Luis Ramos: The Next Great Lightweight

 

As an eight-year-old boy, Luis Ramos was on his way to church when he came across a building with bright, shining lights. After entering the building, Ramos realized it was a gym that offered a variety of sports such as soccer, basketball and boxing. Having a mother from Guatemala and a father from Mexico, Ramos' early passion was soccer. However, a new infatuation quickly developed after a lady told him the gym offered boxing.                    

"I didn't know they had boxing in there. No one ever boxed in my family," said Ramos. 

Ramos immediately fell in love with the sport once he saw kids hitting the punching bags. This moment marked the beginning to a career as a professional prizefighter.

Hector Lopez, who currently trains Ramos, noticed Ramos repeatedly coming to the gym and shadow boxing. After Lopez started training him, a close relationship evolved. Later, they won national tournaments together. Ramos, who fights southpaw and is naturally left handed, fought in 126 amateur bouts. Today, Ramos credits much of his success in the ring to Lopez.

"My trainer is my biggest strength in the ring," stated Ramos. "He puts in the hard work with me. Hector helps with my power, speed and angle movement. We work on mistakes and correct them."

Lopez also inspired the 21-year-old fighter outside the ring.

"Hector has been like a second dad to me; He taught me the value of real life," said Ramos.

Since turning professional in 2007, Ramos has compiled a record of 13-0, 7 KO's. He displays exceptional balance, and demonstrates a tremendous amount of patience when placing his punches. His maturity is exhibited by the way he sits down on his punches, which is something he constantly works on in the gym.

On February 25th, Ramos will be back in the ring at Club Nokia, Los Angeles, California, to face Walter Estrada in a six round bout. He started preparing for this fight in January. Ramos believes a fighter's most important element is training.

"Training is 100% everything," said Ramos. "If you are putting all your time into studying, running and sparring, you should not have any problems. It has made me a greater fighter in life."

In his last bout, Ramos executed a perfect game plan, scoring a one-sided, six round unanimous decision over Cristian Favela. Ramos worked behind his jab in the first two rounds. Next, he opened up his arsenal with an aggressive body attack.

Ramos acknowledged, "I study my opponents in the first round. Some people think I start slow, but I always take my time. It helps me adapt to different styles. After that, I look for openings or gaps to break my opponents down. Then, we make adjustments in between rounds."

"When I shoot the jab, my left hand kicks in fast," stated Ramos. "Knowing where to hit comes naturally for me. As I am fighting, I am thinking at the same time. Hector taught me how to land perfect combinations to the body. I hit him with very hard shots. He was tough and wouldn't go down. I tried to do different things every round. If the body was open, I would work downstairs and finish upstairs. I listened to my corner and everything went well. They have made me successful in life."

Ramos fought four times in 2009, and hopes to be just as active in 2010. His goals for 2010 are well defined.

"I want to keep doing what I am doing," said Ramos. "I am focused on competing and staying undefeated."

The lightweight division has many talented fighters including Edwin Valero, Juan Manuel Marquez, Rolando Reyes, Humberto Soto, Ali Funeka, Michael Katsidis and Joan Guzman. While it would be an accomplishment to face a top ten lightweight, Ramos is not looking that far ahead. He is taking things one step at a time.

"It would be great to fight for a minor title this year, but I don't want to look too far down the road yet," stated Ramos. 

Although he also admits, "I want to prove myself and compete at an elite level like Michael Jordan in basketball."

Luis Ramos is managed by Frank Espinoza, and is one of several talented boxers representing the Espinoza Boxing Club. His stablemates include Israel Vazquez, Abner Mares, Abraham Lopez, Ronny Rios, Manny "Suavecito" Roman, Jesus "Pollo" Hernandez and Carlos Molina, who Ramos fought as an amateur.

“How Do You McNugget?”

 

(Photo taken from Friday's Event in Los Angeles)

This event – one of three that happened at McDonald’s locations across the country – served as the kickoff for the “How Do You McNugget?” Sweepstakes, an online sweepstakes that will give one grand prize winner a chance to have their own golden moment: a trip for two to the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Customers can log online to www.mcdonalds.com/howdoyoumcnugget and must correctly identify how Olympians and athletes at these local events “McNugget.” They can find the answers by watching Olympian videos online at www.mcdonalds.com/mcnuggets and following the #HowDoYouMcNugget? hashtag feed and event updates on Twitter. In the photo, Oscar De La Hoya is showing consumers how he "punches it and crunches it" for his McNuggets.

Ji-Hoon Kim Defeats Tyrone Harris TKO 5, Provodnikov Remains Unbeaten

In the main event, 23-year-old lightweight Ji-Hoon Kim (20-5, 17 KO's) stopped Tyrone Harris (24-6, 16 KO's) at 1:52 in round five. Harris jumped on Kim early in the first and second rounds, landing a series of straight lefts and right hooks. However, Kim weathered the storm, and hit Harris with clean, consecutive rights to the head in round four. Harris suffered swelling and a cut above his right eye. In the fifth round, Kim continued his assault on Harris, nailing the southpaw with a right uppercut and overhand right to the head. Then, Kim landed a left hook to the body that sent Harris to the canvas. Harris got back to his feet, but was met with a barrage of punches from Kim, while his back was against the ropes. Kim has now won his last twelve fights, eleven by knockout.

