IBF officials named!

By Nick Giongco

Pete Podgorski of Chicago will be the third man on the ring when Nonito Donaire makes the third defense of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight crown against unbeaten Raul ‘Cobra’ Martinez of the US this Sunday (April 18 in the US) at the Araneta Coliseum. The list was provided by Daniel Pancheri, a high-ranking executive of Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., who sent the lineup to Fightnews and Manila Bulletin yesterday. The three judges are Muhammad Rois of Indonesia, John Wright of Australia and Larry Hazzard Jr. of the US. The fight supervisor is Ray Wheatley of Australia. In the other IBF title fight–the battle between defending champion Ulises Solis of Mexico against Brian Viloria–the third man on the ring will be Bruce McTavish of the Philippines. McTavish is originally from New Zealand but has lived in the country since the late-1960s. Yongsak NaSongkla of Thailand, Rois and Wright are the three judges, while Wheatley will also supervise.

Campbell launches management firm!

Former unified lightweight champion and current jr. welterweight contender Nate Campbell has announced exclusively to Fightnews that he has formed Voodoo Management, a fighter management firm. Campbell believes the knowledge he gained on his rise to the top of the sport is a valuable asset to up and coming young fighters. “I’ve been through pretty much everything in my career. I’ve had the highs, I’ve had the lows, I’ve bounced back from losses to still be mentioned at the top of whatever division I fight in. I’ve had to swim with the sharks, and navigate the rough waters. I’ve learned so much about the business side of this sport, and I want to use that knowledge to benefit these up and coming kids.”

“I have no interest in becoming a promoter. None whatsoever. Living with Terry for several years, and seeing what promoters go through on a daily basis killed any desire I ever had to become a promoter. Terry can handle the promotional issues with the kids. Management is where I believe I can truly make a difference for a young fighter, and this is the direction I am going in. I won’t however be doing any “wholesale” signings. There are certain character traits I will need to see in a kid before I would consider representing him. Right now there are 4 or 5 kids I will be signing right away, and then I will evaluate fighters on an individual basis, face to face. This isn’t about the money, because these kids at this stage don’t make any money anyways. It’s about building something within the sport that will continue after my fighting days are over,” said Campbell.

Cotto has new trainer!

By Gabriel F. Cordero

WBO welterweight world champion Miguel Cotto has announced that Puerto Rican countryman Joe Santiago is his new trainer. The change came after Cotto parted ways with his uncle and longtime trainer Evangelist Cotto in a highly publicized incident last week. Santiago and Cotto began training this week in Tampa, Florida for the first defense of his title against IBF champ Joshua Clottey on June 13 in Madison Square Garden. Santiago has been with Cotto for a number of years as a nutritionist. Evangelista Cotto had been with Miguel for nearly 16 years.

De La Hoya Retires!

By Francisco Salazar

Ten time world champion in six weight divisions and future boxing hall of famer, “Golden Boy” Oscar de la Hoya announced his retirement at a press conference moments ago in Los Angeles. A very emotional Oscar stated, “These last four months have been very difficult for me. I’m announcing my retirement. I’ve been doing this since I was five years old. Boxing is the love of my life, boxing is my passion, boxing is what I was born to do. When I can’t compete, it’s not fair to me and it’s not fair to my fans. I’ve come to the conclusion it’s over inside the ring for me. My decision is based on a lot. Now I understand why athletes have a hard time. My life will continue to help the sport grow.” The ultra-popular 36-year-old ends with a record of 39-6, 30 KOs, and he is the highest grossing fighter in boxing history. His fight against Floyd Mayweather is the highest grossing boxing match of all time. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer stated that a special tribute to Oscar’s career will take place on September 19.

Golden Boy Promotions Press Release

Famed boxing champion and future Hall of Fame fighter Oscar de la Hoya, one of the most decorated pugilist in the history of the sport, retired as a professional today during a noon press conference in Nokia Plaza LA Live in downtown Los Angeles.

“After heartfelt discussions with my family and my closest friends, it is with deep gratitude and appreciation that I announce my retirement from professional boxing,” said De La Hoya, who retires from the ring with a 39-6, 30 KOs record. “Boxing has been the single, most consistent part of my life and although I will miss the ring, I know that it is time for me to step away from the sport competitively and become more active in the other aspects of it that are already in place and ready for me to pursue.”

