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News
Phillips upsets Spinks!
Groundbreaking FREE Webcast launches
DonKingTV.com on Thursday night in St. Louis
March 28, 2008
By
Brian Grammer at ringside
Photo: David Martin Warr/DKP
In a highly
controversial, but very entertaining bout, Verno Phillips claimed his
third world title with a split decision victory over reigning IBF junior
middleweight champion Cory Spinks on Thursday night before 8,874 at the
Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Phillips, now 42-10-1 with 21 knockouts
led on 2 scorecards, with scores of 116-112 and 115-113. Spinks (36-5,
11 KOs), won the third card, 115-113.
The first four rounds were fought rather evenly as both Spinks and
Phillips looked for openings. Starting in the fifth round, the crowd
started to grow impatient and they began to encourage Spinks to fight as
Phillips began to turn up the heat.
The sixth and
seventh rounds again were tactical battles, with both men jabbing and
countering each other effectively.
Late in the eighth
round, Spinks stunned Phillips with a right hand to head that sent the
38 year old new champion stumbling against the ropes, and the crowd,
sensing that Spinks had finally gained the momentum, surged to their
feet, roaring their approval. Phillips said that "he (Spinks) is sneaky.
If you lean in, he will hit you with the 1-2".
However, in the ninth round, Phillips, later saying "he had the harder
shots", countered Spinks attack by fighting aggressively off of the
ropes, dominating Spinks throughout the second half of the round.
Spinks, acknowledging that the long layoff prior to this fight may have
affected him, said that he "felt a little rusty" and that he had "many
opportunities to counter, but my body wouldn't let go". In the tenth and
for most of the eleventh round, both fighters laid back a bit,
recovering from the back and forth action that had taken place in the
two previous rounds. Phillips, appearing fresher at this point though,
through a big right hand to the jaw late in eleventh, which gave him the
edge leading into the final round of the fight.
A slip by Phillips
that sent him to the canvas at the beginning of the twelfth round seemed
to inspire Spinks and the former champion took the action to Phillips in
a desperate attempt to win the fight via knockout. Spinks got on his
toes and moved his head, slipping punches as he desperately threw
volleys in an effort to end the fight.
Several tense moments hung in the arena as the participants and the
announced crowd of 8874 waited for the decision and an audible groan was
heard as the public address announcer declared that the result was a
split decision. Judge Jerry Griffin scored the contest 113-115 for
Spinks and judges Robert Hoyle and Robert Paolino had it 115-113 and
116-112 for Phillips respectfully. Fightnews.com scored the fight a draw
114-114.
Abon, Reid in Slugfest. Abron Retains Belt in
Tough fight! (1/27/08)
By: Michael Sheffield
Prizefight Boxing held in its own late January new year’s party when
"Fights at the Fitz" started its year off with a six-fight card that
featured the return of NABO light heavyweight champion
Deandrey Abron, fighting in Tunica for the first time since winning the
belt last fall.
Abron’s fight would be a war with a determined and tough opponent in
Thomas Reid that would push both fighters physically and mentally.
Abron, who had been ill earlier this week with strep throat and a sinus
infection, struggled at times and absorbed numerous hard shots from
Reid, who took his fair share of punishment as well.
The normally aggressive Abron seemed tentative in the first round, which
surprised Reid, who seemed prepared for an onslaught that never came.
Reid took advantage of the situation and took the fight to Abron late in
the first round and through most of the second. Abron’s aggression
arrived late in the second round and both fighters spent the last ten
seconds of the round and ten seconds after the bell brawling in Abron’s
corner before being separated by referee randy Phillips and Abron’s
trainers.
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(01-27-08) DeAndrey Abron (L) connects
with a eft hook to the body against Thomas Reid in his first NABO
Light Heavy Title Defense. Reid proved to be a very stiff opponent
for Abron and pushed him to his limits, however, Abron weathered
the storm and won by unanimous decision after 8 action packed
rounds. Photo by: JD Meredith
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Reid continued to press his opponent throughout the rest of the
fight, but lacked the stamina to sustain his barrages for a significant
amount of time. Those lags gave Abron the openings he needed to land his
own power shots. But the last ten seconds of each round always gave the
crowd a flurry of hard and wild shots that took their toll on both
fighters’ stamina in the final round.
Abron hurt Reid a few times on the ropes in the late rounds, but was
never able to knock him out. Reid, to his credit, pushed Abron to the
limit, but never really hurt him. Because of that, Abron took a close,
but still unanimous decision, 77-75, 77-75, 77-75.
Perez Drops Close Decision, Loses
His Belt
by Joseph Davey, Ringside
The main event of then evening
showcased Manchester CT Super Featherweight prospect Matt “Sharp
Shooter” Remillard (12-0 7KO) against Denver CO’s Manuel Perez (11-4
2KO). With a WBC Youth Super Featherweight title on the line, each
fighter brought their A game which led to a very tactical and close
fight. Remillard consistently used his jab and left hook to score points
while Perez pressed the action with flurries and a high punch output.