 Pictured: Ji-Hoon Kim

Ruslan Provodnikov improved to (15-0, 10 KO's) after scoring an eighth round stoppage over Javier Jauregui (53-17-2, 36 KO's). Provodnikov started strong, landing punishing body shots in the opening round. Both fighters exchanged blow-for-blow in an action packed bout, but Jauregui could not match the pace of the 26-year-old Russian. Provodnikov was relentless in his punch output, and kept charging Jauregui until he wore down. Jauregui, 36, was able to hit Provodnikov with some counter left hooks and right uppercuts, although Provodnikov absorbed the punches. Provodnikov displayed enormous strength for a light welterweight, and would be a handful for any future opponent.

In a light heavyweight bout, Maxim Vlasov (16-0, 7 KO's) scored a first round knockout over Julius Fogle (15-2, 10 KO's). Fogle could not beat the ten count after being struck with a hard, overhand right.

"Brick City" Brawl: Adamek Defeats Estrada

(Photo by Ed Mulholland - Main Events)

In front of a noisy crowd just over 10,100 people, Tomasz Adamek defeated Jason Estrada in close, tough battle at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.  All three official ringside judges scored the fight for Adamek. Steven Weisfeld scored the bout 115-113, while Joseph Pasquale scored it 116-112. On the other hand, judge Lawrence Layton scored the fight 118-110, which was truly an undeserved score. 

At the post fight press conference, Estrada voiced his frustration with the judges' scoring. "I can't go into people's hometown's anymore. Why do you have to knock him out? It's called boxing," Estrada said. Estrada also stated, "Everything he did, I let him do it."

Estrada fought very well in the first three rounds. He landed his right hand shots, and jabbed Adamek effectively. Adamek had trouble getting his punches off first, and suffered swelling under his right eye in round three. Estrada caught Adamek with numerous counter rights and left hooks. Estrada was clearly controlling the action.

However, Adamek stepped up the pace in the fourth round, landing a series of well-timed combinations. Estrada took the punches well, but his punch output dropped slightly. Adamek got hit with another counter left hook, although he landed the cleaner shots in the round. Adamek was not worried about taking shots from Estrada. "He doesn't have one knockout punch, so I was not too afraid about getting hit," Adamek stated.

In round five, Adamek landed a sharp left hook to Estrada's body. Adamek was throwing a lot of punches, but Estrada was slipping them and countering with left hooks. Toward the end of the round, Adamek landed consecutive overhand rights. After the fight, Adamek stated, "It was tough to hit Estrada in the head cleanly."

In the sixth and seventh rounds, Adamek connected with hard body shots.

As the fight moved into the later rounds, Estrada sustained an abrasion on his left cheek after being peppered with flush punches in round eight. Adamek continued to beat Estrada to the punch in round ten, connecting with a monstrous right hand.

Both men struck each other with solid body shots in the eleventh round. Adamek missed with a right, but landed a left hook to Estrada's head. 

In the twelfth round, Estrada backed Adamek into the corner when he nailed him with a left hook to the head. Adamek countered by unleashing a flurry of punches. Again, Estrada connected with a counter left hook. After that, Adamek used lateral movement until the final bell sounded. 

Many ringside observers thought the fight was extremely close. Adamek felt he won by a wide margin. "I thought I won this fight by maybe four or five points," Adamek said.

With the victory, Adamek improves to 40-1, 27 KO's, while Estrada falls to 16-3, 4 KO's.

Quillin Wins Again, Gets Past A Cautious Zuniga

In the co-main event, super middleweight Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin (21-0, 15 KO's) won a one-sided, ten round unanimous decision over Fernando Zuniga (28-10, 20 KO's) to remain unbeaten. Official scores were 98-92 and 100-90 twice. 

Quillin opened the first round landing a sharp, lead right hand. It was obvious Zuniga could not match his hand speed, and was hesitant to fire punches all fight. In the middle rounds, he tied up Quillin frequently. Quillin responded by ripping damaging shots in close range. In round six, Quillin nailed Zuniga with a brutal left hook to the body, and followed it with a blistering left hook to the head. At times, Zuniga caught Quillin with an occasional right hand. Although, Zuniga seemed content on fighting to survive rather than fighting to win. In the ninth round, Quillin connected with a solid right behind his jab. Later in the round, Quillin sent Zuniga back into the corner when he landed a lunging, right uppercut.

Quillin was forced to take the initiative more than in his previous fights because Zuniga failed to engage with him. As a result, Quillin had a difficult time finding his rhythm. Nevertheless, it was clear victory for Quillin, who had not fought since defeating Sam Hill (TKO 10) on September 17, 2008. 

Douglin Dominates Hunter

It was supposed to be a junior middleweight bout, but when Denis Douglin's opponent pulled out, he found himself fighting in a super middleweight clash against Eddie Hunter. The weight was not a factor, as Douglin dished out a volume of rock-solid punches throughout the entire fight to capture a six round unanimous decision. Official scores were 59-55 and 60-54 twice. 

Douglin started the first round by landing a straight, counter left. Hunter caught Douglin with some counter rights, but Douglin was unrelenting in his work rate. Douglin struck Hunter with a straight left and followed it with a solid right to the body.

