Andre Ward vs. Edison Miranda
When: Saturday, 9 p.m.
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland
TV: Showtime
Outlook: Ward (18-0, 12 KOs), a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, puts his NABF and NABO super-middleweight titles on the line against Miranda (32-3, 28 KOs), a former world-title challenger.
Prediction: Miranda is an extremely powerful puncher with a puncher's chance, but Ward will prove to be too slick for the Colombian bomber and will pull out a decision victory.
Record in 2009 picks: 14-3
2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward puts his NABF and NABO super-middleweight titles on the line against Colombian KO artist Edison Miranda on Saturday at 9 p.m. in Oakland on Showtime's "ShoBox: The New Generation."
Ward, Miranda and promoter Dan Goossen held a recent conference call. Here's what they had to say:
DAN GOOSSEN: “We’re looking at this as Andre’s coming out party, not only in Oakland, but to the world for 168-pound supremacy.
“Let’s face it; he’s taking on a tough nut to make his statement. But that’s what it’s all about. No risk, no reward. That’s the way that Andre has always conquered everything in his life, even leading up to the Gold Medal. I believe he’s going to be the preeminent 168-pounder in the world.”
EDISON MIRANDA: “I’ve prepared well for this fight. I’ve trained very hard. I know that Andre is going to be a very tough opponent, but I know I am going to walk away victorious after this fight.’’
ANDRE WARD: “I want to thank my hometown and everybody that is involved and working really hard to put this together.
“I’m preparing like I always do, I’m staying focused like I always am. I’m going to win on May 16 for my hometown fans.”
Is Ward the best fighter you have faced in your career?
MIRANDA: “No, Andre is not the toughest fighter I’ve ever fought. Howard Eastman is.”
How will you beat Andre Ward?
MIRANDA: “I’m going to knock him out in the 10th round.”
Is Edison Miranda the toughest fighter that you’ve faced in your pro career?
WARD: “Absolutely, on paper. I put emphasis on paper. We won’t know until I get in the ring on May 16. I think I’m going to be a lot tougher than he thinks I’m going to be. I don’t have any predictions, but I can guarantee you this: I’m coming into this fight, even though I’m in my hometown, I’m the underdog in my mind. I’m always like that. Gold Medal aside, everything else aside, I’m coming in as the underdog. That’s how I prepared, that’s how my focus is. I’m going to shock a lot of people in this fight”
Undefeated super-middleweight Andre Dirrell and super-welterweight prospect Ronald Hearns, the son of legendary Kronk fighter Thomas Hearns, will be featured on "ShoBox: The New Generation" on March 28 at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla., on Showtime.
Dirrell (17-0, 12 KOs), of Flint, Mich., puts his unblemished record on the line against Derrick "Superman" Findley (13-2, 8 KOs) of Gary, Ind.
Dirrell, a 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, is ranked No. 1 by the WBO, No. 3 by the WBC and No. 7 by the IBF at 168 pounds. Dirrell is making his fifth appearance on Showtime. Findley went the distance in a 2006 loss to 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward.
Hearns (21-0, 17 KOs), of Detroit, Mich., takes on Harry Joe Yorgey (21-0-1, 9 KOs) of Bridgeport, Pa.
Hearns is ranked No. 7 by the WBC and No. 13 by the WBA at 154 pounds. Hearns is making his fourth appearance on ShoBox.
To check out audio and video interviews with John Molina Jr., click here.
His fans call him John John Molina, but John Molina Jr. is not related to the former Puerto Rican world champion of the same name who fought from 1986-2001.
This John John has built a reputation as one of Southern California's top prospects.
The former multi-sport star from Charter Oak High of Covina recently signed with Goossen Tutor Promotions and enlisted the services of world-renowned trainer Joe Goossen.
Molina (14-0, 10 KOs) puts his unblemished record on the line against Kpakpo Allotey on a "ShoBox: The New Generation" on Friday at 11 p.m. at the Tachi Palace in Lemoore on Showtime.
Molina took some time out before a recent training session at Goossen's gym in Van Nuys to talk about everything from how he got started in boxing to how he hooked up with Goossen and much more in between.
Here is what John John had to say:
On getting involved in backyard fights throughout his high school years at Charter Oak High of Covina to make some extra cash for himself and his buddies:
"I was in athlete in all these different sports, but I was always ... I don't like to call it the small-man's syndrome. If you see me for the first time, it look's like a stiff breeze could blow me over. People that know me personally know that when it's time to fight I enjoy that. I enjoy the competition, the one-on-one.
"So one day we went in the backyard, and this goes all the way back to the fifth grade to be honest with you. I brought my dad's old gloves. I give them the big Everlast pillows and I wear these old gloves. I put them on, boom boom, I'm knocking people out. I finally realized you could actually hurt somebody without the proper people around. It's not a safe way to do it.