Going into the final round, it seemed as if either fighter could very
well walk away the winner with the decision most likely to come down to
a matter of which style you preferred: Perez’s aggression or Remillard’s
accurate and conservative punching. Scores of 98-92 98-93 and a more
realistic 96-94 all favored Remillard which kept him unbeaten and still
a viable option as a Super Featherweight prospect.
1-27-07
Jefferson
helping Perez!
By Chris Morris / Photo: Christina Wittman
 Undefeated
Philadelphia featherweight prospect Rashiem Jefferson (15-0-1, 6 KOs) is
in Denver helping WBC Youth featherweight beltholder Manuel Perez
prepare for his title defense against Matt Remillard on January 25th at
Foxwoods. The reasons behind the trip are twofold. First Jefferson says
he has been wanting to fight Remillard for quite some time but Remillard
has never accepted the fight, so he is here to help Perez beat Remillard.
Jefferson is very familiar with Remillard and plans to give Perez a
great look at Remillard's style. The second reason is that he was very
impressed with how far Perez had come as a pro before their fight in
Philly. He is going to see if he and trainer Trevor Wittman can make a
connection. If so Wittman could take over head training duties for
Jefferson. Jefferson handed Perez his first loss as a pro back in May of
'06 and now he's here to help him pick up what would be the biggest win
of his young career. Jefferson and his manager Bouie will also accompany
Team Perez to Connecticut for the title defense.
Friday, January 18 2008
Rude
Awakenings
Outclassed by Perez, Barela suffers first defeat;
Gomez spanks “Bad Boy”; Furney shocks J. Barela
Ringside report & photos by
Chris Cozzone
The card was billed as “Night of Destiny,” but, with
all the lessons learned and clinics held last night, “School Days”
might’ve been more appropriate.
Before a packed house at the Sky Ute Casino in
Ignacio. Colo., local favorite Victor Barela, of Farmington, N.M.,
suffered his first professional loss when he was outclassed by Denver’s
Manny Perez, who pitched a near-shutout for the vacant WBC world youth
featherweight belt.
Outsized in, both, reach and height, and surpassed in
ring experience and skill, Barela’s only chance of taking home the belt
lay in the clamor of a hometown crowd and the steady hammering of his
can’t-lose heart.
read more...
Abron Defeats Benfield for
NABO Light Heavy Title!
Fights at the Fitz Fight Report
(4/3/07)
Abron Defeats Benfield for NABO Light
Heavy Title!
By: Michael Sheffield
See Huge Photo Gallery!
Saturday night’s Fights at the Fitz featured a promising debut, the
return of a crowd favorite and the crowning of a new champion.
In the evening’s main event, Prize Fight Boxing’s light heavyweight
rising star, DeAndreyy Abron captured the vacant NABO Light
Heavyweight championship by outlasting one of his toughest, if not
the toughest, opponent of his young career, in Shane Benfield.
By going the distance, the fight eclipsed Abron’s last outing which
was a 50 second demolition of Marvin Hunt last month.
The fight started slow with the action in the first two rounds being
pushed by the aggressive Benfield. After mocking Abron in early in
the third round, the local favorite woke up and landed a series of
brutal jabs to Benfield’s nose, which bled profusely throughout the
remainder of the fight.
From then on, Benfield fought valiantly through what had to be a
broken nose that at times clearly obstructed his vision. Abron
dominated the remainder of the fight, despite ignoring his corners,
requests for him to commit to throwing to the body. It wouldn’t
matter and Abron won the title with a unanimous decision 119-109.
Memphisboxing.com caught up with Benfield the
morning after his fight with Abron. A bruised but not broken
Benfield stated that he was able to fight through the cut on his
nose desipte blood that blurred his vision with every punch
because, "I'm boxing's ultimate fighter." Benfield stated that he
fought through similar circumstances when he fought with two deep
cuts above both eyes in his pro debut.
Team Benfield had nothing but the utmost respect for DeAndrey
Abron and gave praises to the newly crowned NABO Light Heavy
champ.
Rest assured, although leaving town without the belt, Benfield's
stock rose Saturday night when he showed fight fans what curage
and determination really look like.
Benfield's cut took 8 stiches to close.
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Verno
Phillips Fighting Cory 'JINX' Spinks for the IBF World Championship.
-vs-
March 27th 2008
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Colorado Crowns New WBC
Champ As Perez Dominates DeVictoria
Keith Smeltzer and Rocky Mountain Bad Boyz put on a
great night of fights with their ‘mixed’ card which presented 2
kickboxing bouts, 6 MMA bouts and
2 boxing bouts. The main event was a WBC Continental
Americas title fight. This is the first time the WBC has ever
sanctioned a title fight on a ‘mixed’ show.