In round two, Douglin sent Hunter into the corner when he connected with a flush left hand. Hunter started to fatigue because he could not keep up with Douglin's persistent pressure. Douglin hurt Hunter in round three when he landed a vicious right hook to the body. 

In the fourth round, Douglin stunned Hunter when he connected with a straight left. He landed precise counter punches, and was timing Hunter efficiently. Hunter's punches had lost their steam by the sixth round, and Douglin was still attacking at a fast pace. While Hunter was against the ropes, Douglin struck him in the body with a hard right hook. 

Douglin showed a sound, natural balance and great awareness in the ring. He walked through Hunter's shots, and landed crisp combinations the entire fight. If Douglin can absorb punches at super middleweight, imagine how impressive he will look when he squares off against opponents his own size again at 154 lbs.?

Denis Douglin improved to 7-0, 3 KO's., while Eddie Hunter falls to 3-2-1, 1 KO.

Majewski Overwhelms Pietrantonio

In a middleweight bout, Przemyslaw Majewski (12-0, 7 KO's) captured a six round unanimous decision over Anthony Pietrantonio (6-4, 5 KO's). All three official judges scored the bout 60-54.

Majewski displayed a stiff, left jab the entire bout. Pietrantonio had trouble matching the 30-year-old's power. As each round passed, Pietrantonio was absorbing lots of punishing blows. Pietrantonio slipped many shots, but lacked the power to be competitive in this fight. Rather than putting his punches together behind his jab, Majewski would jab and look to counter the slower Pietrantonio. Pietrantonio landed some clean punches, although Majewski was never hurt. On the other hand, Majewski hurt Pietrantonio several times with left hooks and right hands to the head. Majewski also slowed Pietrantonio to a great extent by inflicting a ferocious body attack.

Farrell Wins Action-Packed Battle

Jersey City's Patrick Farrell (5-0, 3 KO's) won his fifth consecutive bout Saturday night, defeating Jon Schneider (7-5-1, 5 KO's) by a four round unanimous decision. Official scores in the cruiserweight bout were 40-33 and 40-34 twice.

Farrell dropped Schneider with a flush right in the first round. After the knockdown, both men continued to slug it out, but Farrell was able to land the cleaner punches. Farrell timed Schneider with numerous right hands, and kept striking him with precise, counter left hooks. 

Farrell dropped Schneider again with a right hand in the third round. Schneider returned to his feet, and landed a hard, straight left to Farrell's head. From there, they exchanged blow-for-blow at a fast pace. In the fourth round, Farrell was in the corner as Schneider charged him. Then, Farrell hammered Schneider with more punishing shots to the face. Just as the bell rang to end the fight, Farrell landed another right hand to Schneider's head.

Ismayl Sillakh Crushes Larry Pryor

Ismayl Sillakh (10-0, 9 KO's) scored an exciting fourth round technical knockout over Larry Pryor (6-6, 4 KO's) in a light heavyweight bout. 

From the opening bell, Sillakh imposed his will on the lesser skilled, but courageous Pryor. Sillakh worked his jab, and fired blistering combinations that rarely missed. In round two, Pryor connected with a flush, counter left hook. However, Sillakh was still dictating the pace. After striking Pryor with a left hook, Sillakh sent him down with an overhand right to the head. Then, Sillakh swarmed Pryor with a combination. After that, Sillakh floored him again with a sharp right hand. Finally, Sillakh landed a devastating right hand - left hook combination that forced Pryor to take a knee. Referee Steve Smoger stopped the action at :47 seconds of round four.

Ali Thrashes Thompson

In a welterweight bout, highly talented Sadam Ali (5-0, 2 KO's) defeated a durable Jason Thompson (5-5-1, 4 KO's) by a four round unanimous decision. All three official judges scored the fight 40-36. 

Ali displayed tremendous coordination and ring generalship. Thompson pressed the action, but Ali fired numerous combinations behind his jab. Thompson could not sustain a consistent attack because of Ali's superior hand and foot speed. On occasion, Thompson caught Ali flush, but Ali showed a solid chin and dazzled the crowd with his blazing hand speed. Ali placed his punches perfectly. Thompson displayed incredible resilience, but ultimately did not have the skills to compete with the 21-year-old from Brooklyn, New York.

Weights From Prudential Center

Jason Estrada (237 lbs.), Tomasz Adamek (220.5 lbs.)

 

Peter Quillin (163.5 lbs.), Fernando Zuniga (164 lbs.)

 

Sadam Ali (145 lbs.), Jason Thompson (146 lbs.)

Denis Douglin (162 lbs.), Eddie Hunter (167 lbs.)

Patrick Farrell (202 lbs.), Jon Schneider (192 lbs.)

Przemyslaw Majewski (165 lbs. ), Anthony Pietrantonio (164 lbs.) 

Ismayl Sillakh (185.5 lbs.), Larry Pryor (188.5 lbs.)

Final Press Conference: Adamek vs. Estrada

It was a cold and snowy morning in New Jersey, but emotions were sizzling at Hudson Bread in North Bergen, where heavyweights Tomasz Adamek (39-1, 27 KO's) and Jason Estrada (16-2, 4 KO's) came face-to-face before their showdown February 6th at the Prudential Center.

Estrada, 29, has won nine of his last ten bouts and has never been knocked out. He compiled a tremendous amateur record of 261-14, and became the first boxer to win both the U.S. Nationals and U.S. Challenge three years (2001-2003) in a row. On the other hand, Adamek, 33, has won eight straight, and has never suffered a loss above the light heavyweight limit of 175 lbs.