“My career has been nothing short of magical and I am forever grateful to all of the people who made it possible,” continued De La Hoya. “Most importantly I deeply appreciate all of my fans who showered me with their cheers and support, consistently holding me up throughout my 17-year professional career. I believe the true meaning of my career was not in the winning or losing, but in the gift of sharing my fights with all of them, as I never imagined it would mean so much to so many. It has been an honor to fight all of my fights for each and every one of you.”

De La Hoya will now take an even more substantial role in Golden Boy Promotions, working alongside the company’s CEO Richard Schaefer to continue to deliver quality boxing events around the world.

“This is truly a bittersweet day for boxing and its fans throughout the world as Oscar’s name has been synonymous with the sport for nearly two decades,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO Golden Boy Promotions. “It is been a privilege and honor for me to work with this amazing champion and watch the brilliance of his career both in and out of the ring. As one of my closest friends, both personally and professionally, I look forward to working with Oscar as he takes a more active role in Golden Boy Promotions now that he is no longer competing in the sport.”

Originally from East Los Angeles, where as a young child he laced up a pair of boxing gloves for the first time at four years old, he began his amateur career several years later and started dreaming of professional success. The 10-time world champion, who collected titles in six different weight divisions, has long been considered the most influential fighter of the sports modern era.

“Oscar de la Hoya has left an indelible legacy in and out of the ring,” Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. “This son of East L.A. has made the City of Angels proud, not only for his ten championships in six weight divisions, but for never forgetting his roots and giving back to his community.”

Having turned professional immediately following his 1992 Olympic gold medal victory in Barcelona, Spain, De La Hoya immediately turned in to a box office success. His popularity and following made him the highest grossing non-heavyweight fighter the history of the sport. Participating in 19 pay-per-view fights, De La Hoya drew over 14.1 million pay-per-view buys and over $696 million dollars in pay-per-view revenue throughout his career. He appeared in three of the top eight highest grossing pay-per-view boxing events including the granddaddy of them all - hissuper-fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May 2007, which shattered the all-time pay-per-view record with 2.4 million homes in addition to generating a record-setting live gate of $19 million. It was the first pay-per-view fight to be purchased by over two million homes.

“Oscar de la Hoya has fashioned a storybook career through hard work, dedication, talent and the commitment to fighting the best fighters in the biggest fights,” said Ross Greenburg, President of HBO Sports. “HBO has had the privilege of televising his fights since 1993 and we watched him develop into a champion and a gracious ambassador for the sport.”

“The Golden Boy’s” Hall of Fame-bound career has seen him win 10 world championships in every division from 130 to 160 pounds while facing the elite of the sport including Floyd Mayweather Jr., Julio Cesar Chavez, Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley, Felix Trinidad, Pernell Whitaker, Ike Quartey, Fernando Vargas, Arturo Gatti, Genaro Hernandez, Jesse James Leija and Hector Camacho Sr. Along the way, De La Hoya has become boxing’s undisputed superstar and his acclaimed career and popularity will be remembered for decades to come.

“I marvel at my son’s success and know that all of the hard work and dedication he had when he was a kid and during the formative years of his boxing training made him the champion he became,” said Joel De La Hoya Sr. “I am extremely proud of my son and know he has achieved everything possible in the ring. It is now time for him to enjoy his family and pursue in earnest all of the other opportunities that await him.”

In addition to his success inside the ring, De La Hoya has made a conscious effort to generously give back to the same community which played such an integral role in making it possible for him to achieve such success. The Oscar de la Hoya Foundation was created in 1995 to bring a better quality of life to the people of East Los Angeles. The foundation provides funding for a number of projects including the Cecilia Gonzalez de la Hoya Cancer Center, the Oscar de la Hoya Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit and the Oscar de la Hoya Labor and Delivery Center, all located at the White Memorial Medical Center in East Los Angeles. In addition to his efforts to support medical care for citizens of East Los Angeles, De La Hoya’s dedication to education in the East Los Angeles area led him to establish the Oscar de la Hoya Animo Charter High School in 2003 which now serves over 500 students in grades nine through twelve and is ranked among the top 10 percent of schools in the state of California that serve similar communities. US News and World Report ranked the Oscar de la Hoya Animo Charter High School #53 out of the top 100 in the entire nation.

Most importantly De La Hoya will now have more time to spend with his wife Millie and children.

“In closing, I want to acknowledge my wonderful wife Millie, my children and my entire family who have been extremely supportive and patient with me, sacrificing a tremendous amount of our time together in order for me to pursue my career,” said De La Hoya. “Now it is time for me to be there for them.”