In the main event Manny Perez dominated hardnosed Philly fighter
Lenny DeVictoria earning a near shut out over 12 fast paced rounds
and picking up the
WBC Continental Americas super feather weight title.
Perez established the jab early and it would be the difference in
the fight as he boxed and moved staying out of harms way. Perez
swept the early rounds using
good movement and a solid jab to both the body and
head of DeVictoria. DeVictoria stood very tall which allowed Perez
to land to the body with hard left and
right hooks in addition to the jabs.
DeVictoria was content to follow Perez around the ring throwing an
jab and right hand but simply couldn’t match the work rate set by
Perez. Perez used the
jab to control the distance and fired off three and
four punch combinations whenever DeVictoria got too close for
comfort. DeVictoria landed some hard shots
but they only came one at a time.
DeVictoria picked up the pace in the eighth and ninth making those
rounds very close and hard to score. Perez won the early going of
both rounds but the very
game DeVictoria came on strong late to steal them on
the FightNews/RMB card.
By the tenth round it was obvious, to everyone except DeVictoria,
that he needed a knock out to win but he never really seemed to it
going and wasn’t
throwing nearly enough to create the opening he
needed for the homerun hit.
Perez continued his game plan through the championship rounds and
won them on all judges cards.
Final tallies read 119-111 and 120-108 x 2. FightNews/RMB scored the
bout 118-112.
Perez runs his record to 8-3, 2kos, while DeVictoria falls to .500
at 9-9, 2kos. Perez will next fight on July 28th in Nebraska against
Jeremy Drapal.
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Hector Saez Crushes Stevie Marquez
In the co-main event Hector “Chin Checka” Saez lived up
to his moniker as he dropped Stevie Marquez three times in the first to
pick up the TKO victory.
Saez has decided to abandon the lower weight classes, 130’s and 135’s,
and fight at a more natural weight, 147’s. He looked much stronger and
maybe
should have made this move a bit earlier in his career
as it surely paid off in this fight.
The first knock down came courtesy of a perfectly timed
overhand right. The second, only moments later came by way of a nice
left hook. Marquez bounced
up quickly from both knockdowns and looked more
frustrated than hurt. Two knock downs in a four rounder makes it tough
to pull out a decision on the
judges scorecards. They boxed on even terms until the
ten second mark when Saez trapped him in the corner and unloaded a left
hook and right hand that
sent Marquez down ending the fight right at the bell.
Saez improves to 10-6, 7kos, and Marquez drops to 7-11-1, 6kos.
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TOP 5 TRAINERS
IN THE WORLD
Wittman Gets
Honorable Mention.
By Douglass Fisher with MAXBOXING
April 12, 2007
My top five active trainers right now are: Beristain (finally
getting mainstream respect because of the Marquez Bros., did wonders
with the crude Daniel Zaragoza, “Finito” is his masterpiece),
Emanuel Steward (obviously famous for his Kronk team, has
resurrected both Wladdy Klitschko and Kermit Cintron, Lewis is his
masterpiece), Freddie Roach (Virgil Hill first got his face out
there as a trainer, he helped bring James Toney back from the depths
of despair, Manny Pacquiao is his masterpiece, and I think he’ll
have De La Hoya looking **** sharp), Joe Goossen (the success of the
Ruelas Bros earned him mainstream props, transformed Joel Casamayor
from a great amateur to a professional world champ, had people
believing in Mount Whitaker, turned Diego Corrales’ career around
for a short period, masterpiece is Michael Nunn) and Floyd
Mayweather Sr. (Joy did very well with both Chad Dawson and Steve
Forbes, Mayweather Jr. is his masterpiece).
Honorable mention: Amilcar Brusa (I don’t know if the old man is
still training anymore but he’s a bona fide legend; I think Baldomir
was his 14th world champ), Jesse Reid (you talk about MOTIVATORS,
this man is one of the most underrated trainers/conermen that I know
of), Tommy Brooks, Fritz Sdunek, Teddy Atlas, Ronnie Shields,
Evangelista Cotto, “Ice” John Scully,
Trevor Wittman, Tom Yankello, Joe Hernandez, Rudy
Hernandez, Buddy McGirt, Enzo Calzaghe, Wayne McCullough, Michael
Timm and I’m sure I’m leaving off numerous worthy
trainers/coaches/teachers/conditioners/motivators.
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Boxing News -- 24 hours/day - Reload often! Continuously
updated all day, every day!