Jason Estrada is promoted by Jimmy Burchfield's Classic Entertainment and Sports, and his father, Dr. Roland Estrada, manages and trains him.

"Estrada is fighting for the U.S.A., his classmates from the 2004 Olympics and future, past and present Olympians. No CES fighter comes to a fight as an opponent," Burchfield stated.

Estrada understands how important this fight is to his career.

Estrada said, "I have been fighting my whole life. This is the hardest I ever worked for any fight. You will have a new IBF champion."

Adamek appeared in great shape and wants to make a strong impression Saturday night.

"After this fight, everyone will know how good I can be," Adamek declared.

IBF advisor Larry Hazzard was also in attendance. Hazzard said, "These fights with Adamek are not only good for Newark, but for the entire state of New Jersey. I will be surprised if he does not become heavyweight champ in the near future."

In the co-main event, Brooklyn's undefeated super-middleweight (20-0, 15 KO's) Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin takes on Ecuador's Fernando Zuniga (28-9, 20 KO's). Quillin has not fought since stopping Sam Hill in 10 rounds on September 17th, 2008. He is eager to get back into the ring.

"This was one of the best training camps I've had. I got that extra push from Johnny Perez, who works with Floyd Mayweather Jr.," Quillin said.

What makes Quillin improve with each fight?

Quillin stated, "My mind set is more focused on what I want to do. I want the best out of my training.  Everybody is trying to beat me and I cannot give someone that opportunity."

Quillin's trainer, Colin Morgan, assessed training camp: "It was good. We got some sparring in away from New York. We already started training before we went to camp. Sometimes, I just want to settle him down a bit."

Quillin's manager, John Seip, discussed Peter's career status: "We definitely have some things on the burner. Some cable networks are definitely interested in getting a new face, and Peter's mentioned in those areas. We're looking at another fight in the Spring, late March or early April. It could be overseas, but leaning toward New York. Then, we'll take another step up. In the summer, maybe we could face a top three opponent."

"I don't like to get ahead of it. He's coming off a year and a half layoff. We like to go one fight at a time. If everything works out the way we anticipate, this could be a very big year for Peter. He's ready, mature and understands the magnitude of the overall big picture. You have to be mentally ready, as well as physically. It's a matter of adjustment. 'Team Chocolate' is excited about where we are right now. He's 26-years-old, but a young 26-year-old as far as boxing is concerned. He hasn't been through any real wars yet. He's had some injuries, but that's been pain to his hands. Unfortunately, he had an appendectomy before his last fight. He's had a rash of injuries that are part of an athlete's life. We weathered it, and we're coming out stronger. He's looking better than before the injuries. It's all good things."

John Seip's assessment on Quillin improving with each fight: "Maturity and experience. Training changes as his level gets higher. The landscape changes. You can't step back on the ladder. You have to keep going forward. We have a strategy and a game plan. We're in no rush. We're going to put him in there with very competitive fighters and see what happens."

Undercard

In a middleweight bout, Denis Douglin (6-0, 3 KO's) faces Eddie Hunter (3-1-1, 1 KO). After having problems at school, Denis started boxing at eight years old with his uncle training him. At 12 years old, his mom started to train him in their house. After moving to New Jersey, he could not find a coach, so his mom continued to train him. He's had over 90 amateur fights. Douglin has won his last two fights by unanimous decision.

Douglin stated, "I've been working real hard. I have been training for this fight since October. I had three fighters cancel on me. This is all just polishing up and staying in shape. We had a twelve week camp, so I'm motivated. The fight is at 160 lbs., but I wanted it at 154 lbs. I was 157 lbs., but I've been eating to get my weight back up. I've been fighting guys a lot bigger than me and it's affecting my knockout percentage. I want to stay at 154 lbs. for now."

In a four round cruiserweight bout, Patrick Farrell (4-0, 3 KO's), New Jersey, battles Jon Schneider (7-4-1, 5 KO's), New York. Farrell only had 12 amateur fights, but is quickly making his mark as a professional.

Farrell acknowledged, "Training camp went good. After seven weeks, I feel great. I'm looking forward to putting on a good show. Jon has a lot of experience, and is the first southpaw I am facing as a pro. I sparred about 45 rounds with light heavyweight Yathomas Riley (7-0, 5 KO's). I'm very prepared."

Also on the card: Ismayl Sillakh (9-0, 8 KO's), Ukraine, takes on Larry Pryor (6-5, 4 KO's) Houston, Texas, in a six round light heavyweight bout.

Przemyslaw Majewski (11-0, 7 KO's), Poland, faces Anthony Pietrantonio (6-3, 5 KO's), Ohio, in a six round super middleweight clash.

Sadam Ali (4-0, 2 KO's), New York,  squares off against Jason Thompson (5-4-1, 4 KO's), New York, in a four round junior welterweight match up.

Brinkley Batters Stevens, Wins 12 Round Unanimous Decision

Jesse Brinkley (35-5, 22 KO's) won a one-sided, 12 round unanimous decision over Curtis Stevens (21-3, 15 KO's). Official scores were 117-109, 118-108 and 119-107.
In the first round, it appeared that Stevens was heading toward an early knockout win over Brinkley. Stevens connected with some left hooks that almost floored him. Brinkley recovered, and used his jab more in round two. Stevens was pressing the action, but without the presence of an effective left jab. Brinkley got his punches off first, and as a result Stevens hit him much less in the round.