Cotto-Clottey NYC Presser!

WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey faced off at a news conference in New York City today to officially announce their world championship rumble on June 13 at Madison Square Garden. The bout will continue Cotto’s tradition of fighting on the eve of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

Taylor says he’s ready!

Jermain Taylor doesn’t want his fight with Carl Froch to even go the maximum 12 rounds — he wants to knock out Froch much earlier. Still, for Taylor, it’s nice to know he can go 16 rounds if necessary. Taylor is in the tapering-down stage of training camp now, less than 12 days before his WBC Super Middleweight title bout with Froch on April 25 at the MGM Grand Theater at MGM Grand at Foxwoods. The fight card is being promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Hennessy Sports. Tickets are on sale and priced at $200, $100, $75 and $50. Tickets are available at www.mgmatfoxwoods.com your local Ticket Master and MGM Grand Box Office 866-646-0609. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will telecast live at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

But before trainer Ozell Nelson would let Taylor start to wind the camp down, Nelson made sure Taylor was in the type of physical shape necessary for a fight of this caliber. Late last week Taylor went 10 rounds with multiple sparring partners and then, without interruption, did another six rounds of intense handpad work with Nelson. It was the longest workout of the training camp.

“He did 16 rounds with ease,” Nelson said. “Jermain is going to be in excellent shape. He’s peaking just right. He finished real strong on the mitts, real strong. There was good snap on his punches. This camp is very confident about victory.”

Taylor agreed.

“Every fighter knows when he’s ready to do battle. I’m ready. My conditioning, stamina and mental preparation is on schedule. I’m peaking at just the right time. When you match his skill-sets with mine, I don’t see how Carl Froch can win this fight.”

Home Sweet Miami:

Jermain Taylor returned to Miami to train for his last fight, against Jeff Lacy, for the first time since 2005, when he won the middleweight champion over Bernard Hopkins. Things went extremely well, and Taylor beat Lacy in a lopsided decision, so it was back to Miami for the Carl Froch training camp. With this camp going just as well, Taylor gives plenty of credit to Miami.

“I always love being in Miami for training camp, it’s where I started my professional career,” Taylor said. “My environment has a lot to do with my training and preparation for a fight. Everything always

goes smooth in Miami. I like the weather conditions when I do my morning run. I know where everything is. I like the training facilities where I do my gym workouts. It’s a comfort feeling for me and that’s important.”

New Motivation, New Taylor:

Jermain Taylor is notorious for being hard on his sparring partners, and not just in the ring. To Taylor, every minute in the gym is work time, and he approaches each sparring session as if it were a prizefight. That normally means no talking to sparring partners, and certainly no joking around in or out of the ring. Taylor is also well-known for having a more serious, and downright cranky disposition the closer he gets to his fights. This training camp has been different. Taylor has been more talkative and more jovial with everyone in camp, even the sparring partners.

“It’s been amazing ,” said trainer Ozell Nelson. “He gets down to the gym and is talking, very active. When he steps in the ring he’s all serious, but afterward he’s still talking to the sparring partners, telling them he’s happy they came to work and stepped it up. He’s more relaxed, and I know he’s ready to go. He has a good outlook. And he’s thinking more in the ring instead of just whaling away with punches.”

Taylor said he’s more focused than ever, and it allows him to relax and mingle more with people in the camp.

“We’ve had a great camp, as far as the sparring partners go,” Taylor said. “I usually don’t talk or interact very much with my sparring partners because I approach the sparring sessions as though it’s fight night. It keeps me focus with an edge to my attitude, but this camp I opened up just a little with my sparring partners and it’s brought the best out of them. They really have pushed me with some serious and intense workouts.”

More chatter in the gym isn’t the only new side of Taylor to come out this camp, and not the only thing that has pleased Nelson. Taylor has also shown much more interest in watching video of his opponent than before recent fights.

“Jermain has really done his homework on Carl Froch, he wants that belt” said Nelson. “It shows me his focus is where it should be. We have a good feel on how Carl will fight Jermain and we are prepared to make any adjustments in the ring if needed.”

Training With A Purpose:

Jermain Taylor has been a professional boxer for more than nine years now, but he still learns something new from every training camp, present camp included. And while Taylor said he went through a stretch of his career when he didn’t enjoy his training camps as much as he should, the Carl Froch camp has been the perfect combination of hard work to keep him excited and focused on winning another title.