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 THE
WORLD IS READY FOR THE UFC®
ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® ANNOUNCES
UFC 73: STACKED
ANDERSON SILVA vs. NATE MARQUARDT
BATTLE FOR THE WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
SEAN SHERK vs. HERMES FRANCA
BATTLE FOR THE WORLD LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
TITO ORTIZ vs. RASHAD EVANS
BATTLE FOR RESPECT
ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA vs. HEATH HERRING
BATTLE FOR PRIDE
LIVE FROM ARCO ARENA – SATURDAY, JULY 7
Tickets Go On Sale Saturday, May 12 at 2pm PT
photo:
Chris Cozzone
FightWireImages.com
 Tired
of paying your hard-earned cash for events packed
with hype and little else? Sick of sitting down for
a pay-per-view event and finding out that you’re
paying over $50 for just three fights that include a
showcase and a mismatch? The Ultimate Fighting
Championship® has the cure for what is ailing fight
fans, and in a continuing effort to provide what the
world is truly waiting for, it is announcing yet
another UFC card stacked with at least five fights
that include two intense championship bouts and a
heated grudge match between two light heavyweight
rivals. UFC 73: STACKED features UFC Middleweight
Champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva in his first
title defense vs. Nate “The Great” Marquardt. UFC
Lightweight Champion Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk
puts his newly-won belt on the line vs. Brazil’s
Hermes Franca. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira steps into
the Octagon™ for the first time for a heavyweight
war with Heath Herring – and Tito Ortiz intends to
put a painful end to Rashad Evans’ perfect 15-0
record. Let the fireworks begin. UFC 73, loaded with
UFC superstars, takes place LIVE from ARCO Arena in
Sacramento, Calif. Saturday, July 7, 2007.
“We have five UFC events lined up
now through July in the US and UK, and every one of
them is stacked with great fights,” said UFC
President Dana White. “No matter where we have a UFC,
our goal is always the same – to deliver the best
fights between the best mixed martial arts fighters.
Our fans know they will always see a good fight, and
that’s why the UFC reigns supreme in live sports
today.”
White continues, “UFC 73 is one of the best cards
we’ve put together this year. It’s going to deliver
the one-two punch fight fans want – it has Tito
Ortiz and Rashad Evans, two all-state college
wrestlers, both who dislike each other, settling
their differences in the Octagon, as well as title
defenses by our two champions Anderson Silva and
Sean Sherk. We’re working on more fights right now
to pack this card even heavier from top to bottom.”
About his upcoming fight versus Rashad Evans,
“Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz stated,
“Everybody should expect fireworks. Rashad is
standing in the way of my getting another title
shot, and my prediction is that he won’t be able to
handle my tempo or the 18,000 Tito Ortiz fans that
are in Sacramento to see me win. My prediction is
that fans will definitely get their money’s worth.”
Evans countered, “Tito needs to learn the meaning of
respect. On July 7, I’m going to teach him what
that’s all about. Let him come down from the
mountain to Greg Jackson’s training camp and he’ll
see what he’s up against. I’m focused and on a
mission, and my goal is to knock him out.”
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 The
Resurgent Career of Verno Phillips
By Chris Scott-Brown-April 4, 2007
Boxing is a sport that is full of comeback stories about athletes
who have left the sport only to return, seeking that one last
hurrah. Muhammad Ali was stripped of his title in 1967 and not
allowed to box professionally for three years. When he finally was
allowed to return to the ring three years later, he gave us 4 ring
magazine fights of the year in the process of becoming the
heavyweight champion again. George Foreman retired for nearly ten
years following his loss to Jimmy Young, but he returned becoming
the oldest man ever to win the heavyweight championship. Even Rocky
Balboa returned to boxing to give a spirited performance against the
heavyweight champion of the world following a sixteen year lay off.
The list goes on and on of boxers who have taken time off only to
comeback and be as or even more successful in the sport. Verno
Phillips is one more name that you can add to this list.
Verno Phillips professional boxing career began in January of 1988.
He had a rather rough start to his boxing career, losing four of his
first twelve fights. In a sport like boxing, where so much emphasis
is placed on records, Verno could have easily slipped into
journeyman status where he would have been little more than a name
on the resume for superstars or up and coming hot prospects in the
sport. Instead Phillips went on a rampage, winning thirteen of his
next fourteen fights with one fight being declared a draw.
For his efforts, Verno Phillips was awarded a fight with Lupe Aquino
for the vacant WBO Light Middleweight Title. Lupe Aquino was a
former WBC Light Middleweight World Titlist, who had vastly more
experience in boxing rounds and championship fights than Phillips.
Despite these disadvantages Verno emerged victorious, rising off the
canvas in the first to knockout Aquino in the seventh. Verno would
go on to defend his title three times before losing it to Gianfranco
Rosi, who ironically was the one to take away Lupe Aquino’s WBC
version of the light middleweight title.
Following this fight, Gianfranco Rosi tested positive for
amphetamines and the fight was changed from a twelve round unanimous
decision win for Rosi to a no contest and Verno Phillips was
reinstated as the champion. This would be short lived however,
because despite dropping the challenger being dropped in the first
and penalized for a head butt in the ninth, he would lose it to Paul
Jones in his next fight by majority decision. Following his loss to
Paul Jones, Phillips decided to leave the division and become a
middleweight. This decision would prove to be unsuccessful as he
would drop two of his next three fights, including a championship
bout against Silvio Branco for the WBU Middleweight Title.