By round three, Brinkley found his range and repeatedly struck Stevens with hard, accurate punches.

Both men stepped up the pace in round five and battled courageously. Toward the end of the round, Brinkley hurt Stevens with a left hook to the head. Stevens fired back, but was met with a flurry of punches from Brinkley. They continued swinging well after the bell had sounded to end the round.

Brinkley continued to punish Stevens in round six, and put him down after landing a series of rock-solid right hands. Stevens was tough, but minimized his chances to win with little head movement and the lack of an effective jab.

Stevens landed a sharp left hook in the eighth round, although Brinkley absorbed the punch well. Stevens' punches only reached the target one at a time, while Brinkley was landing combinations. Brinkley also hit Stevens with some punishing hooks to the body.

In the twelfth round, referee Vic Drakulich gave Stevens a standing eight count after Brinkley landed a barrage of punches. Brinkley could have used the ring to his advantage in the remaining minutes, but he elected to go for the knockout. Both men continued to swing until the final bell. Brinkley got the better of the exchanges, although he did not put Stevens down again.

With the victory, Brinkley could face undefeated IBF Super-Middleweight Champion Lucian Bute next. Stevens fought with great heart, but came up short suffering his third professional defeat. During the course of any fight, Stevens possesses the power to hurt his opponents. On the other hand, he cannot afford to pressure them without fighting behind a solid jab. Again, Stevens had trouble moving his head to slip punches. For Stevens to bounce back from his latest defeat, he must learn how to slip punches better and work his way into range by jabbing.

Serrano Remains Unbeaten

In a welterweight showdown, Raymond Serrano (12-0, 6 KO's) defeated Ronnie Warrior Jr. (13-3-1, 4 KO's) by an eight-round unanimous decision. All three official judges scored the fight 79-73.

Serrano started fast, landing right hand leads and beat Warrior to the punch repeatedly. Warrior, a southpaw, seemed overwhelmed by Serrano's blazing hand speed. Serrano was consistently pounding Warrior with crisp combinations, while Warrior was unable to counter with meaningful punches. Warrior's hand speed was too inefficient to keep up with the 20-year-old prospect from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Serrano displayed great maturity, balance and composure for a young fighter. He never stood in front of Warrior too long, gave many angles and was very accurate placing his punches. Warrior never disrupted Serrano's rhythm. Serrano found his range and used lots of lateral movement to frustrate Warrior the entire bout.

Adamek vs. Estrada Heating Up

The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey is starting to establish itself as a major venue for boxing events. On February 6th, Tomasz Adamek battles Jason Estrada in a twelve round heavyweight clash, which will mark the fifth event hosted by the arena since 2008. It will be Adamek's fourth appearance at Prudential, where he has a strong Polish fan base. Prior to facing Andrew Golota in Poland, Adamek fought at "The Rock" three consecutive times.

Adamek's team consists of trainer Andrzej Gmitruk, assistant trainer Roger Bloodworth and strength and conditioning coach Ralph Mendez.

"Tomasz has everything and a hard punch. He is very quick, conditioned well and expects to win a hard fought fight. Roger and Ralph have him on an extremely good plan. He is not losing speed or coordination. Tomasz is a very dangerous opponent in the heavyweight division," said Gmitruk.

Adamek appeared very sharp when he was working on the mitts with Gmitruk.

"My cardio is very good. I'm fast, strong and my right hand is most powerful," Adamek stated.

Adamek is becoming immensely popular in New Jersey, where many fans come out to support him at the Prudential Center.

"I am becoming as popular in Jersey City as I am in Poland. I'm very happy fighting in front of thousands of people in Newark."

In preparation for Estrada, Adamek has been sparring with much heavier fighters. He has been training for this fight the last eight weeks. In the past, he had problems making weight at light heavyweight. Now, Adamek feels extremely healthy at heavyweight.

"222 lbs. is very natural for me. I eat more and I'm not hungry. I feel naturally stronger at this weight."

With a win, Adamek will be facing Chris Arreola next on April 24th. Jason Estrada feels that Adamek, and his promotional company Main Events are looking past him. Estrada has won nine of his last ten bouts and has never been knocked out. Previously, Estrada stated his opinion on possibly being overlooked.

"Looking past me toward Arreola doesn't really bother me," Estrada said. "I think it's silly, and they'll hear about it after the fight. I never talk too much, but I'm going to talk like never before after this fight. I hope they keep thinking about fighting somebody else. I'm keeping track of everything, and got names of people to talk about after I beat Adamek. I'm going to shutdown his plans.

"I'm in the gym with sparring partners that are similar to him - tough, stand-up with decent hand speed. They made a big mistake offering me this fight, and an even bigger mistake thinking he has faster hands than me. I've heard that they've brought in guys to work with, who are big, but don't have fast hands. That makes me laugh. How, all of a sudden is he going to have faster hands than me? I am bigger, stronger, faster, quicker and younger than him. I'm just a better all around fighter."

Adamek responded, "He's a good boxer, but my dream is to be heavyweight champion. I'm ready to win. It's everyone's dream to be heavyweight champion. I will win because I am very fast, powerful and healthy."