"As I got into high school we'd make a quick buck or two, fifty, sixty bucks if you won a fight. There was no weight limit obviously. You fight the guys that think they are all bad because they've been cagefighting for a year-and-a-half or something like that. Then you drop 'em and knock 'em out. It was more fun and games than anything. It's pretty much what it was. It was exciting. i enjoyed the competition. When I started knocking guys out that were twice my size, I started realizing I can punch. People say, 'Did you get that from your dad?' and I say, 'No, I got it from my mom.'"
Super-featherweight prospect John Molina Jr. of Covina takes a break from his training at Joe Goossen's gym in Van Nuys to talk about his upcoming fight on "ShoBox: The New Generation" on Feb. 6 at Tachi Palace in Lemoore on Showtime.
2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward will defend his NABO and NABF super-middleweight titles against Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan in the main event of a "ShoBox: The New Generation" card on Feb. 6 at the Tachi Palace in Lemoore on Showtime.
Ward (17-0, 12 KOs) is making his third appearance on "ShoBox." In his last outing in December, Ward notched his seventh consecutive kayo when he dispatched former Mexican champion Esteban Camou in three rounds.
"Each bout has its own unique significance and everything I've been working towards is at stake in every fight," Ward said. "Henry Buchanan is the next fighter looking to stop my destiny. That's my main motivation. He has a great record and I am undefeated. This is the kind of fight the super-middleweight needs to see who is the top dog at 168 pounds."
Buchanan, the nephew of San Diego Chargers Pro Bowler Shawne Merriman, is 17-1 with 12 KOs. His lone loss came against Jean Paul Mendy.
"i know I am viewed as the underdog in this fight," Buchanan said. "But who'd have thought the Arizona Cardinals would make it to the Super Bowl? Our records are almost identical and we have the same number of knockout wins. This fight is more of an even match in my eyes and I feel my power will in the end be too much for Ward."
Super-featherweight John John Molina (14-0, 10 KOs) of Covina, who recently signed with Goossen Tutor Promotions, will make his "ShoBox" debut on the undercard.
Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson was a fight that fans dreamed about three years ago when Franklin held the UFC middleweight title and Henderson owned the PRIDE 183-pound championship.
Now, Franklin and Henderson find themselves in limbo when it comes to championships and weight classes.
Franklin vs. Henderson remains a compelling matchup and the two will meet in the main event of UFC 93 on Saturday at noon at the O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland, on pay-per-view.
Henderson was the only fighter to hold PRIDE's 183- and 205-pound titles at the same time, but he lost a five-round decision to then-UFC 205-pound champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and he was submitted in the second round by UFC 185-pound champion Anderson Silva in his first two fights with the UFC. How is that for an entrance into the UFC? There is no shame in losing to Jackson or Silva, but they are losses nonetheless.
“I'm OK with going to either weight class,” Henderson said. “I'm kind of in between. It doesn't matter where I'm at. I would like to eventually get a title shot at either weight class. I've beaten some of the top guys at either weight class. It's a matter of the matchups the UFC puts in and how well you do in those matchups.”
Franklin-Henderson will be contested at 205 pounds. Franklin, who began his career at 205, moved down to 185 to win the UFC middleweight title.
After two TKO losses to Silva, who is widely considered the pound-for-pound king, Franklin was forced to move back up to 205 pounds.
“I'm really not sure where my future is,” Franklin said. “I started my career at 205 pounds and moved down to 185. The UFC encouraged me to go back up to 205 after my second loss to Silva, which I did. Much like Dan, I'm kind of at a weight where I'm in between both of the weight classes.
“It's difficult for me to make 185, but I'm a small 205-pound fighter. For me to get a title shot in either of the weight classes, I just have to put a string of wins together in one of the two weight classes.”
Both Franklin and Henderson remain world-class fighters, and a victory on Saturday is sure to raise the winner's profile once again.
NOTES
Bao Quach, who trains with Team Oyama at NoLimits in Irvine, takes his nine-fight winning streak to Affliction 2 for his bout against IFL veteran L.C. Davis. Quach is replacing Mark Hominick on the card. …
Gary Russell Jr., a 2008 U.S. Olympian, makes his pro debut against Antonio Reyes (3-2) on “ShoBox: The New Generation” on Friday at 11 p.m. on Showtime. …
Andre Berto (23-0, 19 KOs) defends his WBC welterweight title against former WBA champion Luis Collazo (29-3, 14 KOs) on Saturday at 9:45 p.m. on HBO's “Boxing After Dark.”
U.S. Olympian Gary Russell Jr.'s dream of competing in the Olympic Games last August ended without him throwing a punch. But he promises that won't be the case when he makes his pro debut in what is now a triple-header on “ShoBox: The New Generation” on Friday night at 11 on Showtime.
Russell will be opposed by Antonio Reyes (3-2) of Dallas in a four-round featherweight bout at the Million Dollar Elm Casino in Tulsa, Okla.