He would again change divisions, returning to the light middleweight
in search of greener pastures. And he would find them and also find
himself a champion again by defeating old foe Gianfranco Rosi for
the WBU Light Middleweight Title. Although the WBU isn’t as highly
regarded as some of the other boxing organizations, this light
middleweight belt would provide him not only with his biggest
challenge but also his greatest triumph. Because it was for his WBU
Light Middleweight Title that he came face to face with Julian
Jackson. Julian Jackson was far removed from his career preceding
his bouts with Gerald McClellan, but he was still no one to be taken
lightly and still a huge name in the division. Although Julian
Jackson showed some of the punching power that made him so dominant
at light middleweight and middleweight in the late ‘80’s and early
‘90’s Verno Phillips was in control for much of the fight and ended
it by TKO in the ninth. In a fight that was ten years to the day of
Verno Phillips having his first pro fight he would have his finest
hour and most prestigious win.
Following his brutal TKO of Julian Jackson, Verno Phillips would be
away from the sport of boxing for nearly two and a half years. After
the ups and downs and the punishment he had taken up into this point
of his career, I’m sure his body was thankful for the rest. A
knockout of Vincent Moses marked Phillips return to the sport.
Phillips followed up his victory with a unanimous decision loss to
Kassim Ouma. Verno would not be discouraged though, as he had faced
this type of adversity early on in his career. Following his loss to
Kassim Ouma, he won five in a row, leading to and IBF Light
Middleweight Title eliminator against Julio Garcia. He would starch
Garcia, knocking him down twice before landing enough power shots to
have the ref call a halt to the fight in the first round.
Verno’s next fight would be for the vacant IBF Light Middleweight
Title against Kassim Ouma. Due to an injury, Kassim Ouma was forced
to pull out of the bout less than a week before the fight was
scheduled to take place. Carlos Bojorquez, who was ranked number
fifteenth by the IBF, would step into Kassim Ouma’s place. Phillips
would TKO him in six rounds and recapture his first major world
title since defeating Lupe Aquino in 1993. With Kassim Ouma fully
recovered, Phillips faced him with his newly acquired belt on the
line. Ouma proved to be too much for the veteran as he was lucky to
finish the fight on his feet in route to a twelve round unanimous
decision loss. His next fight would see him fall to another
resurgent veteran in Ike Quartey. Once again Phillips found himself
in a funk that he hadn’t seen since he lost his WBO Light
Middleweight Title to Paul Jones followed by a loss to Peter
Venancio in his first fight at middleweight. Once again Verno has
rebounded, and is currently on a three fight win streak that has
placed him among the top ten contenders at junior middleweight.
It has definitely been a long road for Verno Phillips. He has had
his ups and downs, but through it all has always managed to emerge
victorious. Just when you’re ready to count him out, he arises at
the count of nine with his gloves up and ready to continue the
fight. Verno Phillips may not be the most prolific light
middleweight champion the world has ever seen, but he has to be one
of the most resilient. He is an inspiration in the sport and a true
challenge to anyone who decides to step into the ring against him.
He is a rare breed of athlete who has silenced the critics by his
actions in the ring. Many believe once you get to a certain age or
have been in what they call “too many wars in the ring” you should
hang up your gloves and walk away gracefully. And although that may
be true for most athletes, Verno Phillips is certainly an exception
to that rule, and every time he steps into the ring he shows you
why. |
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David Hernandez beats Steve Conklin
Posted: Feb,6th
David Hernandez went
to Oregon to fight home town fighter Steve Conklin and one a 6 round
Unanimous Decision. David won 5 out of the 6 rounds. Great job
David! David's record is now (4-4-2) while Steve Conklin is now
(4-2). |
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Nate Marquardt Dominates Dean Lister!
Posted: Jan27
Nate Dominated every
round of their 3 round bout. Marquardt dropped Lister six times in
the fight 3 with right hands and 3 time with knees to the head. Joe
Rogan said it was Marquardt's most Dominating performance in the UFC
yet. The Scores were 30-27 on one judges card and and 30-25 on two
of the judges cards. Marquardt is now 4-0 in the UFC right now not
losing a round yet. If you want to watch the fight go to UFC.com and
check it out on UFC Demand it is |
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Nate Fights this week on Spike T.V. against well known Dean Lister !
Posted: Jan22nd
Nate 'The Great'
Marquardt will be fighting this week against the well known and JuJitzu master, Dean
Lister. They will be fighting 3, 5 Minute rounds live on Spike TV,
Thursday, January 25th.
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Team Jacksons at T's K.O. Fight Club for Training Session!
Posted: Jan 22nd
Click on picture to see the photos
Team Jacksons came to Colorado to help team mate
Nate 'THE GREAT' Marquardt for his up an coming fight with Dean
Lister. Check ou the picture's of the training sessions they are
cool!
