parlayed wins over Cosme Rivera, David Estrada and Michel Trabant into a shot at the vacant WBC welterweight title June 21 against Miguel Rodriguez. In that bout, Berto made the most of his opportunity, knocking Rodriguez out in seven rounds. But on Sept. 27, the former world champion Forbes will test him in all aspects.
"As always, I will train my hardest as I consider Steve Forbes a talented and tough veteran," said Berto, who resides in Winter Haven, Fla. "Forbes showed the world his boxing talent and his big heart when he lost a hard-fought decision to Oscar De La Hoya last May. On Sept. 27, I will successfully defend my WBC title against Forbes and put on a great fight for all my fans."
Forbes (33-6, 9 KOs) is a crafty wizard in the ring who knows what it takes to win at the elite level. A 12-year pro, Forbes won a world championship in 2000 with a TKO of John Brown and he never lost the title in the ring, only giving it up when he was unable to make weight prior to a fight.
Forbes' success continued in the ensuing years, with a stint on The Contender series, which exposed him to a nationwide audience as he made it to the finals, only losing to junior middleweight Grady Brewer via split decision in 2006. After the show finished, Forbes continued to shine with a 10-round decision over Francisco "Panchito" Bojado in 2007. He gained even more fans with his effort in a 12-round decision loss to De La Hoya in May. He now looks to become a two-time world champion this fall at the expense of Berto.
"I think this will be a fight for me to prove what I've always known and that is that I'm an old-school throwback fighter who has the abilities to beat anyone," said Forbes. "I will become a two-time world champion on Sept. 27."
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