When asked about Estrada's fast hands, Adamek replied, "I have fast hands. My left hand is very strong. My right is stronger."

Estrada is 16-2, with only 4 knockouts. Will Adamek attack him in the early rounds and try to end the fight in a quick knockout?

"I have prepared to go twelve rounds with Roger and Andrew. Wait till February 6th!"

At 33 years old and a record of 39-1, 27 KO's, Adamek's goal is very clear - to become heavyweight champion.

"I need one more belt....heavyweight."

Main Events has put together another terrific card. In the co-main event, undefeated middleweight contender Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin (20-0, 15 KO's) takes on Fernando Zuniga (28-9, 20 KO's) in a ten round bout. At super middleweight, Dennis Hasson (9-0, 3 KO's) squares off against Anthony Pietrantonio (6-3, 5 KO's) in a six round bout. In a light middleweight bout, Denis Douglin (6-0, 3 KO's) faces Roberto Burgess (4-2, 2 KO's) in a six rounder. At cruiserweight, Patrick Farrell (4-0, 3 KO's) takes on Jon Schneider (7-4-1, 5 KO's) in a four rounder. Finally, Sadam Ali (4-0, 2 KO's) battles Jason Thompson (5-4-1, 4 KO's) in a four round, welterweight showdown.

Tickets for the event are available through Ticketmaster or at a Prudential Center Box Office. Group discounts are available. Tickets priced at $53, $78, $103, and $253 (ringside) are still available, and can be purchased at Prudential Center Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or visiting Prucenter.com

Tomasz Adamek's Media Workout Day

On February 6th, Tomasz Adamek squares off against Jason Estrada at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Today, Adamek worked out for the media in Jersey City, NJ.

Abner Mares: Boxing's Brightest Rising Star

24 year-old Abner Mares is on the fast track to becoming one of the sport’s most elite fighters. He is undefeated as a professional (19-0, 12 KO’s), and possesses swift hand speed and precise volume punching that has enabled him to conquer opponents quite easily. Defensively, Mares fights like a veteran. When standing in front of his opponents, he exerts little energy by using crafty upper body movements.

Mares is one of eleven brothers, and was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, but raised in Hawaiian Gardens, California. While Mares’mother worked many long hours to support the family, he started boxing at the age of 7 when his brother took him to the gym. Abner’s father also boxed professionally.

While growing up, Mares focused on perfecting his craft, which left little time for friends and activities. He never attended his high school prom.

“At 12 years old, my dad instilled strict discipline. From that point, I took boxing very seriously.”

Abner has triumphed over several challengers by implementing a devastating body attack into his arsenal. His body punches remind many of Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez.

“Chavez was a big idol for me. We used to get together and have barbecues when he would fight.”

Mares holds a remarkable amateur record of 112-8, 84 KO’s.  In 2002, he captured Gold medals at the World Cadet Championships and the Central American and Caribbean Games. He also won a pair of Silver medals at the 2003 Pan-American Games and the 2004 World Junior Championships. Three of those 112 victories came against Juan Manuel Lopez, who is undefeated as a professional and now fights at 126 lbs.

“The first time I beat Lopez was in his native Puerto Rico. It was by a few points. Then, I defeated him in El Salvador at the 2002 Central American Games.”

At the 2003 Pan-American Games, Mares would beat Lopez again, this time in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

“My corner just kept telling me to pressure and stay on top of him.”

Mares went on to represent his native Mexico at the 2004 Olympic games. However, he suffered a controversial defeat in his first bout against Hungary’s Zsolt Bedak, losing on points 36-27. It seemed Mares was not receiving credit from the judges for his body punching. Bedak now campaigns professionally at 122 lbs. and is undefeated (15-0 5 KO’s). Julio Cesar Chavez and Hector Lopez were calling the action ringside for Mexico, and felt the decision was also unjust.

“I definitely want Zsolt to come to the United States. I would love to fight him again.”

In November 2004, Oscar De La Hoya signed Mares to his promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions.

“My dad received a call from Oscar saying he wanted to meet me. The next thing we knew, my father and I were on a plane to Florida to get together with Oscar De La Hoya. What some people do not know is Oscar’s wife, Millie, watched the fight and saw what happened against Bedak. She told Oscar that he should sign me. Oscar told her, ‘You are right.’”

In 2007, one of the most glorifying moments of his early professional career came when Mares won the WBO & NABO Bantamweight titles against Isidro Garcia. Although, that was not the toughest fight Abner had as a professional. His greatest challenge came in a fight he won by a second round knockout against Diosdado Gabi. Entering the bout, Gabi was 30-3-1, 21 KO’s and the first southpaw Mares faced as a professional.

“In the first round, I got into trouble and I wasn’t feeling my rhythm, but I was able to come back and end it in two.”

The bantamweight division is stacked with many talented fighters such as WBC champion Hozumi Hasegawa, IBF champion Yonnhy Perez, WBA champion Anselmo Moreno, Fernando Montiel, Nehomar Cermeno, Joseph Agbeko, Wladimir Sidorenko and Kohei Oba, all of whom have 2 losses or less.