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Marquardt to Fight UFC and Pride Vet. Dean Lister on the UFC!
Posted: Dec. 12th
Nate 'The Great'
Marquardt will be fighting the well known and JuJitzu master, Dean
Lister. They will be fighting 3, 5 Minute rounds live on Spike TV,
January 25th.
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J.C. Candelo will be Fighting for the NBA World Title!
Posted: Dec. 12th
J.C. Candelo will be
fighting Eric Mitchell for his NBA World Title. They will be
fighting in Florida in Mitchell's back yard. This will be the first
time in 5 fights that Candelo will be back with his old TEAM. Look
for a very
Exciting Fight. |
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“BANG’S” NIGHT AT
STRIKEFORCE, THOMSON, JACKSON, AND SOUTHWORTH EARN
TITLES
By Loretta Hunt
Although STRIKEFORCE’s “Triple Threat” boasted a
trio of titles up for grabs last night in the
fight-friendly San Jose destination, it was Duane
Ludwig who captured the crowd’s fancy with a
dominant decimation of Tony Fryklund in an
electrifying one-and-a half rounds.
Indeed, K-1 veteran Ludwig was a force with his
fast and accurate punches and kicks, shaking
Fryklund early with a blurring right hand. Moving
in for the takedown, Fryklund was welcomed with
harsh body knees under Ludwig’s seemingly
unbreakable head clinch. Things steadily worsened
for the Las Vegas resident, who’d fought at
middleweight for a portion of his career, and was
now stepping back down to face the 170-pounder.
Ludwig’s attack was methodical and calculated,
with punches and kicks coming from all angles on
Fryklund as he struggled to keep up. Bouncing back
to his feet from a leg sweep, Fryklund made it to
the bell, but finally succumb to Ludwig’s
onslaught with a left hook that sent him down
three-and-a-half minutes into the second round.
The crowd was on fire.
The 8,701 in attendance applauded Ludwig’s skill
as much as Fryklund’s heart with a standing
ovation. |
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J.C. Candelo is coming home!
Posted: July 12th
I just got off the
phone with JC and he will be arriving in Denver on Sunday July 23rd.
His first day of training will be on Monday the 24th, and is
training for his fight in Texas on the 14th of August. The
opponent has not been selected yet, but I will keep you updated..
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Verno Phillips to face Teddy Reid for the Trans American Title and
the #3 Ranking in the IBF.
Posted: July 8th
Verno
Phillips(39-10-1 20 KO's) will be fighting Teddy Reid(23-7-2 17KO's)
in a 12 Round Main Event on ESPN2. The fight will take place August
9th in Connecticut at the Fox Woods Casino. They will be fighting
for the Trans American Title, and also will be fighting for the #3
in the IBF.
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Shane
Swartz Beats Ring Magazine's #7 Cruiser In The World
by Chris
Morris, Photos by
Javiel Centeno
,
RingsidePics
 He
said if he couldn't win, he wanted to be "taken out on a stretcher". Many
fighters make this type of statement only to go on television and bomb
miserably. (can you say Antonio Tarver) Not Shane Swartz, not Colorado's
Hurricane. He fought the way he said he would and followed his gameplan to
a T. That's T as in Trevor Wittman. The plan was to chop away at Brown's
body and hopefully stop him late. A nasty gash on Swartz' forehead was
opened at the start of the 5th round and having completed 4 rounds they went
to the scorecards where Swartz earned the unanimous technical decision.
Now before you assume that Swartz 'lucked out' understand this. He was
pitching a near shut out at the time with scorecards reading 49-46 and 50-45
x 2. Brown would have had to win every remaining round to salvage a draw.
Swartz deserves credit for
the accomplishment. This is against Dale Brown, who honestly beat O'Neil
Bell who is considered by many to be the best cruiser in the world. Brown
is ranked #7 by Ring magazine and #5 by the IBF. Swartz should show up in
all of the major sanctioning body's ratings in the next month or so.
Trevor Wittman has a way with
fighters. Remember when he took over JC Candelo in 2001 & 2002 Candelo was
named Ring Magazine's 'Most Improved Fighter of 2002". This was due in no
small part to Wittman.
It's a bit funny but last
night a friend who knows his boxing, I mean really knows his stuff told me
"Did you see they're serving Shane Swartz up for Dale Brown tonight on
ESPN?" Which was the common thought among boxing people. Why drop down to
cruiserweight and immediately fight one of if not the very best? I was
happy to inform my friend that Shane had won (Trevor called me soon after
the win) and he was amazed, as he probably should have been.
This win should put Swartz
right 'in the mix' at cruiserweight, with a title shot or eliminator looming
sometime soon, but the real question is, for how long? Swartz was feeling
good about getting down to light heavy before the fight. If he moves down
to 175lbs there maybe no stopping him from winning a world title.