“This was the prefect fight for me,” said Taylor. “I couldn’t wait to get in camp and start training for this match. I’m excited again like I was when I started my career. I have a purpose, I’m fighting for a title, something lost and I want it back.”

In this training camp Taylor has been working on some of the same skills that allowed him to rise to the ranks of the boxing elite, namely a lightening-quick jab. But Taylor said he is also working on some new feints and countering techniques that he expects to use effectively against Froch.

“It’s about skill-sets,” said Taylor. “Carl can’t match me skills-for-skills, all I have to do is apply and execute my talents and I’ll come away with the victory.”

Gamboa featured on ShoBox!

When speaking of celebrated Cuban prizefighters, some of the names that readily come to mind are Jose “Mantequilla” Napoles, “Kid’ Chocolate, “Kid” Gavilan, Luis Manuel “El Feo” Rodriguez, Ultiminio “Sugar” Ramos and Joel Casamayor. It would be premature to suggest that Yuriorkis Gamboa is in that class – yet – but “The Cyclone” has certainly created a commotion and one would be hard-pressed to find anybody who doesn’t think the Miami-based Cuban has the potential to become a definite world champion and perhaps an all-time great. The 2004 Olympic Games gold medalist, 2009 Prospect of the Year and WBA No. 3-ranked contender, Gamboa (14-0, 12 KOs) will face second-ranked Jose “Cheo” Rojas (25-6-1, 17 KOs) of Caracas, Venezuela, for the interim WBA featherweight title this Friday on ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

In the co-feature at Buffalo Bills Casino at Primm, Nev., undefeated Selcuk Aydin (17-0, 14 KOs) of Turkey makes his ShoBox and United Sates debuts against hard-punching southpaw Said Ouali (25-2, 17 KOs), a native of Morocco who now lives in Las Vegas, in a 12-round battle of top 10 welterweights.

Tickets for an event presented by Hamburg, Germany-based Arena Boxing start at $20 and can be purchased at www.primmvalleyresorts.com. Doors open for the live event open at 6 p.m. PT.

“I want to fight for a world championship,” Gamboa said. “I want to be the best in the world. My objective is to win at 126 pounds and in about two years I would like to move up to 130 and then 135.”’

The confident, offensive-minded, hard-hitting Gamboa, who defected to the United States after a competition with Venezuela’s national team in late 2006, has been on the fast track to the big time since he turned pro 24 months ago (April 2007). This will be his fourth start at Buffalo Bills Casino.

Gamboa’s meteoric rise has drawn the attention of many due to a lethal combination of dazzling speed and one-punch power in both hands, a vulnerable chin and a sometimes-flawed defense, which can lead to knockdowns (he’s been decked three times) but makes for edge-of-your-seat fun and much-see TV.

Simply put, when Gamboa is in high gear and letting the combos fly, he is a spectacular fighter – his defensive deficiencies notwithstanding. Below are remarks from a few experts about the hyper-aggressive, flashy, five-foot-five, 27-year-old who is known for a powerful mixture of lightning-fast flurries and stop-you-in-your-tracks knockout punches:

ShoBox blow-by-blow announcer Nick Charles said: “To me, watching Gamboa for the first time was like getting hit by a tidal wave. There is no doubt he’s got flash, but what about that chin? The combination of his unmistakable skills and obvious weakness makes him a fighter I don’t want to miss in action.”

Said Steve Farhood, ShoBox analyst and boxing historian: “Gamboa’s speed, power and style generate as much excitement as any fresh face that has come along in recent memory. The fact that he’s an Olympic gold medalist adds quality and accomplishment to the flash. I was in Florida for his first fight in the States, and he blew me away. He has a certain presence in the ring, and the fact that he’s been dropped a couple of times only adds to the urgency to watch him every time he fights.”

Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports said: “I think Gamboa is one of best in fighters in the world who doesn’t have a title. He has no peers offensively and if he ever tightens his defense, he could become a superstar.”

Offered Dan Rafael of ESPN.com: “I like Gamboa and think he is very exciting. Whether he wins, or eventually loses, he’s always exciting to watch and, because of his style, he is always in a good fight, which is what I want to see when I tune in to ShoBox. Rojas is a pretty reasonable step up for Gamboa.’
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Gamboa has maintained a high level of activity since going pro after bringing home flyweight gold to Cuba. The ambitious prospect-turned-contender has already fought twice in ‘09 after competing five times in ‘08 and on six occasions in ‘07.