Mares is willing to fight anyone. At some point, he wants to unify the titles, something that has not been done in the bantamweight division since Enrique Pinder in 1972. No fighter has ever held the WBC, WBA and IBF Bantamweight titles simultaneously. The IBF did not start crowning champions in the bantamweight division until 1984. Pinder won two of the three titles (WBC & WBA) when he defeated Rafael Herrera by a 15 round unanimous decision on July 29, 1972 in Panama.

“I want to unify the titles, and then move up in weight. I started my professional career at 122 lbs., so it won’t be a problem. My goal is not just to be world champ, but to be the greatest, an idol. I want to be the pound-for-pound champ....like Pacquiao.”

Mares could end up facing Yonnhy Perez on May 22^nd for the IBF Bantamweight title, as the co-main event to Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez IV on Showtime. Mares defeated Perez two out of three times in the amateurs. At the moment, a deal has not been finalized.

If he faces Perez, Mares expects a hard fight.

“His right hands are no joke. He never gives up and his conditioning is excellent. I will box him and trade when I am close to him. We will make a good fight.

“Of all the fighters I faced in the amateurs, Yonnhy hit the hardest. I don’t want to take an easy road. Boxing needs good fights, good prospects and new faces. Win or lose, this is a great fight for the sport.”

Mares has not fought since August 27, 2009 when he scored a 6^th round knockout over Carlos Fulgencio. He has been training in the gym for the last twelve weeks, and is eager to fight again.

“I would like to fight possibly in March, but if an opponent cannot be found, I have no problem going straight to May 22^nd.”

Perez is a tall fighter, who can utilize his height and reach advantage with an effective left jab. Then again, Mares has a plan.

“Sometimes, Perez brings his left jab back low and is susceptible to right hands. I’m going to work his body. We’re working in the gym on attacking the body with left hooks just like Chavez.”

Indeed, boxing has a new rising superstar.

Lopez & Gamboa Win Impressively

Lopez Schools Luevano

Juan Manuel Lopez (28-0, 25 KO's) remained unbeaten after scoring a seventh round stoppage over Steven Luevano (37-2-1, 15 KO's). With the victory, Lopez captured the WBO Featherweight title.

In the first round, Luevano showed a solid right jab, but it was quite clear that Lopez possessed an overall edge in skill and power. Lopez pushed Luevano back when he landed some hard overhand lefts. Then, Luevano caught Lopez with a short, counter right hook. After the first round, Lopez controlled the pace of the entire fight.

Lopez got his punches off first and simply outworked Luevano. More importantly, Lopez landed the cleaner shots. Lopez placed his punches with great accuracy and showed that he was a much more seasoned fighter. He slipped many of Luevano's powers shots.

In round two, Lopez drove Luevano back with his right jab. From there, Lopez was able to hit Luevano easier with his overhand left. Lopez also landed counter right hooks to the body and head in the round.

After the third round, Luevano's nose was bleeding. Luevano absorbed a sharp left uppercut from Lopez that may have caused it. In round four, Luevano successfully landed a left uppercut - right hook combination. Lopez fired back, catching Luevano with a right hook to the body and followed it with an overhand left to the head. Toward the end of the round, Lopez got Luevano on the ropes and fired right hooks.

Luevano fought better in round five, but suffered swelling under his left eye. Lopez continued to force the action. Luevano was looking to counter punch much of the fight, although he could not match the superior hand speed of Lopez.

Lopez hurt Luevano badly when he connected with a punishing right uppercut in round seven. Lopez moved toward Luevano, and fired a left and right hook to the body. Then, Lopez delivered a left hand to Luevano's head that put him down in the corner. Luevano stood up, but referee Benjy Esteves Jr. stopped the fight. Time of the stoppage was :44 seconds of round seven.

Gamboa Outclasses Mtagwa

Yuriorkis Gamboa (17-0, 15 KO's) dominated Rogers Mtagwa (26-14-2, 18 KO's), stopping the veteran in just two rounds to retain the WBA Featherweight title. Gamboa stunned Mtagwa with several power shots early in the first round. Mtagwa was struck with countless right hands and lefts hooks, and was unable to counter Gamboa effectively. Gamboa got his punches off first and was simply too quick. Late in the first round, Gamboa dropped Mtagwa when he connected with a left hook that landed on the top of Mtagwa's head.

In round two, Mtagwa tied Gamboa up after he got nailed with a series of left hooks and right hands. Then, Gamboa snapped Mtagwa's head back with an overhand right. After that, Gamboa floored Mtagwa with a solid right to the body followed by a vicious left hook to the head. Mtagwa got back to his feet, but was sent down again when Gamboa landed a left hook - right hand combination. Referee Steve Smoger stopped the action at 2:35.

With Lopez and Gamboa winning their respective fights, it sets up a possible featherweight showdown later in 2010. Lopez started boxing when he was 10 years-old, compiled an impressive amateur record of 126-24 and competed at the 2004 Olympics. On the other hand, Gamboa has over 250 amateur bouts and won a Gold Medal at the 2004 Olympics in the flyweight division.

Lopez is an elusive southpaw that moves in and out of range delivering crisp combinations. He can work the body and uses the ring to his advantage. For the first time in his professional career, Gamboa showed patience placing his shots against Mtagwa. Can Gamboa continue to be patient releasing his punches against future opponents? Gamboa displays exceptional hand speed and explosive power. When Gamboa hurts opponents, he finishes them. Would Lopez be able to neutralize Gamboa's power and speed with his ring generalship? Or would Gamboa's aggression and rapid punching overwhelm Lopez? Hopefully, fight fans will be treated to this match up in 2010!