Swartz will have plenty of
time to ponder as the cut earned him a 90 day suspension. I have a feeling
those are 90 days that will be well spent. If Wittman was able to 'tune him
up' to this point in a mere three and a half weeks imagine where they will
be with 3 full months under their belt.
Colorado has a new
contender. His name is "Hurricane" Shane Swartz.
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Shane “The Hurricane” Swartz Takes On Dale “Cowboy”
Brown
Shane “The Hurricane” Swartz has fought most of his professional career
at heavyweight. In with the big behemoths who easily outsize the 5’8”
Swartz. But that all changes tonight as he drops down to cruiserweight to
challenge one of the best in the world in Dale “Cowboy” Brown.
Swartz feels good at cruiser and had no problems making the 200 pound
limit.
“Making weight was relatively easy. I’m feeling much better down here.
The heavyweights were just too damn big and I’m too short. I took those
fights for money. This fight I took for my career. A win here can catapult
me to where I should have been about 5 years ago.”
Five years ago (maybe a little more) he fought Martin Lopez at the Pepsi
Center on the Stevie Johnston vs. Jose Luis Castillo undercard. I can
remember my father and I both commenting on how “Damn good this kid is from
Colorado! If he can stay to the course he can really go somewhere in this
sport”
That night he was fighting at 190 pounds.
“After this fight I might even try to get down to light heavy, 175
pounds, I haven’t been there since high school. It would take a lot of
work.”
But that’s work that Swartz doesn’t mind since hooking up with Trevor
Wittman.
“We had three and a half weeks for camp which is short for the pro game
but longer than the notice I’ve had on most of my fights. I’m in really good
shape. I didn’t miss a single training session and did all of my roadwork
religiously. Boxing had become a ‘job’ but now it’s fun again, with Trevor.
I’m learning so much. Not just what I should do but more importantly why I
am doing it. This sport is 90% mental and I’m going to get that edge back.”
Trevor seconds that motion.
“Camp was unbelievable and couldn’t have gone any better. He didn’t miss
a single training session and got his weight down early. With Shane,
positioning is everything and that’s what we worked on most. If Shane can
stay in position, closing the gap and work hard on the inside, I think he
can beat Brown.”
When asked about the game plan for tonight Trevor was quick to quip:
“We had some notice so we have watched some fight tapes on Dale Brown and
we have developed a solid game plan using our positioning and pressure.
Brown fights so slick and smooth from the outside, we have to get to that
body early to slow him down. We have to force the fight inside. If all goes
according to plan Shane will slowly break him down over the course of 10
rounds and stop him late.”
Is that a prediction?
“No, not really. I think Shane will probably win a very close decision.”
Swartz has other things on his mind.
“I’m feeling really good and strong. I’m ready to go and tired of
waiting. I plan to come in on angles and work inside. Brown isn’t
spectacular in any one area but he is damn good at everything. He always
produces a win when he needs it and. And I think he beat O’Neil Bell and
should be the undisputed cruiserweight champ of the world.”
When asked for a prediction Swartz said:
“None, I don’t have a real prediction. I will win by knock out or lose by
knock out, a decision isn’t an option. I’m down here in Florida fighting on
his promoter’s card so if I can’t win I want to go out on a stretcher. I
want to give it all I got and take it to him, leave it all in the ring
tonight.”
Be sure to tune into ESPN tonight as there’s a Hurricane coming through
Florida hoping to ravage the coasts of Dale Brown. This hurricane originated
in Colorado and is looking to pick up steam. This hurricane is named Shane
Swartz.
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Duane 'BANG' Ludwig
Fighting on Strike Force June 9th
Posted: May 22nd
Duane Ludwig will be fighting Tyson Griffin on June 9th on the Strike Force
card. Stay tuned for more updates on his training to pre pare for this
fight.
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Clyde Franklin Won a 4
round decision in Phoenix, Az.
by Chris
Morris.
Posted: May 22nd
Clyde Franklin (1-1) has just won a
four round split decision over Sergio Heredia (1-2). Franklin used his fast
hands and feet to put on a little boxing lesson. Heredia never really
figured out the slick south paw but did finish strong landing some heavy
shots at the end of fourth round. Congratulations Clyde!
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Phillips
Whips Candelo Down To A Knee
by Chris
Morris.
Posted: April 6th
Verno Phillips said Candelo
owed him, and he made him pay tonight in New Orleans. Phillips dominated
the fight with combinations and a huge dose of bodywork. Phillips landed
two big right hands in a row in the 10th and final round to put Candelo down
on a knee, punctuating the dominating performance. Official scores were
98-91, 97-92 and 100 to 89.