A mature, highly skilled boxer-puncher, the undefeated dynamo made more like a “Hurricane” than a “Cyclone” in his last outing, blowing away the vastly more experienced, former world title challenger, Colombian southpaw, Walter Estrada, in only 35 seconds, on Feb. 20, 2009, at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“It didn’t go exactly how I wanted,” said Gamboa, who has stormed through the ratings at a startling speed and is ranked by the four major organizations. “I was hoping to get some work in, but I knocked Estrada out and that’s not a bad thing. I never look for a knockout.

“It seems with my style that the knockouts just happen. Thankfully they have happened often.”

The crowd-pleasing, always-attacking Gamboa rebounded from a knockdown to score a 10th-round TKO over Roger Gonzalez in his outing before last on Jan. 9, 2009, at Buffalo Bills Casino. The match was halted at 2:12.

“My defense (he tends to hold his hands low) is something I know I have to correct as I advance in my career,” said Gamboa, who’s cocky inside the ring but a respectful gentleman outside. “Little by little I’m trying to perfect my craft and that’s why I train hard in the gym. It is something I’m going to get corrected.”

On July 18, 2008, at Buffalo Bills Casino, Gamboa looked devastating as he annihilated Al Seeger in the first round to capture the North American Boxing Organization (NABO) featherweight belt.

None of Gamboa’s foes have entered the ring with a losing record.

Southpaw Rojas, who owns a KO 3 victory over current junior featherweight standout and WBA titleholder Celestino Caballero, is making his Shobox debut and second start in the United States.

In the last 12 years, the 19-year veteran’s only defeats came against WBA champs Chris John, Yober Ortega and Antonio Cermeno. The five-foot-eight-inch, 36-year-old is 9-1-1 in his last 11 starts, including a third-round TKO over Rafael Castillo in his last outing on March 20, 2008.

An awkward, aggressive boxer-puncher who is not unaccustomed to coming back from a layoff, Rojas is getting a fifth shot at an elusive WBA belt – his third at 126 pounds. He went 0-2 at 122.

Two outings ago, in a rematch of a Dec. 4, 2004 bout that ended in a fourth-round technical draw, Rojas lost a decision to the still-undefeated John in a hard-fought match on March 3, 2007.

In their initial encounter, Rojas led John by one point on two of the three scorecards after three rounds. It was stopped at 1:41 of the fourth with both boxers cut over their right eyes by a clash of heads.

Rojas was a top amateur for Venezuela before turning pro July 29, 1989 (Gamboa was six-and-a-half). Rojas’ career was interrupted for four years (1992-96) when he served in the Venezuelan military.

Aydin is an exciting, untested fighter who’s ranked eighth in the WBC, one notch lower in the IBF. A 5-foot-seven, 25-year-old, Aydin will be making his ShoBox and U.S. debuts.

An excellent European amateur, Aydin competed in the 2004 Olympic Games. He turned pro on Nov. 10, 2006 – about a year and a half after he was suspended for hitting a referee.

In his last outing, the aggressive boxer-puncher twice leveled Luis Hernandez en route to winning by first-round TKO on March 8, 2008.

Ouali, who is rated sixth in the WBC, No. 12 in the WBA and No. 4 in the IBF, has won 10 in a row, including eight straight by knockout. A fighter not always known for power won his ‘09 debut with a first-round TKO over Johnathon Nelson on Jan. 16. Ouali fought at Buffalo Bills Casino in his outing before that, registering a fifth-round TKO over Allen Conyers on Sept. 5, 2008.

“Moving to the United States on April 4, 2000, was something I worked for my whole life, since I was a little kid,” the 5-foot-10, 30-year-old southpaw said. “I literally started from nothing. I started from scratch, from the Diamond Gloves to the Golden Gloves to the Nationals.

“My style is kind of different. I like to throw power shots but I know how to box, too. Different guys, you’ve got to fight them differently. That’s what I’m trying; it’s about how you can adjust.

“I’m left-handed, but it depends on what I do. Some sports I play with my left hand, some I play with my right hand. I write just with my right hand. When I throw a ball, I use my left hand.

“In my Moroccan culture, doing things with your left hand was like a sin. When you’re left-handed, they try to change you to right-handed. They did it to me. I’m more right-handed than left-handed, I think.”

Charles and Farhood will call the ShoBox action. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go to the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://sports.sho.com.