Roger Mayweather On Boxing Truth Radio

Roger Mayweather, uncle and trainer of Floyd Mayweather Jr., will be LIVE on the Boxing Truth Radio Show Sunday.

You can listen below on my blog at 9PM EST/6PM PST.

Currently, Roger is facing felony charges alleging he beat and choked Melissa St. Vil, a 26-year-old woman boxer.

Arraignment is set for January 26th in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mayweather's attorney Jack Buchanan said Mayweather will plead not guilty and challenge the charges against him.

Berto vs. Mosley CANCELED, Mayweather vs. Mosley On May 1st???

As a result of the tragic earthquake that struck Haiti, Andre Berto has pulled out of his fight with "Sugar" Shane Mosley on January 30th. He released the following the statement Monday:

"I have seen the pain in my parents' eyes as they attempt to understand what has happened to our homeland, and recognize a place they once called home. As a result of this disaster, I am mentally and physically exhausted and therefore, I have no choice but to withdraw from my bout on January 30th.

"Throughout the past six days, I have received an incredible outpouring of support, and I sincerely appreciate everyone’s prayers for the people of Haiti. I hope that everyone will continue to keep the Haitian people in their thoughts and prayers, as we work to rebuild this proud nation.

"The rebuilding of Haiti is not something that will happen overnight, but I am fully dedicated to helping the Haitian people recover from this catastrophic event."

It is very possible that Floyd Mayweather Jr. could battle "Sugar" Shane Mosley on May 1st at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Leonard Ellerbe, who is Floyd Mayweather's advisor, stated the following: "Floyd wants to fight the biggest fight possible, no matter who it may be. He'll line all these guys up and beat them one by one."

In the past, Mayweather and Mosley tried on numerous occasions to make a fight between them happen, but the two sides could never reach an agreement, which led to both men fighting other opponents. After Mayweather defeated Juan Manuel Marquez in September, Mosley got into the ring and challenged Mayweather during his post-fight interview with HBO's Max Kellerman. 

Today, Shane Mosley said, "I'm disappointed that the fight has been called off, but I understand that Andre is going through a very difficult time. My heart goes out to him, his family and the people of Haiti during the aftermath of this terrible tragedy. I'm sorry for the losses that Andre Berto and all of the Haitian people are suffering. I have everyone in my prayers."

Martirosyan Wins Controversial Decision Over Ouma

Vanes Martirosyan (27-0, 17 KO's) won a controversial ten round unanimous decision over Kassim Ouma (26-7-1,16 KO's). Official scores were 97-92 and 97-93 twice. The 31 year old Ouma has now lost five of his last six bouts, while Martirosyan remains unbeaten.

Ouma relentlessly pressured Martirosyan from the opening bell and forced him to fight at his pace. In the first round, Ouma successfully landed right hooks and straight lefts as Martirosyan attempted to connect with his straight right. Ouma continued to land straight lefts and right hooks in round two, but Martirosyan had a better round. Martirosyan split Ouma's defense with a vicious right uppercut and attacked his body with a series of right hand shots. Also, Martirosyan connected with more straight rights to Ouma's head.

Ouma came back strong in the third round, and pushed Martirosyan back with right hooks and straight lefts. Martirosyan was countering Ouma's right hooks with straight rights. Ouma repeatedly got his punches off first, although Martirosyan finished the round strong.

In the fourth round, Martirosyan kept Ouma turning by using a lot of lateral movement. Martirosyan hit Ouma with many rights to the head and body. After Martirosyan landed a right and left to the body, an accidental clash of heads left him with a cut on his left eye brow.

Ouma stepped up the pace again, while utilizing his right jab in round five. Ouma hammered Martirosyan with a crisp right uppercut in close range. In round six, Ouma struck Martirosyan with numerous right hooks and straight lefts to the head. Again, Martirosyan countered with straight rights to the body and head. In round seven, Martirosyan went back to moving around the ring and caught Ouma with lots of right hands.

Ouma appeared to throw less punches in round eight and when he did throw, it looked as if his punches lost some steam. On the other hand, Martirosyan stepped up his work rate and made Ouma feel uncomfortable the entire round. However, Ouma floored Martirosyan with a short right hook in the ninth round. After that, Ouma battered Martirosyan with consecutive straight lefts, but Martirosyan got his balance back and started to fire right hands.

Both men fought at a furious pace in round ten. Martirosyan's left eye was very swollen. Yet, he closed the final round strong as he wobbled Ouma with a hard left hook to the head. Then, Martirosyan landed a left hook and straight right as the bell sounded to end the fight.

I had Ouma winning the fight 95-94. Personally, I felt the scoring in favor of Martirosyan was too widespread. Both men battled diligently throughout the course of the fight in several close rounds. Ouma even scored a knockdown, although Martirosyan fought fiercely during the remaining minutes of round nine. Without a doubt, Ouma presented Martirosyan with his toughest challenge to date in the spirited junior middleweight division. Ouma showed that he still has a lot of fight left in him after losing two straight bouts. In contrast, Martirosyan acquired tremendous experience by being pushed to the brink of defeat, and should look much improved in his upcoming fights.