There was no 'feeling out' in
this fight as both men rushed to center ring and fired punches away from the
opening bell. Phillips makes a real commitment to work the body while
Candelo tries to establish the jab. The second round brings more of the
same as Phillips backs Candelo to the ropes and does his best work on the
body. Candelo can't quite get the jab dialed in on the constantly moving
Phillips. The third round is very close with both men doing their fare
share of damage. Phillips works combinations up to the head and down to the
body. Candelo makes a nice surge mid round followed by a nice uppercut.
After scoring the first two rounds for Phillips I score this one even,
10-10.
In the fourth both men seem a
bit anxious and start to rush things a bit. Candelo starts to get the jab
going and controls the distance well earning the round. He wins the next
one as well as Phillips looks to be slowing down and his punch output drops.
In the sixth is was back to
business for Phillips as he lands a nice right hand but doesn't follow up.
Candelo traps him in a corner and has his best moments of the fight thus
far. Phillips escapes and lands a left hook-right hand combo that rocks
Candelo back on his heels. Phillips loses his mouthpiece but not the round.
The seventh round started out
WWE style with a lot of wrestling before Phillips goes back to the body. He
also lands a pair of uppercuts that secure him the round. The round ends
with a decent exchange.
Phillips begins taking over
in the eighth as he lands right hands and combos that have Candelo holding
on. The ninth brings more of the same as Phillips lands nice combos while
using great footwork to get outside and behind a tiring Candelo's
shoulders. Phillips body work is paying off as Candelo holds and looks to
stall time.
The referee tries to make the
"moral enemies" touch gloves at the beginning of the tenth and final round
but neither man is having it as Phillips gives him a 'hip thrust' instead.
Phillips is relentless in trying to close the show. He lands a nice three
piece combo that hurts Candelo badly. He follows up with two big right
hands the second of which sends Candelo to a knee, where Phillips shucks him
off with another 'hip thrust'. Candelo survives the round but knows he is
the beaten man.
Despite all the drama there
was a quick 'shoulder hug' from both men after the bout more out of respect
for the great fight they had just engaged in than anything.
Judges ringside scored it
98-91, 97-92 and 100 to 89 while RMB saw it 98-92. Hopefully this will land
Phillips another big bout with a big name. I would personally like to see
him in with the Ferocious One, Fernando Vargas, I think it's a very winnable
fight for him.
Great job Verno, you made all
of Colorado proud!!!
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This Wednesday Verno Phillips will be fighting old stable mat J.C.
Candelo on ESPN2. April 5th
Posted: Mar. 31st
We leave on Monday to
go to New Orleans to face old team member JC Candelo. If you are a
boxing fan you must tune in for this fight because there is a lot of
bad blood between the two and if the fight is anything like their
sparring sessions this fight is going to be great. The fights will
begin at 8:00pm and Verno's fight will show at 9:00pm Central time,
we are the main event so tune in for this brawl. |
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Marquardt Schools Doerkson!
Posted: Mar. 6th
Nate 'The Great'
Marquardt was able to display a variety of skills on UFC 58 when he
faced up against very tough Canadian Joe Doerkson. This fight was a
skilled match both on the ground and standing. In many of the
interviews with Doerkson he was stating that he was going to stand
with Marquardt and was going to knock him out, a very bold statement
made from a guy who was known to be a master of the ground game and
his judo throws. The fight was a battle from the beginning to end.
Round one started off with a few exchanges then Doerkson taking
Marquardt to the ground, and then Marquardt reversing Doerkson to
his back, with little action on the ground because of Doerkson
holding on the ref brought them back to their feet for some more
exchanges with Marquardt getting the better of them. Round two was
very similar to round one with Marquardt beating Doerkson to the
punch and Marquardt landing some very hard inside and outside leg
kicks. Doerkson the landed a good left hook the clipped and seemed
to stun Marquardt, but he was able to take down Doerkson and regain
his composer. The fight then turned into a chest match on the ground
with Marquardt pulling off a nice sweep that really energized the
crowd. Round three was Marquardts best round, he was just
continually landing hard right hands and sharp right upper cuts that
were constantly hurting Doerkson and in the last minute of the fight
Doerkson was stuffed again on another one of his take downs and
Marquardt had sunk a guillotine choke and if there was 5 more
seconds in this fight Doerkson would have been stopped. All three
judges had it a shut out for Marquardt (30-27). Marquardt is now
hoping to get a fight with Rich Franklin for the UFC world Title
witch probably wont be for 6 or 7 months because of Rich's Broken
hand he suffered in his Title defense Saturday night that he won. I
will keep you updated on when Marquardt will be fighting next. |
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Phillips to fight old stable mate, Candelo on ESPN2 Wednesday Night
Fights main event.
Posted: Mar. 6th
Verno Phillips just
got a contract to fight J.C. Candelo on ESPN2 in a ten rounder on
April 5th. This is going to be great fight being I (Trevor Wittman)
used to train J.C. for two years in ending in a conflict between
Phillips and Candelo. Make sure you watch this fight because there
is a lot of bad blood which will make for an entertaining fight. |
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