Russell, a two-time national amateur champion, passed out in his Beijing dorm room on the eve of the weigh-in, at approximately 1 a.m. The 20-year-old boxer wasn't hospitalized, but he was not permitted to participate in the weigh-in, or the Games.
“To be honest, none of it made sense to me,'' Russell said. “I still do not know for sure what happened that night and never received the official diagnosis as to why or what happened. Olympic doctors never gave me an exact reason. They just said, ‘it could be this, it could be that.'
“I'd been in Beijing for a month and everything was fine. I was ready to achieve a life-long goal, something I had dedicated myself to for eight or nine years. When it all came down, when I couldn't fight, I was so mad and blown away. Everything I worked for went down the drain in an instant.''
Reports blamed dehydration for Russell's collapse, saying he had been fighting at 125-plus pounds in recent fights and that making 119 had become an impossible chore. But Russell insists excess poundage was not a factor.
“I don't think it had anything to do with weight,” he said. “I think I weighed 120.4 the day before the weigh-in, which is not bad for me.
“My dream was to become an Olympian, but that is not the same as not competing. Turning pro will definitely help. I am really looking forward to fighting on Showtime and appreciate the opportunity. I have a lot of family, friends and fans who've supported and followed my career a long time. I really want to make it up to them.
“I'm 100 percent now and really looking forward to making my mark on Showtime.”
ESPN.com's Dan Rafael likes what he's seen from Russell.
“I've been following Russell's amateur career for several years since he's from the area where I live and I have always thought he'd be a quality professional prospect,” Rafael said. “I thought he was one of the best medal hopes for the U.S. at the Beijing Olympics, so it was unfortunate that he was unable to participate because of his weight situation.
“But as a pro,'' Rafael concluded, “he'll be a featherweight instead of a bantamweight, and I think he's got a lot of potential. He's got speed, skills and good defense from what I've seen of him in the amateurs. I'm looking forward to following his progress in the pros.”
Undefeated featherweights Leonilo Miranda (24-0, 23 KOs), of Mexico, and Orlando Cruz (15-0-1, 6 KOs), of Puerto Rico, will clash in an excellent ShoBox 10-round main event.
The co-feature will match Marvin Quintero (14-1, 11 KOs), of Mexico, against Nick Casal (18-3-1, 14 KOs) of Chicago, in an eight-round lightweight bout.
HBO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
AT MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA, LAS VEGAS, NOV. 22
Ricky Hatton gave Paulie Malignaggi a one-sided beating before stopping him in the 11th round to retain his IBO and Ring magazine super-lightweight belts on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on HBO.
Malignaggi used his jab and quickness to take the first round, but that would be it for Brooklyn native's highlights. It was all Hatton the rest of the way.
Hatton brought in Floyd Mayweather Sr. to help him with his defense, but he didn't need much defense against the light-hitting Malignaggi.
Hatton landed a crushing right early in the second that forced Malignaggi to hold on. A left hook in the third accomplished the same thing, but again Malignaggi's survival instincts kicked in and he remained upright.
Hatton continued his onslaught and roughed up the New Yorker on the inside for the remainder of the fight. Malignaggi offered little resistance.
Malignaggi's face was bruised and his eyes were puffed up midway through the fight as Hatton's punches showed their effects. Hatton continued to chase down Malignaggi and wing wild shots.
At the end of the 10th round, Malignaggi's trainer Buddy McGirt warned his fighter he would stop the fight if he continued to take a beating. Malignaggi was taking some heavy punches when McGirt stepped onto the ring apron to stop the fight 28 seconds into the 11th round.
Malignaggi was not pleased with the stoppage and shove his trainer when he stepped in the ring to embrace him.
"Maybe, I wouldn't have won on points," Malignaggi said, "but I'm better thana being stopped."
Hatton got stopped in the 10th round by Floyd Mayweather Jr. the last time he fought at the MGM Grand Garden Arena nearly a year ago.
"I enjoyed it this time better than I did the last time --- that's for sure," Hatton said. "Nobody will beat me at junior-welterweight --- nobody."
Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs), of Manchester, England, earned $2.5 million, and Malignaggi (25-2, 5 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., pocketed a career-high $1 million.
Super-welterweight prospect James Kirkland (24-0, 21 KOs) pounded out an eighth-round TKO over Brian Vera in the other televised fight.
Kirkland used his aggressive style and relentless attack to put the pressure on Vera from the opening round. Vera showed a strong chin and a lot of toughness, but he took a terrible pounding.
Kirkland dropped Vera with a aleft uppercut in the second round. He scored another knockdown later in the same round when he landed a right hook that spun Vera around and down to the canvas.
But Vera continued to fight on and he even had some highlights in the fourth when he connected a series of straight rights.
Kirkland scored his third knockdown of the fight when he landed a left to the body and a right hook upstairs. Again, Vera picked himself off the canvas. Kirkland followed up with aa flurry of punches and referee Vic Drakulich stopped it at 1:45 of the eighth round.
